2011 | Flightglobal | 1 fightglobal.com/787FEATURE STRAPA FLIGHTGLOBAL SPECIAL REPORTHOW ONE OF THE MOST RADICAL PROGRAMMES IN AVIATION HISTORYWAS CONCEIVED, DEVELOPED AND AT LAST DELIVERED INTO SERVICE OCTOBER 2011787BELIEVE THE DREAMThe incredible inside story of Boeings visionary airlinerIrom rst iht to rst de|ivery. Conratu|ations, 8oein.kemarkahle innovaLion in Lhe new 8oeing 787 demands unparalleled inLegriLy, perormance and capahiliLy in ighL deck avionics and piloL conLrols. Working closely wiLh 8oeing's exLended Leam, kockwell Collins is supplying highly inLegraLed ighL deck, onhoard neLwork, inormaLion managemenL and piloL conLrol soluLions. We're proud Lo have played an inLegral parL in seeing Lhis vision Lake ighL.2011 | Flightglobal | 3 fightglobal.com/787COMMENT OCTOBER 2011 PUSHING POWER TO LIMIT20 The 787 gave engine manufacturers a chance to throw away the rulebook STARTING A REVOLUTION22 What will airlines do with a jetliner touted as delivering a step change in effciency? SKIN-DEEP24 Our detailed microcutaway offers a glimpse inside the structure of the Dreamliner ROLE REVERSALS26 Can the 787 switch to being a military aircraft or freighter? THROWING THE GAUNTLET28 Can Boeings arch-rival come up with a worthy rival with the A350 XWB NEW MATERIAL WORLD4 The 50% use of composites is the grandest innovation of a radical design THEORY OF EVOLUTION8 A complex global supply chain proved a challenge but is crucial to the 787 programme TURBULENT TIMES12 From concept to certifcation, we chart the Dreamliners decade of ups and downs GETTING CONNECTED14 Many customers hoped the 787 would revolutionise IFE. Some may have to wait KEEPING THE DREAM ALOFT16 MRO houses are examining how best to look after the worlds newest airliner DISPLAY OF INNOVATION18 The fightdeck of the 787 builds on many of the developments introduced with the 777EditorNiall OKeeffeEditor at largeJon OstrowerContributors John CroftSiva GovindasamyMichael GubischMax Kingsley-JonesMary KirbyStephen TrimbleGlobal art editorDominic RayGlobal production editorLouise MurrellDesignersHeather BowenLauren MillsSub-editorsMartin CooperAndrew HemphillProductionRachel KempGraphicsTim Bicheno-BrownEditor Flight International Murdo MorrisonEditor Airline Business Max Kingsley-JonesPublisher Mark PillingFlightglobalQuadrant HouseThe Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS UKwww.ightglobal.com2011 by Reed Business Information. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted, or reproduced or utilised in any form or by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording or in any information storage and retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.FROM DREAM TO DELIVERYJON OSTROWER ightglobal.com/FlightBloggerThe aircrafts gestation, an unprecedented trial by re, transformed Boeing and its suppliersFLIGHTINTERNATIONALAfter nearly a decade, from concept to design to production and fight test, the worlds frst majority composite jetliner is ready for its entry into service with Japans All Nippon Airways. In this supplement, we take a look back on the Boeings 787 Dreamliners history and a look ahead on whats next for the new jetliner.Whether the 787 is the frst or second all-new widebody jetliner of the 21st century is a debate best left to the duelling airframers. What is clear is, Boeings 787 pushes the boundaries of whats possible harder than any commercial aircraft since de Havillands Comet, bringing widespread innovation nose to tail and wingtip to wingtip.Boeings own history points to its role as material innovator, having introduced its model 247 in 1933, the frst all-metal commercial aircraft. Boeing only built 75 247s, and by stark contrast, the airframer holds more than 820 orders for its Dreamliner.Nearly eight decades later, the 787, with 220 to 250 seat capacity, is widely considered a game changer, offering unprecedented economics on long-range routes up to 8,000nm (14,800km) apart, taking advantage of the growing fragmentation of route structures and passenger preference for point-to-point travel.The airframers relationship with its suppliers, customers, labour and fnance is a refection of business in the 21st century. Rapidly growing economies and new markets required not only an aircraft that could connect distant points on the globe, but also created an environment that saw Asian partners play a larger-than-ever role on designing and building the 787.The aircrafts gestation, an unprecedented trial by fre, transformed Boeing and its suppliers, providing it new factories, new technologies, and lessons both expensive and invaluable.Front cover: Jon Ostrower/Flightglobalfightglobal.com/787 4 | Flightglobal | 2011In its quest to deliver game-changing reductions in fuel consumption and operating costs, Boeing has deployed carbonbre to an unprecedented extent, and applied new thinking to many aspect of the Dreamliners designPic creditSTRUCTURE & SYSTEMSLIVING IN A NEW MATERIAL WORLDThe 787 is Boeings grand innovation, nose to tail, wingtip to wingtip. The aircrafts 50%-by-weight composite design is at the heart of the airframers leap in the use of new materials and systems. With its higher strength-to-weight ratio, car-bonbre is intended to replace the traditional architecture of Boeings metallic wings and fuselage on its earlier narrow- and widebody commercial aircraft.Of Boeings three big leaps on the 787, mate-rials and systems represent the biggest game-changers for customers, requiring adaptation by the airlines to put the technologies into use, towards the goal of reducing fuel burn by 20% and operating cost by 10%. Breaking down the 20% fuel-burn improvement, Boeing says 8% comes from the engines, 3% from the systems, 3% from the majority composite airframe, 3% from aerodynamics and a further 3% from the integration of all the technologies. The seven monolithic carbon laminate fu-selage barrels eliminate longitudinal joins across the majority of the aircraft. This is aimed at increasing fatigue life and cutting heavy maintenance intervals in half. The composite primary structure also allowed Boeing to increase the size of the 787s win-dows to 48.3cm (19in) with electro-chromatic dimmable glass.Barring slight variations, the composite manufacturing processes are uniform across the programmes primary structural suppliers: Spirit AeroSystems in the USA, Alenia in Italy, and Kawasaki, Fuji and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. Carbonbre tape is laid down on a mould or mandrel either by hand or using automatic bre placement (AFP) machines, cured in a high-temperature autoclave, trimmed, drilled, non-destructively inspected, painted with primer and then owed to the assembly or build-up process. But there are of course signicant differ-ences in size and purpose between the parts, which range from oor beams all the way up to 19.4ft-wide (5.91m-wide) fuselage barrels and the 98ft-long wing skins. For lightning strike protection, Boeing has embedded a thin wire mesh into the carbon laminate, which together with an aircraft-wide current-return network provides a return ground plane for all the equipment installed in the aircraft.The 787s wings manufactured and assem-bled by Mitsubishi in Nagoya, Japan; and also carbon laminate are assembled with single-piece top and bottom wing skins, and joined with aluminium ribs and composite spars. The Alenia-built horizontal and Boeing-built verti-cal stabilisers also employ carbon laminate for primary structure, replicating the 777s com-posite empennage.Jon Ostrower/FlightglobalJon Ostrower/FlightglobalJON OSTROWER WASHINGTON DCfightglobal.com/787 2011 | Flightglobal | 5We just booted it. Our only defence is that every industry [does that]. We paid billions upon billions in the learning processJIM MCNERNEYChief executive, BoeingIN MY VIEWCarbon sandwich has a more limited implementation on the Goodrich laminar ow nacelles, and on the aircrafts elevators, rud-der, spoilers, raked winglets and inboard mov-able leading edge. Fibreglass sandwich accounts for the for-ward and leading and trailing edge structure of the horizontal and vertical stabilisers, along with the wing forward and trailing leading edges and the wing-to-body fairing.MORE-ELECTRIC ARCHITECTUREThe biggest change under the 787 carbonbre skin can be found in its more-electric bleed-less systems architecture, aimed at reducing engine fuel burn by allowing the power extraction to work on demand, managing the pull of electricity as it is needed from the engines generators rather than bleeding air from the engine when it is more efciently used for propulsion.As one of the programmes earliest systems suppliers, Hamilton Sundstrand was rst se-lected in 2004 to supply nine systems for the 787, including the aircrafts environmental control system (ECS), auxiliary power system (APS), electrical power generating and start system (EPGSS) and ram air turbine (RAT).Without a pneumatic system seen on all other Boeing aircraft, the airframer developed with Hamilton Sundstrand an electric engine-start system anchored by two 250kVA variable frequency starter generators on each General Electric GEnx-1B or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine and two 225kVA generators in the aux-iliary power unit. The six generators provide up to 1.45MW of electricity fed through nine power panels that manage and distribute elec-trical power to a myriad of aircraft systems.The hydraulic systems biggest difference from previous Boeing aircraft is the power source for its three independent systems, all electrically driven, supporting the primary ight control actuators, landing gear, nose gear steering, thrust reversers and leading and trailing edge aps with 5,000 pounds per square inch (psi) pumps. Both left and right systems feature engine-mounted and driven pumps along with an electric motor pump, while the centre system has twin large electric motor pumps one that runs throughout a ight and the other employed during takeoff Final assembly and systems integration (top)Broetje machines for drilling (above)Spirit AeroSystems: a primary structures supplier (left)ggJon Ostrower/FlightglobalJon Ostrower/Flightglobal6 | Flightglobal | 2011STRUCTURE & SYSTEMSIN MY VIEWand landing. Rather than use the hydraulic actuation on the main landing gear brakes, Boeing would use an electrically driven car-bon brake-by-wire system supplied by either Goodrich or Messier-Bugatti, while the GKN-supplied wing anti-ice system also follows Boeings more-electric architecture, eliminat-ing the use of hot bleed air to melt any form-ing ice on the wings. A heater mat technology is used instead.The more-electric systems provide cabin pressurisation, run by electrically driven com-pressors on the ECS that provide a cabin alti-tude of 6,000ft (1,830m), compared with 8,000ft on previous Boeing aircraft.The 787 is the worlds rst commercial jet-liner to employ a required nitrogen generation system from its rst day of operation, a certi-cation requirement