Let's trade our rails for wings a minute: ANA unveiled the new 787 Boeing

[Tecchan]

ANA unveiled the new 787 Boeing: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/photospecials/graph/787/index.html

 

 

I like planes too and this seems to really be a small revolution in the commercial airplane world.

787 is more energy efficient and it's development focused on comfort, ecology and technology rather than on big is better like the A380 was.

[Martijn Meerts]

Development focussed on comfort... Hmm.. Just give more leg space, and any airplane is pretty damn comfortable ;)

[Tecchan]

Development focussed on comfort... Hmm.. Just give more leg space, and any airplane is pretty damn comfortable ;)

 

Noise, size of the windows, seats... I think there is plenty of things to make an airplane more comfy!

(of course if you can afford 1st class, this doesn't concern you!  )

[Martijn Meerts]

I'd love to try first class, but not at the prices they're asking =)

[The_Ghan]

But the important questions are:

 

1. Are those motors skew-wound?

2. What kind of couplers are used?

3. What is the minimum radius curve it can safely negotiate?

4. Is the cockpit iPhone compatible?

5. Can you use FaceBook on the HUD?

 

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Tecchan]

I'd love to try first class, but not at the prices they're asking =)

 

Same here. I'd rather spend my money on my holiday than on my plane trip.

Anyways, I'd really like to board one of those 787! (not Relay Tsubame, already done that! :-p )

 

But the important questions are:

 

1. Are those motors skew-wound?

2. What kind of couplers are used?

3. What is the minimum radius curve it can safely negotiate?

4. Is the cockpit iPhone compatible?

5. Can you use FaceBook on the HUD?

 

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

 

lol, do you think it has a flywheel?!

[Martijn Meerts]

It has wheels, and they fly, so it definitely has flywheels :)

[bikkuri bahn]

Arriving at Haneda A.P.:

[Guest ___]

ANA unveiled the new 787 Boeing: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/photospecials/graph/787/index.html

 

I like planes too and this seems to really be a small revolution in the commercial airplane world.

787 is more energy efficient and it's development focused on comfort, ecology and technology rather than on big is better like the A380 was.

 

The B787-8 is actually quite a revolutionary jump. Aside from being all composite construction and the GEnx engines are of greater significance than the A380 (of which was a project I was employed in) It was also an amazing move by Boeing who did not announce it's plans until after EADS announced the A380. Boeing was smarter, and quicker to recognize the shift to smaller more fuel efficient airframes. This caused EADS who was also committed to a new A350 to scrap an aircraft 50% complete in R&D forcing them to scrap billions in costs for the XWB.

[spacecadet]

The 787 program has had a lot of delays, many manufacturing problems and is both way behind schedule and way above budget.  It's also not going to hit the promised performance initially.  (In fact, the initial few frames, which were intended to go to ANA and perhaps JAL, are going to be scrapped once testing is done.)

 

To some extent every new airliner has teething problems, but the 787's have been worse than most, and at a bad time for Boeing.

 

There have been two main sources for most of this plane's problems:

 

1) The use of so many new materials, which have not always performed to expectation and have, for one example, led to things like a complete rebuild of the wing boxes on the first few frames - this is not a small repair.  Fasteners have been the big issue - because these aren't all metal surfaces, you can't just put a bunch of rivets in there and call it done.

 

2) The unprecedented reliance on outsourcing.  Many of the problem parts have come from manufacturers that Boeing has admitted to not giving proper oversight.  Long story short, Boeing allowed its partner manufacturers to come up with their own processes for manufacturing parts.  In several cases, those processes led to inconsistent quality that did not pass inspection, and in a few cases that wasn't known until planes were actually built and being tested.  (I can't say they were actually flying because I don't remember that, but ground tests had at least begun.)

 

It's just been bad management on Boeing's part.  And all the changes they've had to implement to strengthen various areas have put the first few planes well overweight.

 

As for flying one, I'm sure they will basically be like any other airplane once the airlines are actually done outfitting them... cramped seating, terrible service, etc.  Ok, the international service on ANA is pretty good, but these planes are going to be flying domestic for a while, and internationally I doubt I'll ever fly one... I live in NYC and we're going to get the bigger planes regardless.  787's are going to be used on routes that would otherwise require a smaller plane that's not capable of non-stop service (or that's now being flown by a bigger plane that runs half empty) - the 787 will now be able to fly those routes non-stop.

[Guest ___]

When the A380 was behind like it was, if I wasn't under an NDA, the things I could tell ya about cost cutting and delay avoisions would scare you out of ever flying on an AB product ever again.

[Nozomi4ever]

What a bare looking jet of ANA>..

Boeing wants to save some paint for awhile?

[Tecchan]

Look at the modified 747 "Dreamlifter" in the background! Impressive plane isn't it?!