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 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
- How good is the C929? April 14, 2025
Odds and Ends: A380 & other Airbus tidbits; “SC-787-1” to be airborne soon
A380 & other Airbus tidbits: Aviation Week has this article about the latest on A380 wing cracks in the L brackets, along with some information on the A350 program, A330 production rates, a comment on the price war… Read More
Odds and Ends: 777-9X will create new class of airplane
Boeing 777X: The 777-8X, said to be a replacement for the 777-200, is really sized closer to the 777-300 and the 777-9X is a new class of airplane. See this story for details. A330neo: It’s a story that… Read More
Odds and Ends: 737 MAX development cost; another range boost for A330
737 MAX: We did this story last week on the development cost of the Boeing 737 MAX. A330: Airbus is going to boost the range of the A330 to make it more closely match that of the Boeing… Read More
Understanding appraisers in aircraft values
There has been an active discussion in the comment section on the “Rate 35” post and the relative merits of appraisals and appraisers with respect to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737NG. We’ve been involved in the airline… Read More
Flight recorders narrow cause of AF447
Recovery of the flight recorders from Air France 447, an Airbus A330-200 that crashed into the Atlantic two years ago, appears to have quickly identified the events that led to the crash–and contrary to all those who claimed… Read More
Christmas Day bombing attempt
BBC sponsored a bombing test on a retired Boeing 747 to see if the Northwest Airlines Airbus A330 would have survived the Christmas Day bombing attempt. The results are surprising and may be seen here. The aluminum fuselage… Read More
No KC-30 means no A330 plant in Mobile
Airbus has said it before but it is worth reminding people that if Northrop Grumman follows through on its statement that it will not bid the KC-30 in the KC-X competition unless significant changes are made to the… Read More
First report on AF447
This BBC story is a good one on the first French analysis of the crash of Air France 447. Most surprising is that the investigators believe the A330-200 was intact when it hit the water in what sounds… Read More
Deja vu all over again
The third in series of articles from the EADS media day and the Paris Air Show…. Your competitor has designed a new airplane that promises to be 20% more efficient than yours. You are involved in a costly… Read More