developed in the wake of the 1996 TWA Flight 800 disaster, which was caused by an explosion of fuel vapour in an unused fuel tank.Aerodynamically, the Honeywell-supplied ight control system enables the 787s three-axis y-by-wire, using the aircrafts ailerons for manoeuvre load alleviation and elevator for active gust load alleviation. The 787s wing also adapts to changing gross weight condi-tions, optimising the camber of the wing through the trailing edge variable camber (TEVC) system moving it up or down by 1.5 from its neutral position.Fourteen drooped spoilers eliminate the need for fore aps, bridging the gap between the wing and extended aps, while also serv-ing as traditional spoilers dumping lift on landing and providing slowing drag while in ight. Flaperons provide additional ight control functionality, drooped when acting with the high lift system; roll control as ailer-ons; and upward deection as spoilers on landing.To further educe external drag further, the airframer has incorporated a passive laminar ow system on the engine nacelles by main-taining a smooth boundary layer of air, and provided each pair of nacelles a white colour by default for customers to apply a universal paint thickness designed to preserve the ow over a larger area. COMMON CORE BRAINThe heart of the 787s integrated systems architecture is founded on the GE Aviation Common Core System (CCS) aimed at boosting reliability and reducing aircraft weight and cost by implementing a common processing and data network to drive the aircrafts systems. The system is tied together through Rockwell Collins bre-optic ethernet-based avionics full duplex (AFDX) command data network (CDN) allowing communication between modules with the AIRNC 664 standard.The modular nature of the CCS which is made up of twin Common Computing Re-sources that are housed in the forward elec-tronics equipment (EE) bay below the ight deck and ahead of the forward cargo compart-ment allows the system to be both scaled and upgraded without necessity for a compre-hensive redesign to make each change, hence allowing the aircraft to gain new capabilities without major modications. OggFor more about ANA read the Airline Business interview with chief executive Shinichiro Ito at ightglobal.com/itoFinal systems checks at Spirit in Wichita, before delivery to Boeingfightglobal.com/787Jon Ostrower/FlightglobalWe had not done a development programme in 15 years, since the 777. We paid a very heavy price for thatJIM ALBAUGHChief executive, Boeing Commercial AirplanesOUR vI SI ON 1AIFS FLI GH1._ Spirit AeroSystems.1he Boeing )8) is greater than the sum oF its parts. And some oF its parts are truly amazing.Boeing is building a super-eFFcient airliner, and we're proud to do our part. Several parts, in Fact, including the all-composite Forward section, the wing's leading edges and engine pylons. Spirit leads the world in composite manuFacturing, especially when it involves large and complex curves. Our composite work helps the Boeing )8) require signiFcantly less Fuel as it moves airlines and their passengers to a brighter and greener Future. visit us at spiritaero.com.fightglobal.com/787Although supply-chain difculties arose from Boeings constantly adapting production process, a strategy born 15 years ago remains at the 787 programmes heartTHEORY OF EVOLUTION8 | Flightglobal | 2011BoeingPRODUCTIONIN MY VIEWSome [suppliers] are very good at doing the whole job. Some of them proved incapable... in which case we had to take back design workMIKE BAIR787 programme manager, BoeingJON OSTROWER WASHINGTON DCinformation sharing ubiquitous, increase use of monolithic assemblies and shift fabrication responsibility to suppliers which would share pre-certicated scalable technologies.The ACPS acronym was dubbed faster-better-cheaper by suppliers vying to earn a spot as sole-source suppliers on the next new Boeing aircraft. If the airframer was to contin-ue producing new commercial aircraft, it would have to nd a way to shift and reduce the costs associated with clean-sheet designs.Following creation of the ACPS, Boeing ex-plored a series of concepts, contemplating its next big move after the 777 and Next Genera-tion 737 and pondering another variant in the 747 family, while building the 717 inher-ited through the McDonnell Douglas merger, along with the 737-900, 757-300, 747-400ER and 767-400ER derivatives, and developing the 777-300ER and -200LR.By February 2000, ACPS has been merged with the New Small Airplane (NSA) study under the revamped Product Strategy and De-velopment (PS&D) organisation, which spawned Project 20XX. With assistance from its Phantom Works division, this mutat-ed into three code-named projects: Glacier, Redwood and Yellowstone. Each represented a different middle-of-the-market congura-tion. Glacier would become the high-speed Sonic Cruiser, Redwood a blended wing body, and Yellowstone a 777-style conguration.Shelving a 747X effort, Condit would reveal 20XXs existence in January 2001, announc-ing Boeings intention to focus on a 757/767-sized replacement, days after the Sonic Cruis-ers existence as revealed by a patent was reported by The Wall Street Journal. Boeing made the Sonic Cruisers debut ofcial in March, with Gillette as programme manager.The Sonic Cruiser met a cool response from the market in 2001, and after the 11 Septem-ber attacks, airlines facing economic slow-down and the possibility of further attacks using commercial aircraft shifted their focus from speed to survival. Boeings Sonic Cruiser technology development team would become the primary rst-tier 787 suppliers.In January 2002, Boeing named Japan-based suppliers Mitsubishi, Kawasaki and Fuji Heavy Industries as 787 technology partners. In February, Italys Alenia Aeronautica and Vought Aircraft Industries came aboard and, On 15 December 1996, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas disclosed plans to merge into the worlds largest aer-ospace company. The following month, Boeing pulled the plug on develop-ment of the 747-500/600 and then-chief exec-utive Phil Condit commissioned a new team to transform how the airframer designed, manufactured and marketed aircraft. The Air-craft Creation Process Strategy (ACPS) laid conceptual groundwork for the 787s global production system and business model.At its helm was master engineer Walt Gil-lette, responsible for the transition from the 737-200s cigar engine to the high-bypass CFM56 fans on the 737-300 and the systems architecture on the clean-sheet 777. His man-date and that of 110 other engineers from Boeing and 50 suppliers was to slash the time and cost of bringing a new commercial aircraft to market by half. Boeing leadership concluded that the up-front development cost, believed to be double the $7 billion rst budgeted, did not make returns quickly enough. Gillette and his team looked to stand-ardise processes and platforms, make digital fightglobal.com/787 2011 | Flightglobal | 9Boeing took control of centre-fuselage integration (far left}A raked wingtip for a China Southern 787 is worked on in South Korea (near left)in April, Boeing de Havilland of Australia and Boeings commercial unit in Wichita, Kansas.As commitment to the Sonic Cruiser began to wane, Boeing introduced a conceptual ref-erence aircraft against which the M0.98 jet-liner was measured. The Super Efcient concept envisioned an aircraft that would y 15-20% faster than then-contemporary air-craft while reducing fuel burn by 20%.Sonic Cruiser met its unofcial demise on 26 October 2002, when Boeing assembled in Seattle representatives from blue-chip cus-tomers from around the world, all of whom voted for efciency over speed. By December, Sonic Cruiser was dead, but the team Boeing assembled to build it remained together. Project Yellowstone became the majority-composite 7E7 family, led by Mike Bair.Boeings desire for an aircraft that pushed performance higher, faster and further had lost to a faster, better and cheaper model in the eyes of customers, which deemed the business case incompatible with the modern operating environment of declining yields and price competition. Boeings mid-size long-range jetliner took on a conventional conguration to bolster the bottom lines of its customers, but the supply chain was designed to retain the higher, faster, further DNA.OFFICIAL GO-AHEADWhen the 7E7 was given its ofcial go-ahead on 16 December 2003, granting authority to offer the new twin to airlines, Boeing revealed its selection of its Everett, Washington, facility as for nal assembly, continuing the tradition of building legacy widebodies at Paine Field and beating out competition from Kinston, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; and Mobile, Alabama.The 7E7 which would become the 787 when Boeing received a 60-aircraft order from Chinese airlines in January 2005 was to have a signicantly different line from the 777s. Arriving fully completed from suppliers, the sections stuffed with all the necessary sys-tems would be joined on a pulse line. Boe-ing imagined the factory building 10 787s a month by the end of 2009.The 7E7 programmes supply chain founda-tions drew conceptual inspiration from a busi-ness model employed by McDonnell Douglas on the MD-95, and later by Boeing on the TRANSPORT JON OSTROWER WASHINGTON DCDREAMLIFTERS BRING IT ALL TOGETHERTo meet its goal of building ten 787s per month transporting its in-process inventory seam-lessly between partner sites, Boeing had to conceive a way of moving its monolithic struc-tures between its global sup-pliers and fnal assembly.The companys answer: a small feet of well-worn 747-400s, born in Everett as pas-senger aircraft, now retired and radically converted to cargo air-craft. The Large Cargo Freighter (LCF), or Dreamlifter as they have come to be known, have become an iconic part of the 787s global production system.Concerned about meeting the high production rate re-quired for the 787, the Dreamlifter avoided the use of a feet of ships transiting across oceans packed with 787s heading for fnal assem-bly or integration.Similar to the feet of Airbus A300-600ST Super Transporter Beluga aircraft used to trans-port structural sections for A320 and A330/340 family aircraft, the bespoke delivery system for each 787 accommo-dates the wings, horizontal sta-bilisers and fuselage components, exclusively for the Dreamliner programme.Of the four Pratt & Whitney PW4056-powered 747s, two of the aircraft were previously operated by China Airlines and one by Malaysia Airlines and Air China.The aircraft were fown to Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan where Evergreen Aviation Technologies (EGAT) replaced the passenger cabin with a bul-bous unpressurised cargo hold, punctuated on one end by a massive forward pressure bulk-head and a hinged swing tail at the rear, which has raised the vertical stabiliser by 1.5m (5ft).This is one of the most unusual modifcations Boeing has ever done, said then-787 vice president of airplane de-velopment and