Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Bjorn’s Corner: Air Transport’s route to 2050. Part 21. May 9, 2025
- Does an A220-500 need a new wing and engines? Part 2. May 8, 2025
- Embraer downplays tariff impact on 2025 results May 6, 2025
- JetZero readies effort for private equity fund raising May 5, 2025
- Bjorn’s Corner: Air Transport’s route to 2050. Part 20. May 2, 2025
US appeals WTO ruling over prohibited subsidies
Dec. 16, 2016: The US filed a notice of appeal today of the WTO ruling that Washington State tax breaks granted to entice Boeing to locate a wing plant for the 777X and assemble the airplane at Everett ((WA) was a prohibited subsidy.
The move was expected.
At issue were $8.7bn in tax breaks.
Bjorn’s Corner; Turbofan engine challenges, Part 7
By Bjorn Fehrm
December 16, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: After the turbine comes the engine’s exhaust system. This is where the thrust characteristics of the engine are formed. It is also the environment that defines the back pressure for the fan and turbines. It’s therefore more high-tech than one thinks.
For the very high bypass airliner engines of tomorrow, the common fixed bypass exhaust of today (Station 18 in Figure 1) will not be acceptable. Variable exhaust areas will have to be introduced.
Figure 1. GasTurb principal representation of a three shaft turbofan like our reference Rolls-Royce Trent XWB. Source: GasTurb.
On engines that function in high supersonic speed, it gets really complex. Not only is the exhaust area variable, it must have a dual variation exhaust, a so-called Con-Di nozzle.
The Boom SST engine problem, Part 4
By Bjorn Fehrm
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Introduction
December 15, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: In our article series around the engine for a Boom SST, we established the thrust requirements for the engines in Part 3.
To fulfill these requirements, we have now designed four different engines. Three are of the type that Boom says it is considering, an engine that is based on an existing core.
Figure 1. Boom Technologies Boom Mach 2.2 45 seat airliner. Source: Boom.
We based these around a military core with the right characteristics for a low-to-medium bypass SST engine. The fourth engine is a custom-designed straight turbojet, very similar to the engine that propelled the only operational SST, the Concorde.
We will use the reference turbojet to understand the difference to a turbofan in this application and why the selection of an engine for a SST follows different rules than for a normal airliner.
Summary:
- Supersonic flight requires engines with low frontal areas and low mass flows.
- Should the engine be designed as for a normal airliner, the inlet drag would be prohibitive.
- The engine also must have a low pressure ratio core; otherwise the energy of the fuel is wasted on non-productive work.
Boeing cuts 777 production rate again
Dec. 13, 2016: Boeing yesterday announced another production rate cut for the 777 Classic, effective next August.
Boeing 777 production rates will decline to 5/mo in August 2017. The delivery rate will fall to 3.5/mo. Photo via Google images.
The rate goes to 5/mo. Because of the transition to the 777X, the actual delivery rate will be 3.5/mo.
Leeham Co. was the first in March 2014 to identify a major production gap and predict rates would have to come down significantly from the then-current 8.3/mo. Aerospace analysts on Wall Street began recognizing the gap shortly after.
Boeing faces prospect of China’s political wrath thanks to Trump
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Introduction
Dec. 12, 2016, © Leeham Co.: “China Inc.,” the combined group of airlines and lessors directed or controlled by the government, is Boeing’s largest customer, an
China is Boeing largest single customer. Campaign rhetoric of Donald Trump could prompt the Chinese government to retaliate against Boeing, favoring Airbus for orders instead. Rendering via Google images.
analysis of the company’s’ backlog at Dec. 5 shows.
Boeing’s website lists “China” with 292 orders in backlog. Fifty of these appear to by Unidentified orders. LNC arrived at this figure by viewing the Chinese customers in Boeing’s identified list, which amounts to 242 orders. Some believe the number of Unidentifieds attributable to China may be higher.
The data shows just how much Boeing has at risk with the so-far unpredictable foreign trade policy espoused by President-Elect Donald J. Trump.
