The Australian
BEAUTY is only skin deep, or so the saying goes. So even as Boeing promotes the gee-whiz passenger cabin and sports car styling of its 7E7, it expects to win over airlines with what’s under the hood.
In Sydney yesterday, preaching the virtues of the 7E7, key Boeing executives said there was a great deal more to the 7E7 than its flashy styling.
According to John Feren, vice-president of 7E7 program sales marketing and in-service support, Boeing’s business case for the 7E7 is built on a drastic reduction in operating and ownership costs through a mix of simplicity and technology.
The business case appears to be working, with 62 firm orders and deposits paid on another 200 7E7s. “The 7E7 is already the most successful new development of all time,” Feren says.
According to Feren, the real beauty of the 7E7 is to be found deep inside its carbon-fibre air frame. “We’ve developed what we call an open systems architecture,” he says.
“It’s an overall philosophy that is guiding the selection of systems – from the avionics to the hardware – that are easily upgradable, allowing for continued improvement and flexibility.”
One example of this will be the elimination of the spaghetti junction of wiring common today. In its place is the Common Core System being developed by the British-based Smiths Group.
The CCS will be like a central nervous system. It will consolidate into two systems the literally dozens of stand-alone computers typically scattered around an aircraft.
The result will be a reduction from the 80 separate computing functions on the 777 to just 30 on the 7E7. In the cockpit, the 7E7 is expected to have just eight computer modules, down from 15 on the 777.
The elimination of all those computers and wiring means a dramatic reduction in weight and maintenance costs.
Feren says the overall systems architecture, with its emphasis on efficiency and performance, will slash thousands of kilograms from the 7E7, helping to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in fuel consumption compared with Airbus A330- 200, one of the most economical aircraft ever built.
Boeing is striving for standardisation with the 7E7. Executives reel in horror when mention is made of the 39 clipboard options for the cockpit of the 747 or the 101 shades of white paint. According to Feren “standardisation is one of the keys to making the 7E7 more affordable”.
With Air New Zealand already signed up, Boeing is targeting Qantas with the 7E7 for both domestic and international routes.
The 7E7 can typically accommodate 257 passengers in a three-class layout or up to 400 in an all-economy layout. Range is up to 8500 nautical miles.
Boeing is also striving to take aircraft manufacturing out of what Feren calls a boutique supply chain. “We need to take the 7E7 into the mainstream,” he says.
There are many systems and materials that are peculiar to aerospace, such as aluminium alloys and powering of systems using bleed air from the engines. The 7E7 will do away with many of these or reduce them to a minimum.
For example, the 7E7’s pressurisation, de-icing and hydraulic pumps will be electrically powered instead of using bleed air. The benefit will be a simplification of the aircraft and a cut in maintenance costs.
A good example is the 7E7’s wireless inflight entertainment system, Feren says. “On the 7E7 the entertainment programs will be broadcast to the seat-back videos, eliminating all the wiring and computers under seats.”
Underscoring the simplicity of the design concept is Boeing’s decision to have, for the first time, common attachment points for the two engine types that were selected for the air frame.
Boeing claims that this will enable customers to switch engine types within 24 hours, a benefit that is expected to appeal to leasing companies.
That simplicity is carried through to the interior, Feren says. “An interior configuration change can be done in just eight hours which is an improvement of the magnitude of 10.”
While simplicity is winning the race in most aspects of the 7E7, in the cockpit it is the advanced technology.
The most important is the MultiScan weather radar, which appears to have been a major factor in Rockwell Collins winning the $US2 billion deal to supply cockpit displays and communications and surveillance systems.
The unique MultiScan was introduced by Qantas on its 747-400ERs in November 2002 and has won high praise.
It automatically adjusts weather detection parameters for a number of variations and uses advanced radar technologies to adjust the data returns to give a much more accurate warning of thunderstorm activity ahead.
According to Qantas pilots, the radar is a huge improvement in protection from encounters with turbulence, especially in the Pacific where there is a scarcity of surveillance.