production, Scott Strode.The frst Dreamlifter made its maiden fight on 9 September 2006, beginning a 250h fight test campaign to certify the heavily-modifed LCFs for use, evaluating its handling characteristics and clearing it of any excessive vibration or futter. During the US Federal Aviation Administration certifcation trials, which also included 500h of ground testing, Boeing was forced to drop the winglets from the fnal design after it discovered futter is-sues during fight testing.The frst two Dreamlifters, painted in a now iconic white and blue company livery, en-tered service in 2007, moving 787 parts between suppliers. The aircraft marked its frst service in January 2007 be-tween Grottaglie, Italy, Nagoya, Japan and North Charleston, USA, for parts for integration of the frst Dreamliners centre fuselage at the Global Aeronautica facility.Initially operated by Boeing, Evergreen International Airlines, which has no relation to EGAT, operated the feet from August 2007 until September 2010 before being transferred to Atlas Air as part of a compensation package for delays to its 747-8F order.In operation, the US Federal Aviation Administration limits the crew to use of the upper deck of the aircraft with its two pilots and a loadmaster, though Boeing hopes to gain supernumerary usage of lower deck forward cabin, seating up to 16 personnel, to double as a shuttle connecting supplier partners in the US, Europe and Asia. O The Large Cargo Freighters are adapted from old 747-400sJon Ostrower/FlightglobalJon Ostrower/FlightglobalBoeingggfightglobal.com/787 10 | Flightglobal | 2011PRODUCTION717. Known as return on net assets or RONA, the ratio compares bottom-line prot with the overall scope of the programmes as-sets, to identify how much money is being made in terms of the work required. Boeings chief at the time of the 7E7 launch in late 2003 was RONA advocate Harry Stonecipher.Boeing sought to reduce its industrial foot-print, retaining only manufacturing of the 7E7s vertical stabiliser in Frederickson, Washington, forward fuselage in Kansas, wing-to-body fairing in Winnipeg, Canada, and movable trailing edges at Boeing Aero-structures Australia. This amount to a 35% value share. And Boeing would conduct nal assembly, as a large-scale systems integrator. Clearly, we were way too focused on not hav-ing assets on the [787], and having the right level of assets is the right way to run a busi-ness, reected Bair in a 2011 interview.Boeing continued to shrink its footprint, in the process creating the worlds largest aero-structures manufacturer in February 2005. Boeings Wichita, Kansas, commercial divi-sion already responsible for the same work on the 777, 747, 767 and 737 programmes would develop the forward fuselage Section 41. But Boeing divested its Wichita and Tulsa, Oklahoma, operations to Onex and Goldman Sachs, netting $1.2 billion.Vought Aircraft Industries, responsible for fabricating the 787s aft fuselage Sections 47 and 48, established a 35,400m2 (381,000ft2) facility at Charleston International Airport in North Charleston, South Carolina. And Alenia Aeronautica responsible for making the Sec-tion 46 barrel and Section 44 bonnet fuselage structures, which covered the centre wing box, in Grottaglie, Italy partnered with Vought to create Global Aeronautica. With a 31,000m2 facility, the 50:50 joint venture in Charleston would be responsible for structural integration and systems installa-tion of the centre fuselage, made up of Kawa-saki Heavy Industries Section 43, and Fuji Heavy Industries 45/11 centre wing box and main gear wheel well, as well as Alenias Sec-tions 44 and 46. Alenia would supply the horizontal stabiliser from Foggia, Italy.Boeings Japanese partners major suppli-ers to the 767 and 777, representing 15% and 20% of the aircraft by value, respectively would account for the single-largest work-share of any one country: 35%. Fabrication and assembly of the wing boxes were assigned to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, in Boeings rst outsourcing of wings. With the Wichita divestment, Boeing was left with a 23% share of 787 aerostructures; only the vertical stabi-liser would be built in the Pacic Northwest. TRIALS AND TRANSFORMATIONSThere followed a three-year, multibillion-dol-lar trial by re. A sputtering supply chain de-livered a partially complete rst aircraft to nal assembly in spring 2007. Boeings woes, driven by widespread design changes, spread back to its suppliers and their suppliers. With-out adequate visibility, oversight and design authority, Boeing would wrestle with incom-plete tasks and workmanship issues.In March 2008, Boeing paid $55 million for Voughts half of Global Aeronautica. Teetering on the nancial brink, Vought was provided with much-needed cash to stay aoat. And Boeing gained much-needed oversight into the operations of 787s centre fuselage integra-tion facility. South Carolina would later be-come home to Boeings rst non-legacy nal assembly line outside the Pacic Northwest.In December 2008, Boeing launched its round-the-clock Production Integration Cent-er to tie together the airframes global network of suppliers through seamless digital commu-nications, monitoring everything from natural disasters to shipset progress.Boeing would acquire Voughts aft fuselage fabrication facility in July 2009 for more than $1 billion and complete its takeover of Charle-ston in December by buying Alenias remain-ing 50% of Global Aeronautica. The $1.2 bil-lion the airframer had earned from its Wichita divestment had been almost entirely spent on creating a South Carolina division. And Boe-ing had returned its share to 35% by value.In the wake of the September-October 2008 International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union strike, Boeing se-lected Charleston for its 92,900ft2 second 787 nal assembly line. The overriding factor was not the business climate, and it was not the wages were paying people today. It was that we cant afford to have a work stoppage every three years, Boeing Commercial Air-planes chief executive Jim Albaugh would tell The Seattle Times shortly after the selection. The airframer established a secondary ver-tical stabiliser fabrication line exclusively for Dreamliners assembled in South Carolina. The 3,250m2 line is expected to deliver its rst tail to the North Charleston line for the third 787 to be assembled there. The Charleston line, operational since mid-2011, will build three of 10 787s per month by the end of 2013, with the balance shared by the primary Ever-ett line and a companion surge line.787-9 CHANGESFor its larger 250290 seat 787-9 and its late 2013 entry into service, Boeing has continued to redraw supply chain lines, bringing around 70% of engineering work back within its own four walls. Frustration with issues at Alenia, coupled with fundamental architecture changes in the 787-9s horizontal stabiliser, prompted Boeing to take back both design and early fabrication work in 2011. Further, Boe-ing will initially build the -9s horizontal sta-biliser at its Seattle Developmental Center and move the work to a yet-to-be dened vendor operating alongside Alenia, which retains re-sponsibility for the -8s stabiliser. ONosing ahead: the 787 had racked up 890 orders by May 2008 (below)We had some good debates with the FAAabout how do you certify a brand new plasticairplane... That had never been done beforeJIM ALBAUGHChief executive, Boeing Commercial AirplanesIN MY VIEWBoeingTrack twists and turns in Boeings commercial programmes by visiting Jon Ostrowers blog at ightglobal.com/ightbloggergg412.89J.002b www. TIi rt| . ccrT2011 FT| |rtcrruticru| Mctu|:, |rt.AJvarceJ erireerir...aJvarceJ rac|irir...aJvarceJ fcrrir...perfcrrarce t|rcu| cur cptirizeJ va|ue strear. T|ats w|y t|e rcst aJvarceJ ccrrercia| aercspace, prcpu|sicr, ri|itary, erery, arJ reJica| |eaJers arcurJ t|e wcr|J ra|e TI t|eir frst c|cice fcr fra| fcrr.4 J J 4 | I A K | I | I A 4 | J | J 1 I | 1 , | \ | 4 \ J J R A I \ J J RA 4 I | 4 I | | J 1 \ J J 4 | | J .fightglobal.com/787 12 | Flightglobal | 2011Deadlines were moved and missed, orders rocketed and receded, reputations built and burned. Relive the twists and turns of a long, chaotic development programmeTURBULENT TIMESTIMELINE2005JAN 7E7 offcially becomes the 787 with order for 60 aircraft from ve Chinese airlines, each promised rst delivery by 2008 Beijing Olympics SEP Confguration frmed2006MAY Air New Zealand becomes 787-9 launch customer JUN Jim McNerney elected Boeing chief just as the airframer starts major assembly of frst 787 SEP Scott Carson rises to commercial top job after racking up 330 787 sales2007APR-MAY Orders pass 500 JUL Boeing unveils rst 787 on 8 July 07/08/07 in US date format. But aircraft contains limited structure and no systems AUG Boeing amends delivery schedule of early aircraft and test airframes SEP First ight slips from late August 2007 to mid-November/mid-December OCT First ight moves to end of rst quarter 2008; frst delivery pushed from May to November/December. Pat Shanahan replaces Mike Bair as programme head2003JAN Boeing proceeds with 7E7 development. Target: offers to airlines in early 2004, service entry in 2008 JUN Boeing dubs 7E7 the Dreamliner, and reveals plan to fabricate composite fuselage and wing NOV Boeing unveils 7E7 structures team DEC Board grants commercial unit authority to market 7E72004APR Boeing names Rolls-Royce and General Electric as engine suppliers. 7E7 launched with 50-aircraft order from ANA DEC Scott Carson takes charge of commercial sales. Order total stands at 52fightglobal.com/7872008JAN First ight goes back to end of second quarter 2008. First delivery expected in early 2009 MAR Boeing moves to acquire Voughts 50% share in supplier Global Aeronautica APR First ight slides to fourth quarter 2008, rst delivery to third quarter 2009, 787-9 to 2012. Future of short-range 787-3 uncertain JUN First power-on test SEP-OCT Machinists strike brings 57-day work stoppage at Boeings assembly plants in Puget Sound DEC Boeing admits need to replace 3% of all 787 fasteners, slides rst ight to June 2009, delivery to rst quarter 2010. Scott Fancher takes charge of programme2009JAN Air New Zealand reveals another 12-month slide in frst 787-9 delivery APR After changes and rework to test feet, aircraft no longer assigned to customers. Chinese airlines shift to later models, giving ANA access to earlier deliveries JUN At Paris air show, Boeing leadership reaffrms end-of-month target for rst ight, but offcially postpones it on 23 June after analysis of side-of-body join JUL Boeing says it will buy Voughts 787 operations in North Charleston, South Carolina. First taxi tests AUG First ight: end of 2009. First delivery: fourth quarter 2010. Flight-test feet reshuffe brings $2.5 billion charge. Jim Albaugh replaces retiring Scott Carson OCT Boeing selects North Charleston for second 787 fnal assembly line NOV Boeing completes side-of-body reinforcement on frst test aircraft DEC First ight kicks off what is intended to be 8-9-month certifcation campaign. Boeing to buy remaining 50% of Global Aeronautica from Alenia2010 JAN 787 achieves initial airworthiness MAR Boeing imposes rst of ve holds on structural deliveries, with suppliers to catch up over fve weeks APR Boeing granted FAA type inspection authorisation JUN First GEnx-1B-powered 787 completes rst ight. Boeing discloses workmanship issues with Alenia horizontal stabiliser JUL Larger 787-9 gains frm confguration. 