David Hess, former president of Pratt & Whitney, credits Mitsubishi with the ripple effect that led to new developments at Bombardier, Airbus, Boeing and Embraer. Photo via Google images.
Aug. 20, 2015, © Leeham Co.: Conventional wisdom credits Bombardier’s CSeries with being the disruptor that prompted Airbus to launch the A320neo, which in turn caused Boeing to launch the 737 MAX and Embraer to launch its E-Jet E2.
But an academic paper by John Slattery, chief commercial officer for Embraer, reveals that David Hess, the former president of Pratt & Whitney, credits Mitsubishi rather than Bombardier as the catalyst for the dramatic changes that followed.
In a paper entitled Resources & Rivalry, A Case Study of The Single-Aisle Commercial Jet Manufacturing Industry, Slattery interview present and former executives of the Big Four airframe manufactures, the former CEO of ILFC and officials of P&W.
The paper provides a chronicle of thinking leading to decisions to move ahead with new airplane projects, including re-engining the A320 and 737 rather than proceeding with new, clean-sheet designs.
The interviews debunk some of the conventional wisdom surrounding the variety of programs. We’ll periodically report the findings of Slattery’s paper, starting with PW and Mitsubishi.
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Airbus ‘confident’ engine makers can ramp up production
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Introduction
CFM makes about 50% of the engines on the A320 Family and has about 50% of the backlog for the New
Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus Group. Airbus photo.
Engine Option version. Pratt & Whitney has about the same market share for the NEO, depending on what month it is, with a large number of orders for which no engine has been selected.
Airbus and Boeing are each studying whether to ramp up production of the A320 and 737 families above the record rates already planned.
In an interview Sunday with Leeham News and Comment in advance of the A320 Final Assembly Line opening here, Enders said studies continue whether to take A320 production rates to 60 a month. Boeing is studying rates of 60-63 a month.
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Posted on September 17, 2015 by Scott Hamilton
Airbus, Boeing, CFM, Leeham News and Comment, Pratt & Whitney, Premium
737 MAX, A320NEO, A380, A400M, air force tanker, Airbus, Airbus Group, Boeing, CFM, Fabrice Bregier, John Leahy, KC-46A, KC-X, Pratt & Whitney, SkyMark, Tom Enders, Transaero, USAF, Virgin Atlantic Airways
A320 FAL “good for US aerospace,” says Airbus
Sept. 16, 2015, © Leeham Co., Mobile (AL): The opening of the Airbus A320 Final Assembly Line here
achieves a major set of goals set by the company 10 years ago for its own strategic purposes, but officials are also mindful of the larger impact on US aerospace.
David L. Williams, VP Procurement, Airbus Americas. Photo via Google images.
Top executives point out that the Mobile plant reestablished a second commercial aviation assembly site in the US since the last MD-11s and MD-95s rolled out of the former McDonnell Douglas plant in Long Beach (CA) after its acquisition by The Boeing Co in 1997. Boeing continued production of the MD-11 until the end of 2000 (with deliveries occurring in 1Q2001). The last MD-95, renamed the Boeing 717, was produced in 2006. There were 200 MD-11s and 156 717s produced.
With nearly 10 years elapsing between that last 717 and the first A321ceo coming out of Mobile, Airbus officials say the creation of the FAL is not only good for Airbus and Alabama, it’s good for US aerospace.
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Posted on September 16, 2015 by Scott Hamilton
Airbus, Boeing, CFM, McDonnell Douglas, Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance, Pratt & Whitney
717, A320 final assembly line, A321ceo, Airbus, Airbus Mobile, Boeing, CFM, David L. Williams, McDonnell Douglas, MD-11, MD-95, Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance, PNAA, Pratt & Whitney
New single aisles on home stretch
By Bjorn Fehrm
16 Sep 2015, © Leeham Co.: Boeing released pictures yesterday of the first 737 MAX 8 being on the Renton Final Assembly Line (FAL) having completed the wing-to-body joins. With the Airbus A320neo now flying again with both Pratt & Whitney GTF and CFM LEAP test vehicles and Bombardier completing 85% on CSeries (having passed 2,400 hours of flight testing), one can say the new single aisles are on their home stretch.
737 MAX on the Final Assembly Line at Renton, Seattle. Source: Boeing.
Original planning had the CSeries entering service in December 2013, nearly two years before A320neo (October 2015) and four years before the 737 MAX (4Q2017). With the 737 MAX now on the FAL one can start to review the Entry into Service (EIS) for all three. It will be tighter than the companies have said.
