Boeings "Dreamliner" starting to look like a nightmare.

Glander

I am truly surprised to see Boeing trying to roll out a plane so full of bugs and flaws. Hope they can get things straightened out. Major US industry giant, lots of jobs.

Have there been any other problems since the battery issues?...actually, almost every new plane that has been introduced in to service have had glitches. I recall significant problems with the DC-10, early 727's and 737's, Airbus 310 and 380...to name a few. My motto is to not fly new planes until they have been in service for at least a year or two.

Yan Bibiyan

So full of bugs and flaws?!

This is the nature of the industry. A maiden flinght and a few thousand hours of inflight testing can only confirm structural and operational integrity and in no way can account for the real life performance of the plane.

tenyearsafter correctly points out that this is not uncommon; rather the industry practice.

tresdecu

Not too worried. Planes are complicated...they will get the bugs out. This happens to all new planes to some degree. There are billions of people on the earth and two main commercial aircraft companies. Boeing and Airbus. Fleets need to be upgraded. The world needs aircraft to make it go'round. This will pass & I think airlines will be patient due to the new technologies used that make it much more efficient...in the long run the 787 will save them millions of $$$

prologos

we 'd rather have them work out the bugs on the ground.

these procedures are not indication of failure, but success.

had wt used these techniques on their "line of dreams" fewer lives would have been wrecked.

Calebs Airplane

The airplane is ok now... but, like all new airplaes, it will always have bugs to work out...

What I like about it is that it uses no bleed air from the engines and the brakes are electric...

I did get to see it being constructed at Everett, Washington recently... Picture-taking was not allowed so i have none... but it was quite a treat...

prologos

it is a beautiful LOOKING airplane, not a flying nightmare.

Form/shape following function. beautiful wings.

by contrast: helicopters. why do they fly? by repulsion.

They are so ugly, the earth repels them.

fulltimestudent

This project was full of new concepts and (possibly) got pushed out to the market place a little earlier. Fortunately, none crashed and, it is likely to be a good passenger jet in service. I find it impossible to believe that with the aeronautical engineering expertise that Boeing must have, that they could lose their market position in the short term (at least).

But they need to pay attention to the market, the Chinese aeronautical industry is growing fast, and will one day come up with well-engineered jets at competitive pricing. The Chinese Industry and government is unlikely to miss the chance provided by the huge number of planes required in the Chinese market only.

Here's a recent Boeing projection for the Chinese market.

Boeing Sees China's Passenger Airplane Fleet Triple By Year 2032

9/5/2013 10:34 AM ET

Defense and aerospace giant Boeing Co. (BA: Quote) on Thursday projected that major world economy China will need 5,580 new commercial airplanes valued at $780 billion over the next two decades amid strong domestic and international demand. Boeing revealed the forecast in its annual China Current Market Outlook released earlier in the day.

The forecast is higher than last year's projected demand for 5,260 new commercial airplanes, valued at $670 billion, in China over the next 20 years in China.

China is forecast to be the second largest market for new commercial airplanes, and Boeing is China's leading provider of passenger airplanes. At present, more than 50 percent of all the commercial jetliners operating in China are Boeing airplanes.

"Thanks to strong economic growth and increased access to air travel, we project China traffic to grow at nearly 7 percent each year. China is a key market for Boeing. Our current and future products will allow our customers to meet the growing demand with the most efficient airplanes," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Boeing sees tourism in China and intra-Asia travel to fuel robust demand for the single-aisle airplanes over the next 20 years.

Boeing said the single-aisle market, served by Boeing's Next-Generation 737 and the future 737 MAX, will continue its robust growth, with a requirement of 3,900 new airplanes worth about $370 billion over the two decades. Boeing's offering stands out in the segment, due to its fuel efficiency and lowest operating costs.

Further, Boeing noted that demand in China for new fuel-efficient wide-bodies, such as Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental, 777 and 787 Dreamliner, will account for almost 1,440 new airplanes worth $400 billion. The demand will be fueled by the expected passenger traffic between China and North America, Europe, the Middle East, Oceania and Africa.

Boeing added the long-haul international traffic to and from China is projected to grow at an annual rate of 7.2 percent.

"To compete in the long-haul international market, our Chinese customers are focused on growing their international networks, increasing their capacity and building resources. These trends will shape market demand for airplanes that have high efficiency, low operating costs, environmentally progressive technologies and a great passenger experience," Tinseth added.

Additionally, China is expected to require 240 regional jets valued at $10 billion over the next two decades.

For the next 20 years, Boeing projects worldwide traffic growth rate of 5 percent. In its market outlook for 2013 to 2032, the company expects total airplane deliveries of 35,280 worth $4.84 trillion during the next 20 years, with China accounting for 16 percent of the total demand.

In Thursday's regular trading session, BA is currently trading at $106.73, up $0.36 or 0.34% on a volume of 0.43 million shares.

I doubt that Boeing will let that opportunity slip threw its fingers.

valkyrie

OK, that gracefully formed giant on CA's poster made me smile; and prologos' explanation of a helicopter's aerodynamics made me grin broadly!

All in all, a great thread!

Bobcat

Prologos:

by contrast: helicopters. why do they fly? by repulsion. They are so ugly, the earth repels them.

We used to (kiddingly) say 'they beat the air into submission.'

A lot of helos are ungainly looking. But I used to think the Huey and UTTAS were beautiful, not just in shape, but in operation. There was something about the approaching beat of the teetering rotor on the UH-1 and all the rotor parts working in unison and how it hovered slightly nose up and the wide cockpit. It had a big-plane feel to it.

Also, the zero resistance feel of the hydraulic assisted controls gave the aircraft a feel as if it were an extension of yourself. You could virtually think it to do what you wanted (within the limits of the design).

Sikorsky's original "Blackhawk" (not the UH-60) was an especially beautiful machine (to me). Unfortunately the US Army never bought it.

I guess a lot of our viewpoint comes to include our experience with something (or someone), besides just the outward appearance.

Take Care

Boeings "Dreamliner" starting to look like a nightmare.

Boeing Sees China's Passenger Airplane Fleet Triple By Year 2032

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