787 makes international debut AUG After uncontained failure of a Trent 1000 test engine, rst delivery slides to mid-rst quarter 2011 NOV In-fight electrical re on ZA002 brings halt to test ying DEC Following update to the power distribution software, test fying resumes2011 | Flightglobal | 132011JAN First delivery: third quarter 2011. Boeing predicts 25-40 deliveries of 787s/747-8s in 2011 MAR Albaugh acknowledges 787 will not meet 8,000nm performance specication, but argues aircraft can meet customer guarantees MAY First Trent 1000 Package B engine to bring SFC within 1% of spec ies. Fatigue test airframe passes 10,000 cycles JUN Ninth 787 begins ETOPS and F&R testing JUL Test aircraft wearing ANA colours arrives in Tokyo for service-ready operational validation. Delivery target revised to 25-30 787s/747-8s by year-end AUG Boeing gains type and production certications from FAA and EASABoeing, Rex Featuresfightglobal.com/787 14 | Flightglobal | 2011MARY KIRBY PHILADELPHIAAirlines want to offer next-generation in-ight entertainment on the new Dreamliner but a tight delivery schedule means most will have to waitGETTING CONNECTEDTHALES CONNECTIVITY SYSTEMS AVAILABLE ON THE 787SOURCE: BoeingFirst connectivity system available on the 787Dedicated SATCOM 2 channels of swiftBroadbandIFE connect Connectivity through the seatback screenWiFi connectivity Through passengers personal devicesGSM/GPRS/SMSLive news, web browsing, e-mail, SMS,Cellular phone calls and data servicesBoeingINTERIORSAirlines want the ability to offer next-generation in-ight entertainment (IFE), connectivity and seats on Boe-ings long-delayed 787 Dreamliner but a tight delivery schedule means most will have to wait for major changes to original or-ders. The attributes that make the interior of the Boeing 787 twinjet so distinctive a sweeping entryway, super-sized luggage bins, extra-large dimmable windows and a unique lighting scheme with various mood settings have justiably captured the imagination of product to our customers for the 787. We did that last year, even the year before. So were a little bit ahead of the curve, he said.Gundermann said what that means for As-tronics is that when Boeing starts ramping up 787 and all of the suppliers around the world start talking about the 787 impact on their nancials, were going to be strangely si-lent. That doesnt mean were off the pro-gramme, it just means that weve got to wait for that inventory that weve already shipped to get through the process.Many IFE systems have sat on shelves for years waiting to be installed on the 787. Since the lifecycle of IFE in terms of equipment and ideas is 18 months, a three-year wait equates to nearly two turns, making the difference be-tween kit ordered in 2006-2007 for delivery in 2008 appear quite stark when compared with the lighter, slimmer platforms with capacitive touchscreens available today.For example, All Nippon Airways recently unveiled the interiors of the 787s that will op-erate on its regional and domestic routes. While the seatback IFE in economy class would have been considered state-of-the-art when the carrier placed its order, it now ap-pears dated on ANAs new 787s.Economy-class seats have also reduced in size during the past ve years, with todays models vastly slimmer and subsequently more fuel efcient. Boeing, however, is reti-cent to make signicant changes to 787 cabin technology and interiors for fear of further de-laying deliveries, multiple sources say. UNDER PRESSUREAsked to say when it will install new connect-ed IFE and communications (IFEC) systems on the 787, Boeing said it could not comment be-cause our experts are focused on rst delivery right now. Additionally, we dont have any up-dates to share on this topic at this time.United-Continental is understood to be among carriers pushing Boeing to t new IFE specically Panasonic Avionics 9in smart monitor known as the Eco 9i to B/E Aero-space-manufactured economy-class seats on its 787s. However initial deliveries, expected in early 2012, will not feature the product.Its a no. Our rst 787 wont have the smart monitors, United-Continental conrms. A The 787s interior is distinguished by a sweeping entryway, super-sized luggage bins, extra-large dimmable windows and a unique lighting scheme with various mood settingstravellers and aviation buffs. However, it is not without irony that the 787s currently roll-ing off the production line are less advanced in terms of cabin connectivity than many Mc-Donnell Douglas MD-80s ying in US skies, feature older generation IFE systems, and lack the latest innovations in integrated IFE/slim-line seats. Some of the disparity can be blamed on delays to the 787 programme. Peter Gundermann, president and chief executive ofcer of in-seat power specialist Astronics, put the impact of the 787 delay on cabin sys-tem suppliers into perspective in late 2010.Weve already shipped 30 shipsets or so of fightglobal.com/787 2011 | Flightglobal | 15SEAT BACK IFE COMPARISON Integrated IFE/seats withPanasonic eco 9i monitorCurrent ANA seatback IFEMary Kirby blogs on in-fight entertainment, communication and connectivity issues at ightglobal.com/runwaygirlIN MY VIEWseparate source with knowledge of the discus-sions between Boeing and United-Continental asserts that while the rst aircraft wont have Eco, the seatback integration will look much better than that being offered on ANAs ini-tial 787s. Tom Plant, B/E Aerospace vice-pres-ident and general manager seating products, says the seat-makers ability to change plans to accommodate the IFE system for United-Continental has been pretty crisp and weve been pretty fast in reacting to that. He adds: We make deliveries on one of the new IFE systems in the beginning of next year on the 787. I cant tell you what customer it is with.LINEFIT OPTIONBoeing is also yet to offer IFE as a linet op-tion for the 787. The airframer was badly burned by its own failed foray into airborne internet Connexion by Boeing (CBB) which was closed at the end of 2006. It had previously intended to offer CBB, a Ku-band satellite-supported solution, on the 787.A source said that when CBB announced it was going out of business, one of the rst things the 787 team did knowing it had a weight problem already was to take out all of the provisions [for connectivity]. Architecturally its still there but the actual physical provisions on the airplane which entails strengthening the area where the [Ku] antenna radome was going to go on the aircraft was about 30lb [13.6kg], so they pulled it off. There was a rack as well, and thats bigger than that, the source adds. However, Boeing is showing interest in participating in post-deliv-ery modications of connectivity to the 787. Thales, which has been contracted to provide an Inmarsat SwiftBroadband-supported IFEC system for Qatars 787s, originally hoped con-nectivity would be linet to the twinjets.In a recent Flight International interview, Thales IFE chief Alan Pellegrini revealed the latest plan is for Boeing to provide some pro-visioning on a linet basis, then Thales will work with Boeings Commercial Aviation Services division for post-delivery mods as soon as the aircraft delivers. The post-delivery mod includes installa-tion of a second satellite communication radio and antenna, [and] the installation of our on-board wi- and mobile telephone system to support cell phone access, says Pellegrini.From a linet perspective, the fact that well be doing this with a post-delivery mod means that all the engineering work will have been done, so even if an airline cannot get the system linet from Boeing, well already have an engineering package and arrangement for post-delivery. Its less than ideal from an air-line perspective but better than the alternative of not having an option, so this will be good precedent-setting and groundbreaking in get-ting the system installed on the aircraft. The rst retrots are expected in early 2012 after rst deliveries to Qatar. Thales next gen-eration Android-based IFEC system, of which Qatar is a customer for the 787, is expected to make its debut in 2013 but the system, known as AVANT, is not yet offerable on the 787. THE COMPETITIONI suspect Boeing will want to be more asser-tive or aggressive with new IFEC technology once they get their feet on the ground with de-liveries of the 787, recognising that the prod-uct will be going into new aircraft but also via retrot and on other Airbus platforms, includ-ing the A380 in 2012, so I think there will be market pressure to get the latest generation systems on Boeing aircraft, says Pellegrini.That pressure could mount if Airbus suc-ceeds in delivering the new A350 as planned in 2013. When we specied the A350 cabin with the milestones we have on the pro-gramme, ie starting two to three years later than our competitor, in working with suppli-ers we specically set out to capture technol-ogy of the latest standard, says Airbus vice-president marketing, Bob Lange.That window has given us some opportu-nities which we tried to capture. For us, we had an opportunity to take advantage of the rapid pace of technology in IFE and connec-tivity in particular, seats to a slightly lesser extent, so yes [connectivity] is part of our standard A350 offer, he adds.Once 787 deliveries start owing smoothly, however, interiors and IFE in the cabin are ex-pected to catch up, Panasonic Avionics chief executive Paul Margis says. I think right now it is a bit stalled because they [Boeing] are so focused on making sure the airplane itself is ying [in revenue serv-ice]. The connectivity is a tough one because of the antennas and all of that, but the interior will be the fasted thing moving because its not that hard and airlines are pushing to be competitive, he adds. OIf airlines want to switch to the newer IFEsystems... were happy to jump on thoseopportunitiesTOM PLANT Vice-president and general manager seating products, B/E Aerospacefightglobal.com/787 16 | Flightglobal | 2011MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDONAs the all-new airliner enters service, MRO providers are assessing the challenges of parts supply and carrying out repairs to the 787s composite structureKEEPING DOWN THE DOWNTIMEAir France-KLMAir France-KLMAir France-KLMMAINTENANCE Maintenance providers expect sig-nicant change with the service entry of the Boeing 787. While there is less concern about the technological demands to repair the carbon-bre airframe structure, many anticipate a shift towards more intensive line mainte-nance, large