Colours on a Plane (Or Three)

The A.300 almost failed through lack of orders until Easter started using them a the rest is history

Had it failed there would be none of the Airbus types we have now

Also worth remembering that Boeing seriously considered killing off the lame duck the 737 was in the early day, but then that sort of caught on and suddenly many airlines were buying them. I can certainly remember when Boeing 737’s were rare with only Aer Lingus and Britannia likely to overfly my area and Aer Lingus perhaps once a week.

Perhaps all this can be looked at differently

If a couple of newer type are selling fewer numerically then the latest versions of well established type, far form bad that could be considered very good indeed to have sold them with such well established competition. I’m not referring specifically to this but in any event where this happens.

DHC/Bombardier, Canadair and Embraer have come from nowhere over the last few years and the British Industry has disappeared…what is now may be nothing like it was and nothing like the future with the two biggest player currently, A.320 series and Boeing 737NG both about to be relaunched would not have existed had the 737 line closed in the early 70’s or the A.300 been abandoned.

Less established types bring new blood and fresh ideas. it’s easy for big corporations to ride a success and get a bit stale. An example being the original A.350 that was basically and updated A.330 which is an updated A.300. The airlines refuse it and Airbus had to go away licking their wounds and redesign something new. Without doubt that was a good move and the A.350 starts afresh with much future potential

You could take any one of those ‘minor’ types and write about them in 20 years. It will either be…Pity they didn’t kill in then or…Just as well they stuck with it as look what it led to.

The chances are the one that becomes true is the least likely as it looks today.

All it needs is an open mind and the will to sceed with the job

I think that every type that has enough orders to come off the blueprints is doing good…
Sure its future is then shaped from the whole order history: if a type has enough orders to be actually real and then operates for some time and does not develop and improve into other types other “follow-up” orders won’t come…
Just watch the Dash 8, the CRJ, the B737 and the A320 history… they started somewhere and then evolved into a type that has solid basement and options to develop even further….
Maybe one day, 30 years from now, the CSeries family will be composed by a whole bunch of models and will resemble the A320/B737 history….
All I can say now is that the MAX, being a development (and still developing! we saw the fan size, landing gear and winglets defined in the last months….) will surely show itself in the next years, up to the EIS. It already has a great backlog….
For the CRJ1000 is the “time of truth” since it is operating for 1,5 years now it has proven itself, it has an advantage even over the predicted figures but scope clauses in the US prevent it to be a best seller like the smallest CRJs…. The Asian market is showing interest and Garuda placed an order early this year.
As per the CSeries this is the critical moment of the “wait and see” until the first flight… as many already said over the net: if BBD can match its promises we’ll see the backlog filled as airlines will jump in.

Modern aviation has produced not many, but very few types and all sell better before they are flying than was the case years ago.

In fact many ‘new’ types are developments of types that have been around for many years.

Because they are developments, they have a wide existing customer base potentially wanting to continue with the new version.

This seems to be an attempt to create a negative story where no such story exists.

Well, specifically referring to:
– the CRJ1000, there are 3 customers with 55 firm orders
– the CSeries, there are 9 customers with 138 firm orders (+2 customers with LOIs for 20 planes)
– the 737MAX, there are 3 customers with 451 firm orders

the CRJ could have done better (but who knows what the future reserves) the CS currently has a nice customer base (which BBD reports it will widen “soon” adding more orders) and the MAX already has a good amount of orders, although having big orders from few customers poses a bit of risk…. See the last year’s AA order for 460 total planes (11 A319 + 139 A321 + 130 A320neo family and 100 B737NG + 100 commitments for the 737MAX) which is “uncertain” of its future due to AMR’s bankruptcy!

Modern aviation has seen the release of many different jets, including the 787, A350 and neo. However, three jets, the CRJ1000, the MAX and the CSeries, are not doing quite as well, or so it appears.

It does not appear so. The Max is doing very well, as are the CRJ and CSeries.
Perhaps you should do a little research before making such blatantly ignorant statements? :rolleyes:

Maybe you could explain the thread title? :confused: