Boeing Chief Executive Officer David Calhoun confirmed to investors [in November] that the aircraft manufacturer is not looking to introduce a brand-new model anytime soon. He cited the lack of propulsion systems on the horizon that can deliver the improvements to make developing a new airframe worthwhile.
As aircraft often remain in the market for many years, Calhoun wants the next jet to be groundbreaking rather than rushed through to fill a gap. He explained that fuel efficiency and carbon emissions reductions are crucial hurdles that Boeing must overcome before moving forward.
So what Boeing will have in the 2030s is an entire aircraft manufacturing company which, from top to bottom, will have no experience at designing, building, and certifying a new airplane.
How well did that lack of design talent work for the Boeing CST-100? But I digress.
It took Boeing under three years to design and build the first 747. I sadly predict that there will be damn few people reading this blog ebtry today who will live to see a 797 take to the skies.
(Crossposted here)
6 comments:
It took Boeing under three years to design and build the first 747.
It took 14 months to build the Empire State Building.
- Borepatch
But remember it's about the BRAND. As a long suffering Green Bay packer fan, I've watched them spend just so much on talent that takes them just so far. The real money is in the BRAND and the Lambeau experience. skating rinks, sledding hills, the museum, and a billion in the bank.
My father worked for McDonald-Douglas and Boeing as a wing design and stress test engineer. I always felt comfortable flying in those aircraft after he showed me pictures of the testing done and strong commitment to safety.
I never experienced any in-flight aircraft mechanical failures except for some rough air turbulence that shook up the passengers, but not the planes or pilots.
He retired disillusioned and critical of the Boeings shift away from the focus on quality and safety to the bottom line and lack of incident transparency.
I don't fly on Boeing aircraft anymore. Actually I haven't flown in almost 10 years and not planning to.
" ... lack of propulsion systems on the horizon ... "
CEOspeak for "we don't know how much longer we'll be flying massive atmosphere disrupting, carbon emitting fossil fuels propulsed jet aircraft". Writing on the wall, for those who can't see past the instrument cluster
We have to stop doing what we're doing, it isn't working ...
Just Musing, I read some years ago that the pilots and crews of the Boeing B17's only wanted to fly in a Boeing after the war because they were such great and survivable planes for their time. Don't know about the B29's that followed though. Most manufacturing companies don't often have engineers as the top brass they always seem to end up with bean counting MBAs that don't understand quality only what profit they can make today.
The first B-29s had problems. A lot of problems. The decision was made to put them into production and fix things as they could. The USAAF had rework/modification facilities to fix and update them as they came off the line. The TBO on the engines was initially really short.
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