The MultiScan also will be aboard the Airbus Industrie 555-seat A380 super jumbo.
By: Bmused55 - 11th October 2004 at 17:56
I think the benefit of engine swaps is far overrated. How many airlines operate more than one engine type for a plane? Those that do buy their planes second hand so are highly unlikely to buy the 7E7. Those airlines that can afford the 7E7 make it a point to standardise on one engine type per aircraft type. Preferably even one engine type for various aircraft types.
As the article mentioned the leasing companies are going to appreciate this. No denying there. But how often does a plane change airline? Probably not often enough to warrant the additional costs, since most leasing contracts are long term.
Still, can’t wait to see this plane hit the skies!
You’d be surprised how many owners a plane can have in its life. There are 757’s that are already with the 5,6,7 or even 8th owner.
The whole point of the interchangable engines is to make the 7E7 a more attractive investment as an airline will be able to sell it off more easily if you can sell it second hand with a choice of engine. In one fell swoop, Boeing have limited the depreciation value.
For example. Take BA’s 767’s. They can’t sell them for love nor money because they use RR engines. No on wants RR engines on the 767. If however you could simply swap them for PW’s or GE’s within 24 hours the 767 would instantly become saleable.
By: Bmused55 - 11th October 2004 at 17:56
I think the benefit of engine swaps is far overrated. How many airlines operate more than one engine type for a plane? Those that do buy their planes second hand so are highly unlikely to buy the 7E7. Those airlines that can afford the 7E7 make it a point to standardise on one engine type per aircraft type. Preferably even one engine type for various aircraft types.
As the article mentioned the leasing companies are going to appreciate this. No denying there. But how often does a plane change airline? Probably not often enough to warrant the additional costs, since most leasing contracts are long term.
Still, can’t wait to see this plane hit the skies!
You’d be surprised how many owners a plane can have in its life. There are 757’s that are already with the 5,6,7 or even 8th owner.
The whole point of the interchangable engines is to make the 7E7 a more attractive investment as an airline will be able to sell it off more easily if you can sell it second hand with a choice of engine. In one fell swoop, Boeing have limited the depreciation value.
For example. Take BA’s 767’s. They can’t sell them for love nor money because they use RR engines. No on wants RR engines on the 767. If however you could simply swap them for PW’s or GE’s within 24 hours the 767 would instantly become saleable.
By: beistrich - 11th October 2004 at 17:26
Quantas and 7E7? They have A330, no need for the 7E7
btw: When Boeing think is the first flight of the 7E7?
By: beistrich - 11th October 2004 at 17:26
Quantas and 7E7? They have A330, no need for the 7E7
btw: When Boeing think is the first flight of the 7E7?
By: tenthije - 11th October 2004 at 17:23
I think the benefit of engine swaps is far overrated. How many airlines operate more than one engine type for a plane? Those that do buy their planes second hand so are highly unlikely to buy the 7E7. Those airlines that can afford the 7E7 make it a point to standardise on one engine type per aircraft type. Preferably even one engine type for various aircraft types.
As the article mentioned the leasing companies are going to appreciate this. No denying there. But how often does a plane change airline? Probably not often enough to warrant the additional costs, since most leasing contracts are long term.
Still, can’t wait to see this plane hit the skies!
By: tenthije - 11th October 2004 at 17:23
I think the benefit of engine swaps is far overrated. How many airlines operate more than one engine type for a plane? Those that do buy their planes second hand so are highly unlikely to buy the 7E7. Those airlines that can afford the 7E7 make it a point to standardise on one engine type per aircraft type. Preferably even one engine type for various aircraft types.
As the article mentioned the leasing companies are going to appreciate this. No denying there. But how often does a plane change airline? Probably not often enough to warrant the additional costs, since most leasing contracts are long term.
Still, can’t wait to see this plane hit the skies!
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October 11, 2004 at 10:35 am