Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 4. Propulsive efficiency April 19, 2024
- Boeing unlikely to meet FAA’s 90-day deadline for new safety program April 18, 2024
- Focus on quality not slowing innovation, says GKN April 18, 2024
- Boeing defends 787, 777 against whistleblower charges April 17, 2024
- Dissecting Boeing CEO’s statement next new airplane will cost $50bn April 15, 2024
Boeing’s C-17 on budget chopping block again
Reuters has this report that the FY2011 defense budget once again proposes chopping the Boeing C-17 from procurement.
The C-17 has been cut from several successive budgets, with Boeing and its supporters able to override this in Congressional earmarks.
France “protectionist,” says Boeing
We wonder what took Boeing so long to make this obvious point: France is protectionist in its defense purchases and should quit complaining about the KC-X competition in the US. See this Reuters story.
SC incentives to Boeing nearing $1bn
Boeing told Washington State that incentives had nothing to do with its decision to locate 787 Line 2 in Charleston (SC)–that it was all about the unions.
This article in the Charleston Post and Courier reveals that incentives there are approaching, if not already exceeding, $1bn. And you know these weren’t negotiated in the short time IAM 751 and Boeing met. So while Boeing assured Washington that incentives weren’t an issue and it was all about the union….
Outlook for Airbus, Boeing in 2010
Introduction
2009 has faded into history and 2010 is here. Last year wasn’t kind to Airbus or Boeing—though it was worse for the latter than the former. How will this year be?
We’ll get right into how we see things lining up for the two largest airframe OEMs for this year.
787 Year-End News
Much was made over the fact that 787 #2 landed with its main gear doors open and whether they scraped the runway. The doors did not, but it was close as these photos from the sidelines show. You may click on the photo to get a much larger image to really see the detail.
Photos by Scott Morton
Jon Ostrower has this detail about why the plane landed with the main gear door open.
Why US transport producers failed
Defense analyst Loren Thompson picks up the old refrain about Airbus subsidies running McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed out of the commercial airliner business. We add our thoughts at the end of his article.
By Loren Thompson
Airbus subsidies have destroyed thousands of US jobs
Monday, December 21, 2009
In a few days, the world’s two major producers of commercial transports (jet airliners) will release their order and delivery results for 2009. The results will show that European champion Airbus delivered slightly over 50% of all planes built, while greatly exceeding American champion Boeing in the number of new planes ordered. It’s been going this way pretty much since the decade began, because after 40 years of subsidies from European governments, Airbus now has a complete family of transports that can aggressively compete in virtually any capacity/range category with Boeing.
Ryanair quits Boeing talks-for now
Ryanair terminated talks with Boeing for an order for 200 737-800s, ending a highly publicized negotiating tactic by the ever-talkative Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary.
Here is the Ryanair statement.
The Financial Times has this interesting take. (Free registration may be required.)
Bloomberg has this report.
Airbus, Boeing nearing re-engining decision
Reuters has this report saying Airbus and Boeing will decide, probably next year, whether to re-engine the A320 and 737 families.
The AirInsight team of The Arvai Group, Innovation Analysis Group and Leeham Co., published the report below earlier this month that decisively predicted this will happen. The report may be purchased here.
Dec. 15: First Flight is success
As everyone interested knows, the first flight of the Boeing 787 was a success. The flight time was cut short by nearly two hours due to deteriorating weather conditions at Boeing Field, the flight’s terminus. The airplane went over the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the body of water between Washington State and Canada, rather than Eastern Washington.
787 First Flight
Update, December 15 0445 AM (Yawn): We’re up and have already done one radio interview for first flight set for 10 am today. Weather is iffy. The hourly forecast has 60% chance of rain at 8am and 50% at 9 and 10 am. As noted below, there can be no standing water on the runway. We were with Boeing last night and a 5,000 ft ceiling and 5 mile forward visibility are the set parameters for first flight.
We joked with Boeing that the ceiling could be down to the cockpit windows and the test pilots would say it was just fine for takeoff. Boeing, which sometimes isn’t known for its Corporate Sense of Humor, got the joke but still felt compelled to deny it!