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The Boeing 787, or '''''Dreamliner''''', is a mid-sized Wide Body passenger Airliner currently under development by Boeing Commercial Airplanes and scheduled to enter service in 2008. It will carry between 200 and 350 passengers depending on the seating configuration, and will be more Fuel-efficient than comparable earlier airliners. In addition, it will be the first major airliner to use Composite Material in the majority of its construction. Prior to , the final design has superior aerodynamics as compared to the initial 7E7 concept. BACKGROUND was Boeing's intended choice to replace the 767. It never passed the development stage.]] When 767 sales began to weaken in the face of competition from the Airbus A330-200 in the late 1990s, Boeing began to consider replacement aircraft. As the Boeing 747-400 was also beginning to lose traction, the company proposed two new aircraft — the Boeing Sonic Cruiser and the 747X . The Sonic Cruiser was intended to achieve higher speeds (approximately Mach 0.98) while burning fuel at the same rate as the existing 767 and A330 products. The 747X, intended to compete with the Airbus A380 , would stretch the 747-400 and give it a composite Supercritical Wing to improve efficiency. The limited potential market for superjumbos was an issue, however; the earlier Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 widebodies split a similarly limited market and drove ''both'' companies out of their strong positions in the commercial aircraft market. Market interest for the 747X was tepid; the Sonic Cruiser had brighter prospects. Several major airlines, primarily in the United States , voiced their optimism for the concept. By decreasing travel time, they would be able to increase customer satisfaction and aircraft utilization. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 Attacks , the global airline market was upended. Airlines were not able to justify large capital expenditures, and due to increased Petroleum prices, were more interested in efficiency than speed. The worst-affected airlines were in the United States — those same airlines were considered to be the most likely customer of the Sonic Cruiser. Boeing proceeded to offer airlines the option of using the airframe for either higher speed or increased efficiency. Due to high projected airframe costs, demand continued to evaporate. Eventually, Boeing switched tracks and decided to offer an alternative project, cancelling the 747X once Airbus launched production of the Airbus A380 aircraft. The replacement for the Sonic Cruiser project was dubbed the 7E7 (with a development code name of '''Y2'''.) The "E" was said to stand for various things, depending upon the audience. To some, it stood for "efficiency," to others it stood for "environmentally friendly," etc. In the end, Boeing claimed it merely stood for "Eight," after the aircraft was eventually rechristened "787" when several Chinese airlines ordered the product, Eight is a lucky number in many Asian cultures, and it was thought by some that Boeing seized upon this coincidence as a marketing tool. {Link without Title} The 787 essentially uses the technology proposed for the Sonic Cruiser in a more conventional airframe configuration (see Features ). Boeing claims that the 787 will be up to 20% more fuel-efficient than current comparable aircraft. Roughly one-third of this efficiency improvement will come from the engines; another third from aerodynamic improvements and the increased use of lighter weight composite materials; and the rest from advanced systems. The most notable system advancement contributing to efficiency is a "more electric architecture" which replaces Bleed Air and Hydraulic power with electrically powered compressors and pumps. Technology from the Sonic Cruiser and 787 will be used as part of Boeing's project to replace their entire airliner product line, called the Yellowstone Project (of which the 787 is the first stage). On December 16 , 2003 , Boeing announced assembly would take place in Everett, Washington , employing 800 to 1,200 people. On April 6 , 2004 , Boeing announced that it had selected two engine types, the General Electric (GE) GEnx and Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 to power the 787. Significantly, this leaves Pratt & Whitney unable to offer one of their own engines to 787 customers. Boeing may have wished to rely on two evolved versions of existing engines rather than the higher-risk option of an all new Pratt & Whitney engine, particularly in light of Pratt & Whitney's recent failures in the Regional Jet market and failed PW6000 engine for the A318 . For the first time in commercial aviation, both engine types will have a standard interface with the aircraft, allowing any 787 to be fitted with either a GE or Rolls-Royce engine at any time. Engine interchangeability makes the 787 a far more flexible asset to airlines, allowing them to change from one manufacturer's engine to the other's in light of any future engine developments which conform more closely to their operating profile. The engine market for the 787 is estimated at $40 billion USD over the next 25 years. The launch of a new airliner can be expected to draw scathing comments from competitors, Boeing's doubt over the 2005 the A350 had 143 commitments from various airline companies, however it was recently announced that the A350 would not be available until 2011, three years after the 787 will be in service. In comparison the 787 already has 388 firm orders so far. In order to compete with the larger version of the ''. April 27 , 2006 . COMMERCIAL LAUNCH On April 26 , 2004 , the Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) became the launch customer for the 787, then still-known as the 7E7, announcing a firm order for 50 aircraft to be delivered beginning in 2008. ANA's order was for thirty 787-3, 300 seat, one-class domestic aircraft, and twenty 787-8, long-haul, 230 seat, two-class aircraft for international routes such as Tokyo Narita - Los Angeles . The aircraft will allow new routes to be opened to minor cities not previously served, such as Denver and Montreal . Later orders and options are as follows. Orders and options Entries shaded in pink have been announced, but have not yet signed a firm contract.
