Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Hopes for 1Q financial progress turns into bumpy ride for Boeing April 21, 2025
- Bjorn’s Corner: Air Transport’s route to 2050. Part 18. April 18, 2025
- Natilus: Composite BWB, entry-into-service by 2029, 570 on order April 17, 2025
- China bans Boeing, US parts imports in tariff war April 15, 2025
- Boeing welcomes COMAC competition as Asia-Pacific demand soars April 15, 2025
Further developments of the A321, Part 2
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By Bjorn Fehrm
October 5, 2023, © Leeham News: We look at what can be the next development for Airbus’ most popular aircraft, the A321neo. We looked at the history of the A320/A321 last week and how the aircraft progressively were updated to take more passengers and fly longer sectors.
The series represents more than 50% of the revenue and margin for Airbus. With the latest development, the A321XLR, soon finished, what is next? We use our Airliner Performance and Cost Model (APCM) to look at base data and what changes are necessary to increase capacity and efficiency further.
A321XLR during cold weather testing in Canada. Source: Airbus.
Summary:
- The A321 is reaching its weight and capacity limits.
- There are ways to lift these limits, but the changes must not break its Airport gate classification.
The Small Airliner Problem, Part 10. Cash costs for a battery-based airliner
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By Bjorn Fehrm
July 6, 2023, © Leeham News: In our series on costs factors that make up Cash Operating Cost for a battery-based airliner with range extenders, we now add Crew costs and Airport/Airway fees.
We then have all the components of the Cash Operating Cost (COC) for the ES-30 and can compare it to a normal propulsion 30-seat turboprop.
Figure 1. The Heart Aerospace ES-30 hybrid 30-seat airliner. Source: Heart Aerospace.
Summary:
- The high operating weight and slow speed of a battery airliner increase the Airport/Airway fees and Crew costs for the ES-30.
- In summary, only one Cash cost remains competitive, and the COC total exceeds the cost of a 30-seater turboprop.
What’s the Green aviation news at Paris 2023?
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By Bjorn Fehrm
June 22, 2023, © Leeham News: Every announcement from aircraft deals, OEM updates, or supply chain news now has the words Sustainable/Sustainability injected in every second sentence. It doesn’t matter what the subject is; if it’s about a gas-guzzling way of transporting people at supersonic or even hypersonic speeds or at the other end in an eVTOL which is only as fast as your car on a US highway.
What is the real news about making our air transport system less polluting behind this misuse of the buzzwords? You have to search behind the headlines and the announcements that you know will not turn the dial. Let’s tour the Paris Air Show 2023 and look at the real developments in Sustainability.
Figure 1. First flight of Universal Hydrogen’s DH8-300 with a hydrogen propulsion system on the starboard side. Source: Universal Hydrogen.
Summary:
- The waves of Green propulsion solutions with inflated claims have calmed down.
- It’s replaced with operationally usable solutions that deliver tangible emission gains.
Kawasaki joins VoltAero to present a sensible hybrid aircraft
June 18, 2023, © Leeham News at Paris Air Show: VoltAero showed its Cassio 330 electric-hybrid test aircraft today at the Pairs Air Show, as it announced Kawasaki as the partner in realizing its rather different hybrid propulsion system.
We have analyzed hybrid aircraft concepts for eight years and have not found any that would live up to the claims of better fuel economy and lower emissions compared to the aircraft they shall replace. The root of the problem lies in batteries that weigh too much for the job.
The VoltAero Cassio family takes a different approach. It uses a small battery to produce a hybrid that utilizes the advantages of electric propulsion around the airport and the thermal engine for the rest of the flight. The strategy creates a sensible aircraft with operational advantages.
Figure 1. The VoltAero Cassio 330 prototype as shown at Le Bourget today. Source: VoltAero.
Bjorn’s Corner: New aircraft technologies. Part 9. Engine core advances
By Bjorn Fehrm.
April 21, 2023, ©. Leeham News: This is a summary of the article New aircraft technologies. Part 9P. Engine core advances. The article discusses how developments for the next-generation airliner engine cores will increase the thermal efficiency of next-generation engines.
Figure 1. The Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine with its compact core enabled by a geared high RPM design. Source; Pratt & Whitney.
Bjorn’s Corner: Sustainable Air Transport. Part 58. Summary Part 2.
By Bjorn Fehrm
February 17, 2023, ©. Leeham News: Last week, we summarized that SAF is the short-term solution for GreenHouse Gas (GHG) reduction for Air Transport, and hydrogen is the longer-term solution for up to medium-haul flights.
What about battery and hybrid aircraft? It’s the go-to solution for ground transport (except for long-haul trucks, which are going hydrogen, Figure 1)?
Figure 1. Mercedes hydrogen truck from the world’s largest truck maker. Source: Daimler trucks.
Airbus posts solid 2022 full-year results despite supply chain problems
By Bjorn Fehrm
February 16, 2022, © Leeham News: Airbus presented its results for 2022 today. The company announced net profits of €4.3bn on revenue of €58.8bn despite several disruptive events during 2022.
Disruptions like the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war and the supply chain ramp after COVID kept the delivery increase for 2022 at half the target of 110 jets, resulting in 661 deliveries instead of the originally guided 720.
Guidance for 2023 keeps the 720 airliner delivery target, an operating profit of €6bn, and a Free Cash Flow of €3bn.
Figure 1. Airbus results highlights. Source: Airbus.
Bjorn’s Corner: Sustainable Air Transport. Part 55. Sustainable Aviation Fuel feedstocks
By Bjorn Fehrm
January 27, 2023, ©. Leeham News: Last week, we learned the main pathways to Sustainable Aviation Fuel and their production volumes for the next years.
Now we look at the feedstocks, what output we get from these, and how to safeguard the pathway is ethical and sustainable. Finally, we look at the cost of SAF until 2050.
Figure 1. The main pathways to SAF. Source: Clean Skies for Tomorrow report. Click to enlarge.
Airbus and Boeing 2022 orders and deliveries
By Bjorn Fehrm
January 10, 2023, © Leeham News: Airbus and Boeing released their 2022 delivery and order data today. With a delivery of 661 airliners, Airbus is a 38% larger supplier than Boeing at 480 aircraft.
Airbus had a target of 700 deliveries but came short due to supplier constraints in a year of COVID recovery, raising energy prices due to the war in Ukraine and labor shortages. Boeing is not out of a tunnel caused by 737 Max crashes and 787 quality problems.
On the order side, Airbus booked 820 net orders versus Boeing’s 774. The Airbus backlog is 33% larger at 7,239 aircraft versus Boeing’s 5,430 jets.
Bjorn’s Corner: Sustainable Air Transport. Part 50. eVTOL production volumes.
By Bjorn Fehrm
December 16, 2022, ©. Leeham News: Last week, we looked at the production costs of our typical eVTOL. We could see that it was far higher than Joby’s assumption of $1.3m for the S4, about three times higher for units above 500 and even higher for earlier units.
Let’s examine where such cost numbers come from. It’s about production ramp hockey sticks and numbers never seen before. Are these credible?
Figure 1. The Vertical Aerospace VX4 in an early rendering with similar looks to the eVTOL we discuss. Source: Vertical Aerospace.