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Posted on September 16, 2015 by Bjorn Fehrm
Airbus, Bjorn's Corner, Boeing, Bombardier, CFM, CSeries, Pratt & Whitney
737 MAX, A320NEO, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, CFM, CSeries, Pratt & Whitney
Boeing’s 767 revitalized as a MOM stop gap, Part 2
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
Aug. 31 2015, ©. Leeham Co: Last week we started to look at Boeing’s 767 to see if it can serve the passenger and range space which is not well covered by modern aircraft: the 225 passenger/5,000nm sector. Boeing calls this the Middle of the Market or MOM. Boeing recently said that there is some increased interest for the 767. We analyze why and what can be done to increase any chances of it having a new life as a passenger aircraft.
We started with comparing the 767’s different variants to the most likely MOM aircraft from our series “Redefining the 757 replacement requirement for the 225/5000-sector”. We will now continue and look at the 767 in detail, its strong suits and its less efficient areas. We will also discuss what can be made to address the less efficient areas.
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Posted on August 31, 2015 by Bjorn Fehrm
Airbus, Boeing, Future aircraft, GE Aviation, Middle of the Market, MOM, Pratt & Whitney, Premium
757, 767-200ER, 787, A321LR, MOM, Pratt & Whitney
PW chief credited MRJ with ripple effect leading to CSeries, A320neo, 737 MAX and E-Jet E2
David Hess, former president of Pratt & Whitney, credits Mitsubishi with the ripple effect that led to new developments at Bombardier, Airbus, Boeing and Embraer. Photo via Google images.
Aug. 20, 2015, © Leeham Co.: Conventional wisdom credits Bombardier’s CSeries with being the disruptor that prompted Airbus to launch the A320neo, which in turn caused Boeing to launch the 737 MAX and Embraer to launch its E-Jet E2.
But an academic paper by John Slattery, chief commercial officer for Embraer, reveals that David Hess, the former president of Pratt & Whitney, credits Mitsubishi rather than Bombardier as the catalyst for the dramatic changes that followed.
In a paper entitled Resources & Rivalry, A Case Study of The Single-Aisle Commercial Jet Manufacturing Industry, Slattery interview present and former executives of the Big Four airframe manufactures, the former CEO of ILFC and officials of P&W.
The paper provides a chronicle of thinking leading to decisions to move ahead with new airplane projects, including re-engining the A320 and 737 rather than proceeding with new, clean-sheet designs.
The interviews debunk some of the conventional wisdom surrounding the variety of programs. We’ll periodically report the findings of Slattery’s paper, starting with PW and Mitsubishi.
Read more
22 Comments
Posted on August 20, 2015 by Scott Hamilton
Airbus, Boeing, CSeries, Embraer, Mitsubishi, Pratt & Whitney
737, 737 MAX, A320, A320NEO, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, CSeries, David Hess, Embraer, Geared Turbo Fan, GTF, John Slattery, Mitsubishi, MRJ, Pratt & Whitney
Mitsubishi Regional Jet, MRJ, compared with second generation regional jets, Part 2.
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
04 Aug 2015, © Leeham Co.: Yesterday we started our deeper look at Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation’s new MRJ90 and compared it with one of the aircraft that it aspires to replace, Bombardier’s (BBD) CRJ900. We outlined similarities and differences in architecture, dimensions, weights and payload capabilities.
We will now finish the analysis with a study of the fuel consumption performance of the two aircraft on a typical regional route network. Finally, we will discuss at what net price a MRJ90 would be motivated against the incumbent regional aircraft CRJ900 from BBD.
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Posted on August 4, 2015 by Bjorn Fehrm
Bombardier, Embraer, GE Aviation, Mitsubishi, Pratt & Whitney, Premium
Bomabrdier, CF34, Embraer, MRJ-90, Pratt & Whitney GTF
Mitsubishi opens Seattle Engineering Center ahead of MRJ90 first flight
The MRJ90 testing and entry into service timeline. Source: Mitsubishi. Click on image to enlarge.
August 3, 2015, © Leeham Co.: Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. today opened its Seattle Engineering Center jointly with local company AeroTEC in advance of the first flight of the MRJ90 in September or October. During the second quarter of next year, four of five MRJ Flight Test Vehicles will be domiciled in Moses Lake in Central Washington for the bulk of the flight testing over the following year. Entry into service is planned for 2Q2017 with launch customer All Nippon Airways.