capital requirements to establish new MRO capabilities and novel internal processes, such as keeping the aircrafts com-plex systems software up to date. Air Berlin is a 787 customer which, after supporting its existing eet of 737, Airbus A320-family and A330 aircraft in-house, is evaluating whether to outsource airframe and component maintenance for the new twinjet and subscribe to Boeings GoldCare MRO pro-gramme. The German carrier has ordered 18 787s, scheduled for delivery from 2014. Whether this eet will warrant the invest-ment to build the required capabilities will partly depend on how much additional third-party custom can be attracted to ensure suf-cient continuous workow, says Tobias Hund-hausen, vice-president business development. He says that Air Berlin Techniks composite repair capabilities are limited and focus main-ly on items that can be removed from the air-craft and amended in the workshop. In future, he expects more large-scale repairs in the hangar and many more composite repairs.While he is condent that small-scale fuse-lage defects can be xed with pre-fabricated repair kits, he is unsure how to deal with large-scale damage. This is an area where we still have information decits, where we de-pend on the manufacturers expertise and which we need to clarify in the coming months, says Hundhausen. LOGISTICAL CONCERNSThis view is echoed by Christian Weckesser, project manager for 787 aircraft engineering at Lufthansa Technik (LHT) in Frankfurt. With repairs beyond a certain size, we fear that we will quickly get to a point where the SRM [structural repair manual] will not be suf-cient and that we then have to talk to Boeing and evaluate the damage together with them, he says. And that will cost time. Weckesser emphasises that he sees no funda-mental technical difculties in repairing com-posites, given that synthetic bres and resins have been moulded into primary airframe structures during past decades, be it oor beams on the Boeing 777, vertical and later horizontal stabilisers on Airbus aircraft or complete fuse-lages for military and business aircraft. His concern is about the logistics and po-tentially longer time requirements to bring a stricken aircraft back into service. Expecting that large panels will have to be ordered from Boeing, he questions whether material will be as readily available as has been the case with metal aircraft. Boeing responds that airlines and MRO companies will be able to stock composite panels. However, as some materials need to be temperature-controlled and have limited shelf lives, their supply will be more complicated to manage than for sheet metal. Whether op-erators and maintenance providers with expo-sure only to small eets will invest in repair material, which might have to be discarded unused, remains to be seen. As an alternative to bonded composite re-pairs, operators will have the option to under-take bolted repairs with titanium parts. Simi-lar to how metallic airframe structures are xed using sheet metal, it is possible to fasten titanium patches across a damaged fuselage area as a permanent repair. If a composite solution is preferred, it is possible to remove the metallic x later on and replace it with a wet composite layup, says Ron Murray, Boeings 787 chief mechanic. We really dont envision major-type re-fightglobal.com/787 2011 | Flightglobal | 17BoeingFor premium news from the maintenance, repair and overhaul sector visit ightglobal.com/mroIN MY VIEWWe believe that if we face a non-standardproblem, the delays and downtimes may besignicantly longer than on current aircraftDIRK WINKLER Senior sales executive, Lufthansa Technikpairs other than the usual damages we see on aluminium aircraft today, which can be taken care of with simple materials [prefabricated kits], which the airlines can either have or be readily available from Boeing, he adds. A major bugbear in supporting the 787 will be to keep systems software up to date, says LHT. Much of the twinjets equipment and functions are controlled via software. These programs are not installed in self-contained components but run as part of a common core system (CCS), which works as an aircraft-wide computer network.SOFTWARE MAINTENANCEMaintaining this system, particularly with re-gard to later updates and modications, will be a signicant challenge. Weckesser says LHT has benetted from its experiences with the Airbus A380, which also features a net-work server IT structure, but he adds that this expertise needs to be further intensied be-cause of more software-controlled compo-nents and functions on the 787. While the physical replacement of a com-ponent can usually be accomplished quickly, it might not be as easy to install the respective software and ensure full operability, says Dirk Winkler, LHT senior sales executive. The timescales, which the manufacturers suggest to upload new software, do not always match the reality, he says.Tracking the software updates and congu-ration status of individual aircraft across a di-verse eet will be a central task in supporting the 787. This will be further complicated if, for example, an airline contracts separate en-gineering, line and base maintenance provid-ers which employ individual MRO processes and IT systems.Software can be uploaded to the 787s com-puter network by cable connection from a lap-top or via wireless link in the airport. Air Ber-lin wants to stream software wirelessly but to reduce risk of complications it will initially transfer software from a laptop, says Hund-hausen. He adds that the choice of connection is only to upload the software on the aircrafts network but the installation will always need to be carried out by an onboard engineer.For Air France Industries (AFI) KLM Engi-neering & Maintenance, a main challenge in servicing the 787 is the high price of compo-nents. The Franco-Dutch company wants to offer operators full-support component MRO packages with access to spare-part pools. The investment to set up the inventory, however, might necessitate co-operation with external partners, says to Marc Roubaud, senior vice-president business development. We are wondering if we can nd some synergies with partners in order to nance the spares needed to provide a good component support.AFI formed Spairliners with LHT as an A380 component-support venture. The spare-price issue for the double-decker aircraft was exacerbated by its comparatively small global eet and limited number of operators. Never-theless, AFI KLM E&M calculated it needs to have at least 100 787s under contract to achieve savings through scale effects. The company wants to provide MRO sup-port for the entire aircraft in the long-term, but because of the service periods until the rst scheduled overhaul events for the engines and airframe, it will initially focus on compo-nents. Avionics and pneumatics are likely to be among the rst product areas for which AFI KLM E&M will develop repair capabilities.Technical training will not begin until next year as the equipment will initially be covered by the manufacturers warranties, says Rou-baud. So far, the company has mainly allocat-ed engineering staff to manage the mainte-nance operations of early customers for the new aircraft.WIDER INTERVALSAs with previous aircraft generations, manu-facturers aim to reduce the maintenance re-quirements for their new models. Thanks to the carbon-bre construction, Boeing has been able to double the period until the rst air-frame overhaul typically from ve to six years for metallic aircraft to 12 years on the 787, sig-nicantly reducing the need for conventional base-maintenance work. Nevertheless, none of the MRO providers questioned were concerned about losing cus-tom. Experience with the latest aircraft, such as the A380, has shown their sophisticated equipment will require new support tasks and skills. Personally, I believe that the efforts for line maintenance will signicantly increase and that this will require signicantly higher qualications, says Winkler. So we will need more qualied personnel. This cannot be handled by any technician any more, he adds. OAir Berlin is unsure where its 787s will be supported (top) (L-R) Part support will be the rst step for AFI KLM E&M High equipment prices are a hurdleSecret service: ZA002 makes a late-night visit to Amsterdam in 2010Boeing tested repairs on airframe demonstratorsAir Berlinfightglobal.com/787 18 | Flightglobal | 2011COCKPITNEW WINDSHIELDFor the 787 Boeing has pursued its frst new windshield design since 1979, updating the 757, 767 and 777 six-window fightdeck with a clean-sheet four non-opening window design that moves the crew escape door to the fightdeck ceiling.FIVE SCREENSThe 787s fve 15.1in displays, the largest ever on a commercial aircraft, replace six 7in screens on the 777, contributing to reducing the total fightdeck line replaceable units from 22 on the 777 to 12 on the 787.CONSOLIDATIONThe new outboard captain and frst offcer displays consolidate the once standalone primary fight displays (PFD), clocks, and fight information, into a single primary fight display offering the PFD, mini-map and auxiliary display.FLIGHT MANAGEMENTThe fight management computer line- replaceable units, maintenance systems, synoptic pages and electronic checklists on the 777 have been consolidated across three multifunction displays (MFD) that allow for up to fve half-page display areas and a constant Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System.HEAD-UPSThe dual Rockwell Collins HGS-6000 head-up displays are standard on the 787, a frst for a Boeing commercial aircraft, enabling low- visibility take-offs and more eyes out fying with velocity vectors.MULTIFUNCTIONAL INTEGRATIONThe three multifunction displays are inter-faced through the new multifunction keyboard and the cursor control selector knob, which comple-ments the cursor control device frst introduced on the 777.NAVIGATION Each navigation display can be presented half or full width on each MFD, with views as wide as 1,280nm and down to 0.5nm presenting gates, taxiways and runways on the integrated airport moving map, along with a graphical vertical situation display and terrain display for RNP 0.1 approach capability.ELECTRONIC FLIGHT BAGSDual Class 3 electronic fight bags are stand-ard on the 787, allowing a paperless interface presenting video surveillance, performance data computation, navigation charts, electronic docu-ments and logbooks. DISPLAY OF INNOVATIONThe 787s ightdeck design builds on the 777s advances1 556678822334417All photography: Jon Ostrower/Flightglobal2011 | Flightglobal | 19 fightglobal.com/787 2011|Flightglobal|1 htglobal com/787The 787 ightdeck combines greater situational awareness with familiar touchesfightglobal.com/787 20 | Flightglobal | 2011ENGINESIN MY VIEWGE 787 ENGINE VARIANTS1st iteration 2nd iteration 3rd iterationBlock D PIP 1 PIP 2Thrust (lb-thrust) 70,000 75,000 78,000Variant 787-8 787-8 787-8, 787-9Upgrades LPT upgrades HPT upgradesSFC (vs.spec) 2.4% above 