October 30, 2009

Boeing’s Optimism Belied 747-8 Problems

By Gregory Polek

Boeing Commercial Airplanes faced some familiar scrutiny over the fidelity of its program timelines again this month, when, no more than six weeks after 747-8 program head Mo Yahyavi portrayed the project as a virtual model of efficiency during an interview with AIN, the company announced that it would take a more

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Airbus Spools Up A380 Production

By Ian Goold

It might seem only months since Airbus launched the mighty A380-800, but the double-deck, quad-aisle superjumbo marked the second anniversary of its first commercial flight on October 25 and will soon have entered service with five airlines on many of the world’s most important routes. Indeed, many industry delegates attending November’s Dubai Air Show will travel from Asia, Australasia, Europ more

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MJet’s Wing Decision Raises More Questions about Composites

By Gregory Polek

Resorting to worn-out business-speak to describe the merits of any new aircraft program has become customary, but Trans States Holdings president Rick Leach’s description of the Mitsubishi MRJ as a “game-changing regional jet” might actually apply this time. After all, Mitsubishi has changed its own game plan rather late in the development process by deciding to forego composite wing boxes i more

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Boeing Uses Delays to Fine-tune 787 Maintenance Plan

By Gregory Polek

While no one at Boeing would dare admit to any level of satisfaction with six separate delays to first flight of the 787, silver linings do exist behind the cloud that has hung over the program for the better part of two and a half years. Take, for example, the airplane’s maintenance schedules. Afforded extr more

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Talk of Narrowbody Re-engine Prospects Intensifies

By Gregory Polek

Now that Boeing and Airbus have made clear their lack of interest in introducing all-new narrowbody models before 2020, talk of any response by the industry’s two biggest players to demand addressed by platforms such as Comac’s new C919 has begun to center on interim measures. Most notably, the pro more

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