Initial sales Customer announced orders and commitments for the 787 reached 237 aircraft during the first year of sales. This makes the 787 the fastest-ever selling airliner upon launch; by comparison, the 747 sold 92 units during the same time period. Boeing expects to have 500 orders by Entry Into Service (EIS). The 787-3 and 787-8 variants will be available first. The 787-9 was expected to be available two years later, but the first 2.5 years production has now been sold out for the initial variants, so the introduction of the 787-9 has been delayed in order to fulfill initial demand. As of April 1, 2006, three airlines had already ordered a total of 39 Boeing 787-9. The 787-8 variant was priced at a list price of 120 million per aircraft, surprising the industry, which was expecting a much higher price tag. Like launch customers of past aircraft, ANA is rumored to have received a significant discount. This may never be easily confirmed, but the practice is very common in the aviation industry. PRODUCTION Boeing will assemble the aircraft and manufacture its forward fuselage, tail fin, ailerons, flaps, and slats. For its entire history, Boeing has jealously guarded its techniques for designing and mass producing commercial jetliner wings. Due to economic realities, the wings will be manufactured by '', September 11 , 2005 . Japanese industrial participation is very important to the project, with 35% workshare, with many of the subcontractors supported and funded by the Japanese government. On April 26th 2006, Japanese manufacturer Toray industries and Boeing announced a production agreement involving $6 billion worth of carbon fiber. The deal is an extension of a contract signed in 2004 between the two companies and eases some concerns that Boeing might have difficulty maintaining it's production goals for the 787. The Japanese participants are no longer junior partners. From France, Messier-Dowty will build the landing gear and Thales will supply the integrated standby flight display, electrical power conversion system, and in-flight entertainment. Honeywell and Rockwell-Collins will provide flight control, guidance and other Avionics systems, including standard ''dual'' Head Up Guidance Systems . Future integration of forward looking infrared is being looked at by Flight Dynamics allowing improved visibility using thermal sensing as part of the HUD system, allowing pilots to "see" through the clouds. of the 787-8, unveiled at Spirit Wichita for the first time.]] The final assembly will consist of attaching fully-completed subassemblies, instead of building the complete aircraft from the ground up. This is a technique which Boeing has previously used on the 737 program, which involves shipping fuselage barrel sections by Rail from Spirit's Wichita , Kansas facility to Boeing's final assembly plant at Renton , Washington. Airbus has also used this technique in the past, although in its case it is more of a political necessity resulting from partner nations' divided workshare. The 787 will undergo wind-tunnel testing at Boeing's Transonic Wind Tunnel, QinetiQ 's five-meter wind tunnel based in Farnborough, UK, and NASA Ames Research Center 's wind tunnel, as well as at the French aerodynamics research agency, ONERA . The first composite section rolled out in January of 2005, and final external design was set in April 2005. Boeing intends to deliver 118 aircraft during the first 18 months of production. Due to customer demand, Boeing is currently considering whether to open a second production line. Some of the difficulty in this case revolves around the production capacity of suppliers. For example, Alenia is said to only be able to produce seven 787 fuselage sections per month. Difficulities in increasing production rates resulted in severe delivery delays in 1999 . CURRENT POTENTIAL SALES INFORMATION MAY/ JUNE 2006 Currently, Boeing is in talks with several international carriers. Singapore Airlines and Emirates Airlines have shown an interest in the new 787s, and have been courting Boeing and Airbus for some time. Emirates recently, has been pushing Boeing to further stretch the Dreamliner for a Dash 10 model. A decision is expected at the upcoming airshow. While the A350 is lagging behind in orders, it has provided formidable competition to the 787, forcing the Dreamliner sales team to work very hard to win new orders. However, the 787's extreme popularity has resulted in production being sold out through 2012 . Additional orders, later on are expected from Air New Zealand , Continental Airlines and Northwest Airlines - as their current fleets consist mainly of 767 and A330 aircraft which will be retiring in the next decade. Currently Boeing has proposals for more than 600 aircraft; not all will turn into firm orders, but Boeing hopes to retain more than a 60% share in this market. Boeing is well on its way to achieving its goal of 500 firm orders before entry into service. If Boeing's Dreamliner sales should continue at their current rate, a second production line is currently being considered and a decision is expected as early as October 2006. Other prospective customers for the 787 include:
FEATURES
Early concept images of the 787 included rakish cockpit windows, a dropped nose, and a distinctive "shark-fin" Vertical Stabilizer . The final styling of the aircraft was more conservative, with the fin less radical than on earlier images, but the nose and cockpit windows were retained. The nose is very similar to that of the Dornier 728Jet. VARIANTS The 787 is currently being offered in three variants:
In addition, Boeing is studying the 787-10, a stretched variant seating roughly 300 which is intended to compete with the planned Airbus '', March 27 , 2006 . SPECIFICATIONS ยน With full load (passengers and cargo), from {Link without Title} The Boeing 787-10's specifications are based from {Link without Title} REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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