1% above 0% (target)EIS Dec-11 Dec-11 2013PARTNERS: Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI), Avio, Volvo Aero, Techspace Aero, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Samsung Techwin ROLLS-ROYCE 787 ENGINE VARIANTS1st iteration 2nd iteration 3rd iterationPackage A Package B Package CThrust (lb-thrust) 64,000 70,000 74,000+Variant 787-8 787-8 787-9Upgrades fan, nozzle, geometryLPT, air systemSFC (vs.spec) 1% aboveEIS Sep-11 Dec-11 2013PARTNERS: Kawasaki, Mitsubishi, Industria de Turbo Propulsores, Carlton Forge Works, Hamilton Sundstrand, Goodrich PUSHING POWER TO THE LIMITJOHN CROFT WASHINGTON DCWhile Boeing struggled with the programme schedule, the 787s engine suppliers took opportunities to hone designs for which the rulebook had been abandonedAn early Christmas present arrived at Rolls-Royce on 28 September when All Nippon Airways, launch cus-tomer for the Boeing 787-8 Dream-liner, took delivery of its rst aircraft. Under the wings of the mostly composite 264-seat twinjet were two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 tur-bofans. My rm belief is that once the aircraft is delivered, the whole eld within the indus-try will change, says Simon Carlisle, Trent 1000 programme manager for Rolls-Royce. Its like being a child waiting for Christmas its magical.As a result of the protracted 787 develop-ment programme, Carlisle, who took his posi-tion two weeks after the 787 rst ight just before Christmas 2009, is in charge of three Trent 1000 development programmes simul-taneously Package A, the launch engine; Package B, a higher-thrust, more efcient en-gine that will power all 787-8 aircraft as of next year; and the 74,000lb-thrust (330kN-thrust) Package C engine destined for the 787-9, a stretched, higher-capacity version of the aircraft slated for entry into service in 2013.Bill Fitzgerald, vice-president and general manager of the GEnx product line for rival en-gine provider GE, is also essentially running three programmes at once a Block 4 engine, the rst to be certied; the recently approved performance improvement package (PIP) 1 engine that gets to within 1% of Boeing fuel efciency targets, and a more powerful PIP 2 engine for the 787-9. Simultaneous engine-upgrade efforts were not part of the plan when Boeing launched the 787 in April 2004 with the two engine choices. The turbofans are 15% more fuel ef-cient than the engines they will replace, helping to produce an overall fuel-burn reduc-tion of 20% compared with the Boeing 767, the aircraft the 787 replaces. Nothing about this engine programme is typical, says Carlisle. Given Boeings original plan to get the 787 certicated and ying in time for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Rolls-Royce developed and worked to a compatible schedule. From our perspective, we followed our normal design new product-introduction process and in 2007, certied the engine with full expectation it would go into a ight-test programme and be delivered.However, Boeing only achieved US Federal Aviation Administration certication on 26 August 2011, three years after the initial tar-get. None of us thought it would be quite this long, Carlisle says. If, in 2008, Boeing would have said, It is going to be the end of 2011 [for certication], it would have been relatively easy to cope with, says Carlisle. We would have relooked at the programme. But to some degree, the way the programme slipped six months, every six months all of the supply chain had to maintain readiness to ight test, which took away from improving the product.He adds: We took advantage of the delay to get the engine as current as it could possi-bly be. We did a ton of ight testing that has The [delays] were not a huge issue for usfrom a technical development aspect. Wetried to use that time to our advantageBILL FITZGERALDVice-president and general manager of GEnx product line, GE Aviation2011 | Flightglobal | 21 fightglobal.com/787given us a lot of condence in the maturity of the product. It will be the most mature prod-uct we have ever put into service.For GE, the main challenge as the schedule expanded was making sure it stayed focused on the execution of PIPs while nishing in-dustrialisation of the production engines, says Fitzgerald. GE has the added pressure (and privilege) of being the sole source sup-plier of the similar GEnx-2B engines for the 747-8 programme, which has meant a dual ramp-up for the new line of turbofans. We delivered 44 GEnx-1B and -2B engines in 2010, and well triple that number in 2011, Fitzgerald said in mid-August. Boeing plans to certicate the GE-powered 787 in the fourth quarter this year, with the rst delivery going to Japan Airlines. PRESSURE COMPRESSORSThe more-electric turbofans created for the 787 will be worth the wait. GEs offering is similar to the high-bypass, composite-fan, two-spool GE90 for the Boeing 777, but takes the next step with a composite fan case sav-ing 181kg (400lb) per engine titanium alu-minide turbine blades, and a low-emission twin annular pre-swirl (TAPS) combustor. The 6,126kg engine has a 282cm (111in) fan diameter, three-stage low-pressure compres-sor, a 10-stage high-pressure compressor (HPC), a two-stage high-pressure turbine (HPT) and a six-stage low-pressure turbine (LPT). The overall bypass ratio is 9.6:1. Like the Rolls-Royce offering, the GEnx-1b is a bleedless engine (except for hot bleed air for engine inlet anti-ice protection) that drives twin 250kW starter generators on each engine, pumping 1MW into the 787. The more-elec-tric design required GE to build power storage banks in the ground testing area to dump all that power, and drove changes to the compa-10C per 1,000 cycles for the GE90. Delaying EGT degradation prolongs engine life.Rolls-Royce used its trademark three-spool architecture as a starting point for the Trent 1000. Behind a 284.5cm titanium fan is an eight-stage intermediate pressure compressor (IPC), a six-stage HPC, a single-stage HPT, a single-stage intermediate pressure turbine (IPT) and a six-stage LPT. The overall bypass ratio for the 5,936kg engine is 10:1. Key fea-tures include an intermediate shaft electrical power offtake Rolls-Royce says helps reduce fuel consumption with the engine running at idle. Overall, the company says its three-shaft architecture has better deterioration charac-teristics than GEs two-shaft design.HARDWARE CHANGESPackage B upgrades include a modied LPT design, high-aspect-ratio blades, relocation of the IPC compressor bleed offtake ports and improved aerodynamics for the fan outlet guide vanes. The Package B engine is also said to incorporate hardware changes put in place after an August 2010 uncontained failure of a Package A engine on the test stand at Derby in the UK. Carlisle says Rolls-Royce has approv-als to perform repair and overhaul work on the engines in Derby. He says ANA will have some capability for engine testing and light maintenance in-house at EIS, but adds that, as the eet grows, we will look to have more capability through the established maintenance network in part-nership with our leading customers.Although the companies agree on the prod-uct improvement roadmap, they are as com-petitive as ever when it comes to the sales job. As of late August, GE had sold 830 engines, giving it an edge over Rolls-Royce in the number of engines sold, given that 821 aircraft have been purchased, but buyers have not yet declared their engine choice for roughly 250 aircraft. Boeing plans to build 10 aircraft each month by the end of 2013. I would hope that everyone would cele-brate the delivery of the [Dreamliner], says Carlisle. It will be a fantastic product even better for those who have selected the Trent engine, he adds. OGEnx is a three-in-one programme (right)Three spools were the Trent 1000s starting point (below)The atypical 787 up close (bottom)nys 747 ying testbed to handle the excess electricity. Along with production demands, GE has been deploying a worldwide infra-structure to support the engine in service, ve years ahead of the rst expected overhaul. When the GE90-115B entered service, we had one [GE] certied maintenance facility, says Fitzgerald. We have two certied sites for the GEnx from the start, ve times the number of GEnx on-wing support sites, 10 times the number of eld support engineers and four times the quick-turn capability. GE has two certicated overhaul facilities in place. You have one chance to make a great rst impression, says Fitzgerald.The most signicant lesson learned came from trying to squeeze too much performance out of the LPT. In our design, we took a very aggressive approach on the LPT and reduced the blade count by 30% [compared with the GE90], says Fitzgerald. The resulting Block 4 engine missed Boeings specic fuel con-sumption (SFC) targets by several percent, an issue that will be addressed with the PIP 1 en-hancement soon after EIS and the PIP 2 up-grade in 2012. While GE obtained PIP 1 certi-cation from the FAA in August, thrust was limited to 70,000lb because of an HPT nozzle problem discovered during a ground test at 35% above red-line temperature. Fitzgerald says a modied nozzle that will allow for 75,000lb thrust should be certicated by Janu-ary or February for the PIP 1 variant. While SFC is currently higher than speci-cation, the engine is meeting targets for ex-haust gas temperature (EGT) degradation. Using the GE90 engine as a baseline, engi-neers had designed the GEnx for a 6-8C re-duction in EGT per 1,000 cycles, down from Our latest special report on commercial en-gines focuses on Rolls-Royces composites fan blades. Read it at ightglobal.com/commengBoeingfightglobal.com/787 22 | Flightglobal | 2011MAX KINGSLEY-JONES LONDON SIVA GOVINDASAMY SINGAPOREThe launch customers are nally ready to start earning money with Boeings wonder jet and to nd out if the 787 has been worth the long waitSTARTING A REVOLUTION In 1968, the Beatles sang, You say you want a revolution. Similar words could have been uttered by Boeings salesmen when touting their so-called super-ef-cient airplane to potential customers almost a decade ago. Launched as the 7E7 in April 2004 with NETWORKIN MY VIEWan order from All Nippon Airways, the 787 came with a promise of 20% lower fuel burn and greater range than any aircraft in its size category, along with a new level of passenger experience through radical architecture and cabin pressure at a lower altitude than before.However ANA, Japan Airlines and other 787 early adopters have had to wait much longer than expected to sample these promised de-lights, after production and development dra-mas created delays greater than a worst-case scenario. Boeing expects the Dreamliners size, performance and range will combine to pro-duce the perfect airliner for its much-touted network fragmentation philosophy. Fragmentation really gives passengers more of what they want, and thats more fre-quent, non-stop service, says Boeing Com-mercial Airplanes vice-president marketing Randy Tinseth. Its size, range and