Pontifications: Which airplanes are revolutionary or evolutionary?

Feb. 18, 2019, © Leeham News: Last week’s column about the revolutionary Boeing 747 prompted some Twitter interaction asking what other commercial airplanes might be considered “revolutionary.” I have my views. Let’s ask readers. There are also three… Read More

Pontifications: The 747 revolutionized air travel

Feb. 11, 2019, © Leeham News: Few airplanes truly can be called revolutionary. Most are evolutionary. The Boeing 747 was one of those that falls into the former category. Just as the Boeing 707 revolutionized air travel, so… Read More

Bjorn’s Corner: Pitch stability, Part 4

By Bjorn Fehrm December 14, 2018, ©.Leeham News: Last week we introduced a horizontal stabilizer to make our DC-9 like aircraft stable in pitch. We got a pitch moment curve which was forcing the nose down of the… Read More

Embraer gears up for E2 delivery; a look at the 100-150 seat sector demand

March 31, 2018 © Leeham News: The first Embraer E2 jet will be delivered April 4, to Norway’s Wideroe Airlines. The E190-E2 seats 114 passengers in one-class, 29-inch pitch and 106 at 31-inch pitch, putting it at the… Read More

Top Airbus officials scoffed at Leahy’s 50% market share goal

John Leahy, the chief operating officer-customers for Airbus, will retire in January after 33 years with the company. LNC’s editor, Scott Hamilton, has known Leahy for most of this time. This is the second of a series of… Read More

Pontifications: Revisionist history

Sept. 25, 2017, © Leeham Co.: The US Department of Commerce today is scheduled to release its decision on whether to impose tariffs on each Bombardier CS100 delivered to Delta Air Lines, starting this year. (The public announcement… Read More

Minuscule demand for Boeing 747-8F

See Scott Hamilton’s new column for Forbes on-line, It’s time for hard questions for Boeing. Subscription Required Introduction One of Boeing’s white tail 747-8Fs. This, and another that has been stored, was painted in the livery of the… Read More

World’s dud airliners: a poll of your choices

Dec. 29, 2014: Now’s your chance to vote on what you think are the world’s dud airliners. Here are the parameters: Post World War II. A commercial airliner that entered service–not a prototype or a concept or a… Read More

Odds and Ends: Gooney Bird; UAV helicopter

Gooney Bird: Britain’s The Economist has an interesting look back at The Gooney Bird, one of the affectionate names of the Douglas DC-3. Any aviation enthusiast knows the DC-3 has a unique place in history, a description that… Read More

OEMs are ramping up services as profit centers

Original Equipment Manufacturers are ramping up their focus on services to increase these as profit centers for company financial performance. The news April 10 that Boeing will relocate its Commercial Aviation Services unit from Seattle to its fading… Read More