[updated:LAST EDITED ON 24-11-02 AT 10:03 AM (GMT)]Being a Sunday wrote this up for the forum….
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Blended Wing
Boeing Co. is fast loosing market and economy over Airbus as Airbus Industries more economical aircrafts are filling up the skies world over…while outside people think Boeing is just sitting and wasting time over upgradtion of its Boeing 747s and Boeing 777s to ER standards, Boeing is doing a huge struggle behind the scene on what kind of new airplane it should build next.
A good number of engineers at Boeing Co. wants the company to take up the Blended-Wing Body, which Boeing inherited McDonnell Douglas Corp. when the two giants merged in 1997. According to experts the BWB will be cheaper to both build and fly than anything rival Airbus has on its drawing boards. This gamble if works out could secure Boeings leading seats as an aircraft manufacturer for at least a decade.
Although not everyone is for the BWB to be built. Some people in Boeing say the BWB has structural problems that outweigh its advantages. Some of these problems are that there will be no windows at majority of the seats and the tailless design will add to turbulence, in short a bumpier ride than existing airliners.
Another thing is that Boeing is planning to make a military version out of the BWB also, hence not totally concentrating on its loosing battle in the commercial aviation market.
Boeing is currently in a state, which it was in 50 years ago when it changed from propeller aircraft to jets.
The BWB would be 32% more cheaper to fly than the A380, which is winning orders mainly because it cuts operation costs by 15% against the 747. The savings are mostly in fuel so the design is a efficient one. The wings are much more aerodynamic as the triangular shape of the aircraft cuts air in such a way that the air hits the ground instead of going at the back causing bumpy take-offs, specially in cross-wind conditions.
Lufthansa, FedEx, SIA and UA want Boeing to make the BWB a priority, this has urged at least Boeing to forget its Sonic Cruiser plans.
But there is a problem, Boeing CEO Alan Mulaly sees the BWB’s future as a total flop. So there ahs been no briefing between the technicians and the CEO on BWB as yet.
Although NASA on the other hand says the BWB project will be a success.
The BWB was first offered by Northrop Corp. as airliner but the world declined it, he then offered it as a military aircraft and now its flying in the name of the B2. The handling of the BWB will be similar to the B747 unless the pilot flies it like a fighter.
Lets see the demerits and merits:
Demerits:
> People have to get accustomed on such a new design.
> There will be very few windows on the aircraft which many people could find disturbing.
> The flight control system is complex and there could be unusual strains on hydraulic equipment.
> Composite material used to build the aircraft could pose manufacturing chalanges.
Merits:
> Cheaper to build and operate.
> Boeing could construct different sizes sharing key points.
> The design creates a comfortable interior with extra room.
> Has potential as a freighter or military tanker.
> Given military potential may receive governments help.
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your comments?
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By: KabirT - 26th November 2002 at 15:27
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
Fully agree wysiwyg.
By: wysiwyg - 26th November 2002 at 11:21
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
Whoever tames the sonic boom will be the real winner.
By: SOC - 26th November 2002 at 03:25
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
Interesting idea. If you fold the wings at about mid-span, the a/c could fold them up after taxiing off of the runway following landing.
Besides, aren’t some redesigns going to have to be accomplished to accomodate the A380 anyway?
Clearly, Boeing is in need of some help. After the X-32’s failure and the Sonic Cruiser debacle, they need some fresh ideas or prepare to be bought out by Lockheed }>
Have no fear, the answer is coming-in the form of the QSP program being run by the USAF, NASA, and DARPA. I wouldn’t be suprised to see a Boeing SST announced in the next five years due to the advances that the QSP program is making-that is one to keep an eye on as it has huge military and civillian implications for aviation in the US. A cheap, efficient, high-volume SST would be able to save Boeing. I’m not sure if much else could at this point, at least as far as the civillian market is concerned. My advice-get Northrop (who has done the most, and best, QSP research to date) and Tupolev (who has been designing the Tu-244 SST for the past 20 years, no other aerospace firm has been as serious or detailed about a next-gen SST as they have) on board, and go to work. They could announce a partnership next year, preliminary design in two years, and field a prototype in 10. Call it the Airbus Killer and open the order books.
Anything less may very well be too little too late at this point.
SOC
“Peace through kinetic solutions”
By: wysiwyg - 26th November 2002 at 00:28
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
Folding/swinging wings would add some weight but nowhere near as much as you’d save by not having a fuselage and a tail!
The 757 fuel wing tanks run almost full span. The blended wing has a much thicker section allowing fuel storage further inboard and payload to facilitate wing bending relief.
By: mongu - 26th November 2002 at 00:20
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
I think I remember reading something about 777 folding wingtips too. How much weight do you reckon that would add? Also how about fuel carried in wings – is it in the whole wing or just the root area?
By: wysiwyg - 25th November 2002 at 23:50
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
Really? I didn’t know that.
By: EGNM - 25th November 2002 at 23:40
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
.. and on the folding wing topic – weren’t 777s originally gonna have em on some of the longer range/increased take off weight varients??
By: wysiwyg - 25th November 2002 at 23:22
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
firstly – I agree with the fact that you downsize this to 150 seat capacity to start
secondly – the more I think about it, I don’t see why any airport redevelopment is required at all. With the current 747 size and A380 on the way ir should be quite straigntforward to incorporate swingwing/folding wing technology (which has been in use for years) to allow large flying wings to use normal stands. There is no need to modify any taxiways as the span can be reinstated on lining up.
thirdly – lack of windows is not a problem as this has recently been proposed for existing types. How about changing our perception of an aircraft window and having a see through leading edge giving passengers a forward view.
fourthly – stability is not an issue with military style fly by wire. Thw B2 doesn’t seem to have any problems.