economics allows it take that to an all-new level.ANA is in pole position for the 787, having received its rst aircraft on 26 September 40 months later than rst scheduled. It is due to begin passenger services on 26 October.FLEET-PLAN FRUSTRATIONAfter ANA, the sequence and schedule for the next 787 operators is a little blurred, although other customers with early deliveries are known to include Air India, China Southern, Ethiopian Airlines, Hainan Airlines, JAL, Qatar Airways and Royal Air Maroc.ANA, which has 55 787s on order, expects to receive its rst batch of 12 through to 31 March 2012, with a further eight before 31 March 2013. The delays forced the airline to acquire ad-ditional Boeing 767-300ERs, as an interim lift, and cut back on some network growth.There was a great deal of frustration as our eet plan has been forced to change for three years, says Ito. But there would have been a bigger impact if we did not do anything at all. We modied our eet plan.ANAs local rival, JAL, was another early Dreamliner customer, signing in December 2004 for 30 aircraft since increased to 35. JAL was scheduled to receive its rst 787 in August 2008 but says that after suffering a total of seven delays, deliveries should now begin at the end of the year. It hopes to have received ve by the end of its current scal year, which closes on 31 March 2012. JAL says in the wake of the delays it con-sulted Boeing on various adjustments, includ-ing the introduction of alternative aircraft, purchasing conditions and compensation, to minimise impact on its business plans. To bridge the delays, the airline introduced about 10 767s and 777s and postponed the retire-ment of several older 767s, as well as making Jon Ostrower/FlightglobalThe 787-8 is an excellent tool to developnew routes that could not be economicallysustained beforeAKBAR AL BAKER Chief executive, Qatar Airwaysfightglobal.com/787 2011 | Flightglobal | 23BostonTokyoBeijingDohaBostonTokyo Tokyoing jingIntra Gulf,Europe and AsiaTokyo-Boston andlong-haul routesDomestic, Tokyo-Beijing,North America and Europe787 OPERATORS EARLY NETWORK PLANS Doha DohaBeij BeijRead the Airline Business cover interview with Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker: ightglobal.com/albakerchanges to schedules and maintenance plans.Qatar Airways expects it will be roughly the sixth customer to introduce the 787, with its rst of 30 on order due to arrive in the sec-ond quarter of 2012. When the airline an-nounced its order in 2007, deliveries were due to start in the rst half of 2010. Chief ex-ecutive Akbar Al Baker says the delays were very disruptive indeed to route development plans and the resulting revenue losses were far in excess of the compensation provided by Boeing. To make up for the potential capacity shortfall resulting from the delays, the airline postponed the return of leased Airbus A330s as well as the sale of its own aircraft.Launch operator ANA will give the 787 its commercial debut on a charter service be-tween Tokyo Narita and Hong Kong on 26 Oc-tober. The airlines initial batch of 787s have 264 seats for regional and domestic operations and will later be adapted to a lower-density, 222-seat layout. A spacious 158-seat congu-ration will be own on long-haul services.We are now going to get the 787 and have more expectation than anything else. We can now do whatever we wanted to do three years ago, Ito says. ANAs regular 787 services begin on 1 No-vember, with daily services between Tokyo Haneda and Okayama and Hiroshima. Inter-national 787 operations start in December be-tween Haneda and Beijing while, from Janu-ary, the type will be used for a new service three weekly ights between Haneda and Frankfurt. The airline also plans to use the 787 to connect Haneda with Itami, Yamaguchi-Ube and Matsuyama by March.In the longer term, the liberalisation of Ja-pans airline market will allow ANA to add new destinations in North America and Eu-rope, where its 787 eet can be best utilised.JAL ordered its 787s to replace medium-sized aircraft such as older 767s and Airbus A300-600s that have since been retired. The Dreamliner acquisition also ts in with its overall eet-management policy to reduce the number of types operated. The 787 is a game changer. Previously, we used larger aircraft on long-haul routes as they had the range but the concept has changed with the 787, says JAL president Masaru Onishi. The 787 allows us to be more efcient.To maximise fuel efciency, JAL will de-ploy the 787 on long-haul routes. The airline says the range, speed and size of the 787-8 serves well to meet medium-sized demand for long-haul routes. It adds that these qualities contributed to its decision to launch services between Tokyo and Boston next year using the 787. The Boston-Narita leg will be JALs second-longest routing 13h 40min.Like JAL, China Southern expects to re-ceive the rst of 10 Dreamliners before year-end, and plans to deploy them on internation-al ights. We will mainly use them to open up new international routes rather than on ex-isting ights, says chairman Si Xianmin.BETTER RANGE CAPABILITYQatar Airways sees the 787-8 as an excellent route-development tool and will use its eet initially to develop new European points with widebody capacity that could not be econom-ically sustained with its existing widebody types. The 787-8 has been acquired primarily as an A330-200 replacement but may also re-place the A321 on some denser, short-haul routes, says Al Baker.Although our 787-8s will have about 20 fewer seats that our [272-seat] A330-200s, we believe that the 787 has a lower total operating cost per seat over the A330 and a double-digit total-cost-per-trip advantage, when compar-ing new aircraft at representative net acquisi-tion costs. The 787-8 also has a signicantly better range capability than the A330.Initial operations next year will see the type deployed on Qatars intra-Gulf services to aid crew training. The 787s will then migrate pro-gressively to longer routes, serving points in Europe and Asia. Qatar is one of a number of 787 customers that has also ordered Airbus rival, the A350, but the two types will have quite different roles in the Qatar eet, says Al Baker. At Qatar Airways, the 787-8 is principally a fre-quency-development tool, whereas the A350 is a capacity-development tool.So after all the talk, the industry and 787 customers wait with bated breath to see if the Dreamliner is the game changer it is cracked up to be. It will not be long before we all nd out. OBoeing promises to to revolutionise passenger experience with the Dreamliners cabin designJon Ostrower/Flightglobal1 Padome housng smart radar 2 Iorward pressure bu|khead - oomposte3 1wo-orew oookpt featurng ve 228 x 305mmPookwe|| Uo||ns LU0s, e|eotrono ght nstrument system and ght bag wth dua| head-up dsp|ay system4 Avonos bay5 Iorward retraotng, fu||y steerab|e twn- whee| nose |andng gear - Messer-0owty 6 Lavatory7 Uabn orew [ump-seat8 5towage |ookers9 Iorward Ua||ey10 Iuse|age - sng|e-peoe oomposte bre-g|ass oarbon |amnate11 Busness-o|ass oabn - 12 seats12 vPI 1 antenna13 Iorward oargo ho|d 14 Loonomy oabn - 24 seats15 Ua||ey and passenger bar area16 Uabn entry emergenoy/ext doors wth natab|e esoape s|de/rafts17 Wng-to-fuse|age oomposte farng18 Landng and turn-off |ght19 Po||s-Poyoe 1rent 1000 - rated at 70,000|b thrust20 Uenera| L|eotro ULnx turbofan - rated at 70,000|b thrust21 A|umnum a||oy |eadng-edge s|ats22 Navgaton |ght o|uster23 Paked wngtp - oomposte oarbon sandwoh24 5tato dsoharge woks25 A|eron - breg|ass 26 Man-wng box oarbon - |amnate27 0utboard hnged pane|s - oarbon |amnate 28 0utboard ap - oarbon |amnate 29 I|aperon - oarbon |amnate 30 Inboard (hnged) spo|ers - oarbon |amnate 31 Iour whee| man |andng gear, (Messer- 0owty) noorporatng Uoodroh or Messer-Buggatt e|eotro brakes32 Man |andng gear support beam33 nboard ap - breg|ass epoxy 34 Uentre wng box - UIPP 35 Uontro||ab|e photo-ohromato passenger wndows - 483 x 279mm 36 Loonomy oabn - 132 seats 37 Pear oargo ho|d38 Ua||ey39 Uabn oor struoture - oomposte40 vPI 2 antenna41 Pear fuse|age - sng|e-peoe oomposte breg|ass oarbon |amnate 42 Loonomy oabn - 96 seats43 Pear |avatores44 Upward sou|pted Ue|ng pane|s45 Pear ga||eys46 Pear pressure bu|khead - oomposte 47 Porzonta| ta|p|ane (oarbon |amnate) e|evator - oarbon sandwoh 48 APU - Pam|ton 5undstrand 49 vertoa| ta| - oarbon |amnate50 Pudder oarbon-sandwoh 51 Leadng-edge - a|umnum a||oy 52 1a| oone (sng|e-peoe) - oomposte breg|ass oarbon |amnate 53 Pear oargo door54 Inboard aps and spo|ers - dep|oyed55I|ap farngs - oomposte 56 Man fue| tanks57 Uonnexon steerab|e antenna58 Uentre wng tank59 Lngne py|on - a|umnum a||oy, stee| and ttanum oonstruoton60 Lngne oow|ngs - oarbonbre epoxy oonstruoton 787 launch customer All Nippon Airways depicted (264 seat layout) SKIN-DEEPMICROCUTAWAYInside the 787-8 (initial production version)Boeing 787 family787-8 - Length: 57m, Passengers 223787-9 - Length: 62m, Passengers 259787-10X - Length: 68m, Passengers 290-310Iront e|evaton showng n-ght wng ex Tim Bicheno-Brown20115.74m (18.9ft)Uabn oross-seoton fightglobal.com/787 26 | Flightglobal | 2011STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DCWhat is the Boeing 787s potential as a freighter or military aircraft? Can plastic fantastic prove a exible friend?ROLE REVERSALSWith entry-into-service (EIS) far off in the unknown distance in May 2008 in fact, it would become nearly two-and-a-half years Boe-ing felt comfortable revealing one of the 787s hidden and potentially lucrative design secrets.Tom Crabtree, then a regional director for busi-ness strategy at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, casually gave the secret away in a presentation to journalists inside the companys sprawling facto-ry complex in Everett, Washington.Buried in the blueprints of the all-composite fuselage of the new widebody are the provi-sions to quickly transform the 787 from an air-liner into a pure freighter, Crabtree said.We worked with the initial design ve years ago during the initial sizing of the air-plane, said Crabtree. We have routed the sys-tems such that the area where the main deck door would go are clear of any reroutings, say, [of] electrical or hydraulic lines. Long term, we ALTERNATIVE USESIN MY VIEWThe new-build market for cargo planesin this class is quite limited, as Airbus isnding out on its A330F programmeRICHARD ABOULAFIAVice-president of analysis, Teal GroupBoeinghave designed provisions into the [787] when the market demands it to allow that aircraft to become a freighter.That statement marked the last time Boeing publicly discussed plans for alternative uses of the 787, but did nothing to stop the specula-tion. Large aircraft are often launched with a single job envisioned carrying passengers, for example but often nd second and even third careers serving other markets. Freighters and special mission aircraft for the military are two of the most obvious examples. Boeing has already planned to make the 787 