Summary
- Boeing’s long history of supplying airliners to China began with President Nixon’s historic trip.
- China was a reliable customer through global economic downturns.
- But China doesn’t hesitate to use Boeing (or Airbus) as a pawn in geopolitical politics.
- Airbus now at parity in China airplane sales.
- Can Jim McNerney educate Trump?
Pontifications: More job cuts coming at Airbus, Boeing
By Scott Hamilton
Dec. 12, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Airbus and Boeing continue to cut costs with internal reorganizations.
These are needed efforts. And they trickle down to the supply chain.
The new CEO at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Kevin McAllister, is expected to ratchet up the cost-cutting at BCA, in part because he comes from the cost-cutting environment of GE Aviation.
He’s got a lot of work to do.
It takes Airbus Commercial about 85 employees to produce one airplane. It takes Boeing about 107.
Iran, Boeing reach agreement on big aircraft order; Trump casts cloud
No 747s are included in the final deal between Boeing and Iran. The original announcement included four 747-8s to replace aging 747s. Photo via Google images.
Dec. 11, 2016: Iran and Boeing reached an agreement on the 80-airplane order that includes 50 737 MAX 8s, 15 777-300ERs and 15 777-9s.
The final contract still has unspecified contingencies before it can be booked as firm orders, Boeing said. One of those contingencies is clearly President-Elect Donald Trump, who criticized the larger Iran-US-allies deal of which the Boeing order is a part.
Airbus has 116 orders pending that could also be upended if Trump, upon taking office, vitiates the deal.
Boeing’s mix of aircraft changed slightly from the original news in June. The original mix included 40 737 MAXes and six 737NGs. Also included then were four 747-8s.
Comparing A350s, 787s and A380s
Editor’s note: We don’t typically do “trip reports;” this isn’t the scope of LNC. But occasionally one crosses our desk that we find of interest. One of our readers, William Bain, provided the following to us and we thought it interesting to share.
By William Bain
Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 business class. Photo by William Bain.
I flew Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350 service from Singapore to Amsterdam. The outbound flight was operated by 9V SMD and the inbound flight by 9V SME. I was seated in the premium economy cabin.
By way of starting, I think people spend too much time say this or that model is better, as such, than that model. There’s been a fair bit of that in relation to the A350 and Boeing 787. But in my view much, if not most, of the comfort factor is down to the configuration used by specific airlines. For example, I was underwhelmed by the Qatar Airways 787 but very much liked the ANA 787.
Bjorn’s Corner; Turbofan engine challenges; Part 6
By Bjorn Fehrm
December 08, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: We have now come to the turbine in our trip through a modern turbofan. The turbines make up the rear of the engine, before the propelling nozzle.
The turbines are the workhorses in the engine. They take the energy released by the fuel in the combustion chamber and convert it to shaft hp to drive the fan or compressors.
Figure 1. GasTurb principal representation of a three-shaft turbofan like our reference Rolls-Royce Trent XWB. Source: GasTurb.
The hotter they can operate, the better. They can then generate more hp on a smaller size turbine. The temperature of the gas entering the high pressure compressor is one of the key parameters of a gas turbine. It dictates the power efficiency of the core and how much work it can perform to drive the fan and the compressors. Read more
Top 10 Leeham News stories of 2016
Dec. 15, 2016, © Leeham Co.: The story about a Boeing official who asserted that the Airbus widebody strategy is a “mess” proved to be LNC’s most read story of 2016.
Our second most-read story is why the 787-8 is no longer favored by Boeing.
We list our Top 10 posts each year as we head for a wrap. LNC plans to finish 2016 on Dec. 23, returning Jan. 3, unless there is major, breaking news.
Here are the Top 10 LNC posts in 2016:
Read more
27 Comments
Posted on December 15, 2016 by Scott Hamilton
Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Leeham News and Comment, MOM
737-7, 747, 777-10, 777X, 787, A320, A350-1000, A350-2000, A350-800, A350-900, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, CS300, Dennis Muilenburg, Jim McNerney, Kevin McAllister, Leeham News, Middle of the Market