Now coming back down to earth, I wonder if Boeing might be better off building A320’s under license…
By: KabirT - 25th November 2002 at 11:42
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
Mullaly is already against this programme. Its not only the airport that will be a problem…already the design is under questions as due to the absence of a tail the aircraft will be a little unstable. Plus i dont like the idea of flying in a tin can with no windows. Both BWB and A380 can cater current aiport lengths available at major airports worldwide so thats not really a problem. Of course the taxiway area can cause a little inconvinience.
By: mongu - 25th November 2002 at 00:21
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
I just don’t think it would work.
1. It would be a big risk for Boeing. Mulally will face an inquisition at the next AGM if they anounce a go-ahead.
2. Airlines at the moment cannot afford to chip in with the airport redevelopments.
3. What if a single big airport like LAX or LHR decides not to cater for the BBW and concentrate on increasing the numbers of conventional stands instead? At busy airports this would be the rule rather than the exception I think.
4. The artists impression was in NWA colours. At least 2 of the likely US operators (NWA and United) are teetering on the verge of bankruptcy at the moment. Others like SQ and VS have already committed to the A380.
5. Common sense would suggest a bottom-up strategy for Boeing, not a top-down one. They should beat the A320 first, not the A380.
6. If a single example of the BBW is in any incident, pasengers will be very nervous. It would be the most radical step in the industry, more so than the 747 or ETOPS twins or even Concorde.
Not trying to be downbeat, but I’m sure it’s just Boeing thinking aloud rather than disclosing their intended development path.
By: wysiwyg - 25th November 2002 at 00:12
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
If supply demands it the rules can be changed. The current rules are a convenience to our current airports. Who says Boeing will start with a massive design? There are ways round all these problems, eg folding wingtips, etc. Airports are not the issue or the problem here, they are easily solved. Everyone said it would be impossible to taxi a 747 from an apron to a runway and back and they even built a rig to try it!
Just to keep things down to earth I must say that yes it will probably be a non-starter but what I do want to get across is that (in my opinion unlike the sonic cruiser) this is an idea worthy of investment and worth researching. We are very guilty both in this forum and in the world at large of saying ‘this is how we do things now so this is how it will always be’. There will be change in the aviation industry, remember how radical Concorde was in its day.
It doesn’t seem that long ago when I was a very lonely voice saying I thought easyJet would choose Airbus over Boeing…
By: EGNM - 24th November 2002 at 22:07
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
theres the redesignation of stands – which aint too hard but taxiway and runway turning parimeters look a bit difficult here – even i there was mainwheel steering to complement nosewheel
By: kelly_brooke - 24th November 2002 at 21:43
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
As far as a know, dont all A/C have to fit in a 80m squre and the A380 only just fits?
I would imainge the BWD would be bigger than 80m hence the whole airport would have to be redishned or a new terminal/runway made for it, not always practical.
Kelly
By: wysiwyg - 24th November 2002 at 19:55
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
Hang on a minute, didn’t airport stands have to be redesigned to accommodate the 747? Why can’t it be done again. There is a lot of merit in the flying wing concept as the entire aircraft is dedicated to producing lift. After all a fuselage just stops the tail end from overtaking the front end, contributes rather little towards total lift and acts as a passenger storage bin. Why have all that drag when you can carry payload in the wing structure. Tail surfaces create drag as well so let’s bin those. In olden days (when Northrop were developing flying wings) they had to use reflex aerofoils (curved up at the trailing edge) in order to maintain longitudinal stability. These aerofoils were inefficient and countered a lot of the benefits of having a flying wing in the first place, however with modern military style fly by wire (ie to stabilise an unstable platform) you could make the flying wing very efficient indeed.
By: Saab 2000 - 24th November 2002 at 17:01
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
The idea of the BWB is revolutionary for the aviation industry and would be a totally new concept for the airlines, which I could see as a gamble for Boeing.
From a manufactures point of view,the design is so daunting for Boeing alone.The aircraft is a considerable technical challenge in building.Also the problems involved in building such an aircraft and the enormous wingspan would also require airport infrastructure changes beyond what the A380 is demanding.I just think this is too much of a challenge for Boeing and would be very risky.
I do not consider that we will ever see this aircraft in the skies as a civil aircraft, however, maybe as a military in 10/15 years time.
From my own point of view I would hope aviation would never come to this. I think it is such an ugly aircraft. But, hey, it is not my choice, it is Boeing who gets the final say on whether this will be a success or not.
By: KabirT - 24th November 2002 at 16:12
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
What else could Boeing come up with? Maybe there own version of a double decker to match A380?
By: mongu - 24th November 2002 at 16:07
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
I think the BWB is just an airing of ideas, like the Sonic Cruiser probably was.
Boeing need to focus efforts on a whole new family, bar the 777.
By: KabirT - 24th November 2002 at 15:37
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
But do Boeing have any other choice? Yes airports will have to redo there gates as the BWB will be huge.
By: A330Crazy - 24th November 2002 at 15:11
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
Its an aircraft that I would love to see in the skies. I am optimistic of most new ideas. But as Mongu says, if this aircraft was to come out, it would result in more money being spent to modify airports to cope with the size of the aircraft. This could result in more room needed, which would cause houses to be pulled down.
But it would still be interesting to actually see one! 🙂
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By: mongu - 24th November 2002 at 13:19
RE: Blended Wing-My Analysis!
Too revolutionary, ie. too risky
Airports would need to be redesigned for the BWB as well.
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November 24, 2002 at 10:00 am