readily available for the freighter market, and the widebody has already appeared in US Air Force concept studies as a candidate to serve in a variety of roles ranging from next-generation surveillance aircraft to the successor of the Boe-ing VC-25A the Boeing 747-200 also known as Air Force One when the US President is on board. Finding such alternative roles is an es-tablished tradition for most new Boeing airlin-ers. The Boeing 707, 737, 747 and 767 have each been adapted for numerous roles. One company Oregon-based Evergreen even uses the 747 to dump chemical retardant on wildres. And the 777 has recently launched a second career as a pure freighter.On the other hand, there are no guarantees that the 787 will nd other roles, and some an-alysts wonder if the aircrafts design philoso-phy will prevent its success in other markets.One problem is that the 787 is designed with minimal margin tolerances, while older jets were designed before [computer-aided de-sign/computer-aided manufacturing] became an extremely precise tool, says Richard Aboulaa, vice-president of analysis at the Teal Group.A DESIGN LEARNING CURVEAs design methods have become precise, man-ufacturers have discovered that planning ahead for secondary roles is more critical than ever. Airbus, for example, discovered that the freighter version of the A330-200 required a re-design. The passenger version was built with a slight forward tilt. The slope is almost unnoticeable to passen-gers, but on a freighter would have forced cus-tomers to buy special equipment to slide cargo pallets from the front to the back. For the A330-200F, the nose gear is raised up slightly to make the fuselage level, and a new fairing was added to the enlarged gear doors.Crabtrees comments in 2008 could still offer reassurance to pricing analysts in the airline market who must predict aircraft valuations over time. If Boeing has already made provi-sions for the 787 to serve as a freighter, valua-tion experts may keep price levels stable for a longer period. Airbus appears to play similar games in pub-lic statements about its aircraft. For example, Airbuss latest global market forecast may be sending a subtle signal to pricing analysts about the companys long-term intentions for the new A350 widebody. The A350 is listed in the 2010 forecast as one of ve future large freighters, a category listed in the report as also including the 747, 777, MD-11 and A380. Boeings 787, however, is listed nowhere in Airbuss market forecast, even among the re-gional and long-range freighters segment that includes the A330 and 767. Airbus may not want to give Boeing any more ammunition to fightglobal.com/787 2011 | Flightglobal | 27Rex FeaturesStephen Trimble provides running commentary on developments in military aviation at ightglobal.com/dewlineThe 737 is popular in the special missions market as the P-8 Poseidon (bottom left)Could the 787 be a candidate for a future Air Force One? (below)boost the 787s pricing forecasts. At the same time, it is probably too early for the freighter market to be condent in the 787 as future member of the eet.The 787 freighter concept is extremely premature. Cargo planes in this class tend to be conversions, which are useful for maintaining asset values but typically only kick in after 1520 years of airline service, at least, Aboulaa says.Boeings 20-year market forecast shows that it expects the market for a 787-sized freighter to shrink in the future. In 2009, freighters with be-tween a 40-tonne and 80-tonne payload capac-ity represented 36% of the market, according to Boeings latest World Air Cargo Forecast 2011. In 2029, the same market is projected to account for 27% of all freighters. A future military role for the 787 is also not a sure thing, despite Boeings success with adapt-ing previous models. For one thing, military customers have not expressed great interest in converting widebody airliners into special mission roles. Several years ago, the USAF purchased a 767-400ER to convert into a replacement for the Northrop Grumman E-8C joint surveillance target attack radar system (JSTARS) and the Boeing E-3 airborne warning and control sys-tem (AWACS). However, the USAF cancelled the E-10A multi-sensor command and control aircraft (MC2A) in 2005. Meanwhile, Boeings 737 narrowbody has become popular in the special missions market, with the US and In-dian navies ordering the P-8 Poseidon.SINGLE-AISLE, MANY USESTheres no need for a larger special mission aircraft. I can only think of one instance of twin-aisle jets being used for [intelligence, sur-veillance and reconnaissance] or other special mission duties Japans four 767-based AWACS, says Aboulaa. Single-aisle jets offer superb range and endurance these days, thanks to business jet derivatives of commercial 737s and A320s, adds Aboulaa. Given that radars and other avionics are getting smaller, special mission size require-ments arent likely to grow at all, particularly with a great reliance on offboard sensors.In 2008, the USAF also asked Boeing to sub-mit design and cost data for the 787 while re-searching options for a VC-25A replacement. The USAF request also asked for information about the 777, 747-8 and even the Airbus A380. However, the Obama administration cancelled early studies for the VC-25A replacement pro-gramme. Boeing delivered both VC-25As in 1991, and the aircraft now rank among the US-AFs most costly aircraft to operate. The 787 seems ill-suited to serve as a VC-25A replace-ment, if a requirement to recapitalise the eet is ever relaunched. There is no way the 787 would make a re-spectable Air Force One. Its just too small given the lift requirement, says Aboulaa. Boeing has already converted the 747 into a tanker for Iran and the 767 into an aerial refuel-ler for Italy and Japan. The USAF has also or-dered a new version called the 767-2C as the KC-X tanker. In the KC-X competition, Boeing never seriously considered the 787 as a candi-date. Instead, a KC-777 was in development until the USAF issued specications that fa-voured a smaller aircraft. The KC-Y require-ment to replace the KC-10 remains in the US-AFs long-term plans. Both the 787 and 777 could be possible candidates, but the 787s tight design tolerances could pose problems for the companys engineers to overcome. Ofightglobal.com/787 28 | Flightglobal | 2011MAX KINGSLEY-JONES LONDONDespite the Dreamliners development problems, Boeing has secured over 800 orders for its carbonbre airliner. Caught napping by the 787s sales success, Airbus has been ghting to compete with its A350MARKETTHROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLETWith an order backlog in excess of 800 aircraft, the success enjoyed by Boeings 787 sales team has been in stark contrast to the tur-moil of its development programme.The rate of orders broke all records, with the Dreamliner becoming the fastest-selling airliner since launch, racking up 677 sales from 47 customers worth $110 billion by the time of its roll-out in July 2007.At that time, of course, the maiden ight was due to follow straight after and rst deliv-eries within a year. So although in gross terms Boeing has accumulated almost 1,000 orders in the seven years since launch, the backlog has suffered in the wake of delivery delays to the tune of about 150 cancellations. Order intake has slowed dramatically in re-cent times for a combination of reasons. The endless reschedulings since the roll-out have affected slot availability, with the multi-year lead time for batches of new aircraft having effectively been in limbo since the original slip four years ago of the planned May 2008 rst delivery. There has probably also been an element of wait and see by some existing and potential new customers after the devel-opment troubles and delays.If the 787s rapid order rate was a surprise to Boeing, it was even more of a shock to Air-bus. But if the European airframer was caught off-guard by the Dreamliners early sales suc-cess, it has moved quickly to close the gap.Initially, Toulouse did not have a competi-tive response in the market place, and as it tried to regroup, the door was left wide open for Seattle to romp home in a series of cam-paigns. There followed a sequence of strategic U-turns by Airbus as it dithered about what its new A350 twinjet should be, giving Boeing several years head start in both sales and development time.Everyone was writing that we redesigned the A350 six or seven times, joked Airbuss chief operating ofcer customers, John Leahy, back in 2007 after the A350 had nally crys-tallised as the XWB. We didnt. We rede-signed it three times, and that was enough.Back then, Leahy admitted to having been caught napping by the Dreamliners suc-cess, but defended that initial lack of response by pointing to the failed Sonic Cruiser programme which led to doubts that Boeing would be able to deliver its initial 787 speci-cations. Our rst reaction was that they were exaggerating what they could do, he said.Although history now shows that Airbuss cynicism about the 787 claims may have been partially justied, the reality is that customers were queuing up to order Boeings plastic fantastic and Airbus had to up the ante. But by the time Airbus nally launched the XWB in December 2006, Boeing had used its three-year lead to rack up 450 orders.SIGNIFICANT MARKET LEADFive years on, and Boeing still has a signicant market lead over the XWB with 821 orders against 567. But while the 787 and A350 are the new-generation twinjet offerings from Seattle and Toulouse, the size offerings of the two fami-lies mean they overlap rather than compete di-rectly, which is why the 250- to 300-seat A330 models are an important part of the Airbus ar-moury. And Boeing would counter that the larger A350 variants compete just as much with the 777, which is also enjoying strong sales.Sales of the 20-year-old A330 have resurged partially thanks to ongoing doubts about IN MY VIEWWe did not let the delay distort our business... a more difcult delivery can only make the baby more precious and adorable SHINICHIRO ITOChief executive, All Nippon Airwaysfightglobal.com/787 2011 | Flightglobal | 29Boeingnear-term 787 availability and, when combined with A350 sales, give Toulouse a ve percentage point lead over its rival in overall backlog market share.The A350 is the main competition, which is sized slightly larger at 270-350 seats versus the 787s 242-320 seats in a three-class layout although with many moving to four classes, the seat counts will be lower, says Chris Sey-mour, head of market analysis at Flightglobals data and consultancy arm, Ascend.Both programmes have cutting-edge tech-nology and carbonbre structures, albeit dif-fering in the fuselage manufacturing process, Seymour adds. Both have sold well to date. Indeed, 10 airlines have ordered both sug-gesting some complementary usage, especial-ly with the smaller 787-8 and the A350-900.Richard Aboulaa, vice-president of analy-sis at Teal Group, believes that in the longer term, Airbuss decision