Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Look at entire portfolio when investing in sub-types, Airbus and Boeing say January 23, 2019
- Rolls-Royces sees NMA “addressable” market as 4,000-5,000, same as Boeing January 22, 2019
- Rolls sees end of Trent 1000 issues, but a spike in 787 AOG possible January 22, 2019
- Additive manufacturing explained January 22, 2019
- Leeham News and Comment is now Leeham News and Analysis January 21, 2019
Indonesian authorities release preliminary Lion Air crash report
By Bjorn Fehrm
November 28, 2018, © Leeham News.: The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) has released the preliminary report about the fatal flight Lion Air LNI610.
The report is 78 pages and gives added information in several areas. Rather than repeat what has been reported before, the article is focused on what new facts are revealed and we make some observations around these facts.
Boeing’s automatic trim for the 737 MAX was not disclosed to the Pilots
By Bjorn Fehrm
November 14, 2018, © Leeham News.: The automatic trim Boeing introduced on the 737 MAX, called MCAS, was news to us last week. Graver, it was news to the Pilots flying the MAX since 18 months as well.
Boeing and its oversight, the FAA, decided the Airlines and their Pilots had no need to know. The Lion Air accident can prove otherwise.
Bjorn’s Corner: Supersonic transport revival, Part 6
By Bjorn Fehrm
September 14, 2018, ©. Leeham News: In the last Corner we looked at the change of aerodynamic center when passing Mach 1 and the resulting trim change.
We also discussed the high pitch angle of a delta like the Concorde when landing, which brings visibility problems for the pilots. Now we look into the problem of skin heating at high Mach flight.
Figure 1. The skin temperatures of Concorde at Mach 2. Source: Wikipedia.
Suppliers chafe at Boeing’s demand for costly certifications
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Introduction
danieljcatchpole(at)gmail(dot)com
September 3, 2018, © Leeham News: Boeing’s insistence that more and more subcontractors meet stringent 
aerospace manufacturing standards risks adding cost and reducing flexibility to the supply chain, several direct and indirect Boeing suppliers tell LNC.
The aerospace giant is requiring more second and third tier suppliers have AS9100 certification. Until recent years, OEMs and their direct suppliers typically were the only companies that formally complied with AS9100.
Subcontractors were expected to conform to the standards, but did not have to formally comply with the requirements. Doing so is expensive and time consuming. Subcontractors’ work was covered by the Tier 1 suppliers’ or Boeing’s AS9100 certification.
The AS9100 standards were adopted in the late 1990s to improve and standardize quality management throughout the increasingly global aerospace industry.
Summary
- Boeing pushing more subcontractors to be AS9100 certified, according to suppliers.
- That risks adding cost and reducing flexibility in supply chain.
- Some suppliers worry it’s a prelude to more cost cutting.
Airbus posts strong earnings; ‘hell of a ride’ ahead, says CEO
By Dan Catchpole
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uly 26, 2018, © Leeham News: Airbus posted strong earnings for the year’s second quarter, thanks to better profitability on its A350 and A320 programs. Investors rewarded the news by pushing Airbus share prices to a 52-week high Thursday morning.
However, Airbus lowered its earnings for the full year due to its takeover of Bombardier’s troubled C Series program, since renamed the A220. Airbus plans to deliver 18 of the single-aisle jetliners this year.
Airbus delivers record 718 aircraft amid strong sales
By Bjorn Fehrm
January 15, 2018, ©. Leeham Co: Airbus announced record 2017 airliner deliveries of 718 aircraft today. It was the 15th consecutive year of increased production, this time with 30 aircraft over 2016. Fabrice Bregier, the Chief Operating Officer of Airbus, predicted Airbus would pass Boeing in deliveries by 2020.
The company also booked its third best year in orders, with 1,109 aircraft giving a Book-to-Bill of 1.5. The backlog is at a record 7,256 aircraft (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Summary of Airbus 2017 orders and deliveries. Source: Airbus.
Bombardier 2Q results: Turn around on track as Business aircraft, Trains perform well
By Bjorn Fehrm
July 28, 2017, ©. Leeham Co: Bombardier presented its 2Q2017 results this morning. Performance followed guidance, with stronger than expected margins in business aircraft and trains. Overall the business tracks the turnaround plan, presented end 2015.
Because of constrained delivery of Pratt & Whitney GTF engines for 1H 2017, only seven CSeries got delivered. A full year delivery of around 30 CSeries is still the target.
Mitsubishi and ANA show MRJ commitment
June 18, 2017, © Leeham Co.: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) CEO Shunichi Miyanaga and the Vice Chairman of ANA Holidings, Osamu Shinobe, gave the full backing to the MRJ program today, when presenting an ANA liveried test aircraft at the Paris Air Show.
Airbus earnings preview: supplier issues depress deliveries
April 26, 2017: The Airbus 1Q2017 earnings call is tomorrow.
Problems with the Pratt & Whitney GTF and slower-than-expected ramp-up of the CFM LEAP affected A320neo deliveries in the quarter. Continuing problems with interiors supply depressed A350 deliveries.
We have earnings previews from two investment banks that cover Airbus.
Bjorn’s Corner: Flight control, Part 4
By Bjorn Fehrm
1 April 2016, ©. Leeham Co: Last week we described the computer augmented flight controls that are possible with Fly-By-Wire (FBW) systems. We described the most common flight control laws by discussing the two most common control law implementations in the market, the Airbus and the Boeing ones.
Today we will finish the series by discussing how an autopilot, or as the OEMs call it, an Autoflight or Automatic flight system, is added to the aircraft’s control system. An autopilot is most of the time combined with a flight director and a Flight Management System (FMS).
We will mention how these fit in the picture but focus on the autopilot, once again to keep it simple and avoid trying to cover too much. The autopilot subject is large enough. Read more