The engineering center represents the first in Washington State for an aircraft OEM other than Boeing. Mitsubishi will assign 50 engineers from Japan to the new SEC, in South Seattle a short distance from Boeing Field. One hundred engineers will be hired locally.
AeroTEC and Mitsubishi began discussing working together only last January, said president Lee Human, who added that the seven months from January to the opening of the SEC today was remarkable for the speed in which negotiations, contracts, permits and hiring was achieved.
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Posted on August 3, 2015 by Scott Hamilton
Airlines, Bombardier, Comac, E-Jet, Embraer, Mitsubishi, Pratt & Whitney, Sukhoi
AeroTECH, ARJ21, Bombardier, Comac, CRJ900, E-175-E2, E-190, E-190 E2, E-195 E2, Embraer, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi MRJ, MRJ90, SSJ-100, Sukhoi
Mitsubishi Regional Jet, MRJ, compared with second generation regional jets.
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
03 Aug 2015, © Leeham Co.: Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, the company behind Japan’s new regional aircraft, is inaugurating an engineering center in Seattle today and presenting their testing facility at Moses Lake (WA) Grant County International Airport tomorrow. Against this backdrop we decided to look a bit deeper into the MRJ after having done a first comparison on our January article, MRJ90 vs. Embraer’s up and coming E-Jet 175 E2.
Now we compare the 90 seat version, MRJ90, to the aircraft that it aims to ultimately replace, the most efficient regional jet of the present generation, Bombardier’s CRJ900. With lower fuel prices, will the advantages of a new aircraft still be strong enough to create a compelling business case against the CRJ900?
We start with the examination of the two aircraft and will finish in Part 2 with an efficiency comparison over typical regional routes.
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Posted on August 3, 2015 by Bjorn Fehrm
Bombardier, GE Aviation, Mitsubishi, Pratt & Whitney, Premium
Bombardier, CRJ-900, Embraer, Mitsubishi, MRJ
Rolls-Royce and Safran, major European engine OEMs with different fortunes.
By Bjorn Fehrm
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July 30, 2015 © Leeham Co. Rolls-Royce and Safran, the parent company of CFM partner Snecma, released their Q2 and first half 2015 earnings today. It is interesting to compare these companies as they are in different strategic situations in their dominant business segments, civil turbofan engines.
Civil turbofans constitute 52% of Rolls-Royce total business whereas it makes 54% of Safran’s turn over. Rolls-Royce’s focus has been widebody engines to the point where it exited its part of International Aero Engines, which makes the single aisle V2500 engine, three years ago. Safran on the other hand is heavily invested in the single aisle market through its 50% part in CFM through its Snecma subsidiary.
The present situation and the future outlook for these two companies are intimately aligned with this strategic difference. We look at why and how this will affect their immediate future.
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Posted on July 31, 2015 by Bjorn Fehrm
Airbus, Boeing, CFM, GE Aviation, International Aero Engines, Pratt & Whitney, Premium, Rolls-Royce
Airbus, Boeing, CFM, GE Aviation, GTF, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Trent 1000, Trent 7000. Trent XWB, Trent 900
Bjorn’s Corner: hot summer, hot engines
By Bjorn Fehrm
17 July 2015, ©. Leeham Co: It is summer in south of Europe and we have had over 30°C/86°F for weeks. It makes one realize the conditions where the engines have to work over their flat rating point in the Middle East.
Aircraft engines are a bit fidgety. They don’t like temperature although they are made to sustain that their hottest parts, the nozzle and first turbine after the combustor, gets scalded to 1700°C/3,092°F or more.
Go down to the very back end of the engine and we come to where the key engine parameter, EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature), is measured. It determines a lot of things, among them the time the engine stays on wing. Things are typically 700°C/1,832°F cooler here and this is where a reliable temperature measurement probe can be placed. Based on its values, the total health of the engine’s core is determined. It is also a key input whether the engine shall be throttled back in a hot take-off like in the Middle East.
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Posted on July 17, 2015 by Bjorn Fehrm
Airlines, Bjorn's Corner, CFM, Emirates Airlines, GE Aviation, International Aero Engines, Pratt & Whitney
737, 737 MAX, A320, A320NEO, Airbus, Boeing, CFM, Emirates Airline, IAE, Tom Clark
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