ANA orders 777's and 767's

On December 21st, All Nippon Airways (ANA) of Japan placed an order for five 777-200ER and five 767-300ER aircraft, with a total cost of $2 billion at list prices.  I believe these aircraft will serve as stopgaps for ANA's expansion plans until they can get their hands on their 787 Dreamliners, which are scheduled to be delivered to ANA (the launch customer for the Dreamliner) sometime in late 2010.

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It's official: C-17 and F/A-18 gets additional funding

On Monday, December 21st, President Barack Obama signed into law the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill (the House had provided its approval on December 17th, while the Senate had passed it with a vote of 88-10 on Saturday, December 19th).  The bill includes funding for an additional 10 C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft and 18 F/A-18 fighter aircraft, as well as provisions for the Pentagon to enter into a multi-year procurement program for future F/A-18 purchases.  Funding was also provided for some of Boeing's other defense programs, including the CH-47 Chinook, V-22 Osprey, EA-18G Growler, and P-8A Poseidon.  This news is especially important for the C-17 program, which faced an inevitable closure of the production line unless the Pentagon stepped in to purchase more than the 205 C-17's it has on order.  Below is a link for a C-17 advocacy web site, which urges people to write to their members of Congress as well as to sign a petition to help save the C-17 line.  Looks like their efforts paid off, and the C-17 lives again!

C-17 for America Website

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Boeing acquires Alenia's stake in Global Aeronautica

Today Boeing acquired Alenia North America's 50% stake of Global Aeronautica.  Having acquired the other 50% stake from Vought Aircraft Industries in 2008, Boeing now completely owns the South Carolina-based facility.  Another important move for Boeing's expansion of Dreamliner production in South Carolina; Global Aeronautica is a fuselage subassembly facility for the 787 Dreamliner, and sits right next to the Boeing Charleston site.

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2nd 787 Dreamliner takes to the skies

Now we have two 787 Dreamliners that have tasted the sky for 2009!  Today the 2nd 787 Dreamliner flight test aircraft took off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington around 9:09 AM PST.  Featuring the livery colors of launch customer All Nippon Airways (based in Japan), the aircraft completed a two-hour long flight before landing back at Paine Field.

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Ryanair abanons Boeing aircraft purchase

So this was probably the reason why the stock dropped about a dollar today.  Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost carrier, announced that they have abandoned plans to purchase up to 200 Boeing 737-800 aircraft for delivery from 2013 through 2016.  Although the two sides were able to come to an agreement on pricing, talks collapsed when an agreement couldn't be reached on unspecified "terms and conditions."  I'm really not too surprised by this since I had posted earlier about Ryanair's CEO Michael O'Leary having publicly threatened to abandon talks unless he got his way with Boeing.  But I guess Boeing refused to blink.  The money that Ryanair had allocated for this aircraft purchase will instead go back to investors.  Although it sucks to have lost a potential 200-plane order, there is still some potential for negotiations to resume between the two sides and that a deal can be reached.  Ryanair has made it no secret that it wants to continue expanding, which means at some point in the future it will need more additional aircraft.  Whether it buys again from Boeing, or goes elsewhere, remains to be seen.  This announcement does not affect an existing order of 112 737's that will be delivered over the next 3 years.

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House passes 2010 DOD spending bill; includes 10 C-17's

On Tuesday, December 16th, the House passed the Department of Defense's fiscal year 2010 spending bill, totaling $636.3 billion.  $2.5 billion of that amount will be used for purchasing 10 additional C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft.  This is welcome news for Boeing, since the Obama administration had explicitly stated that they did not want any more C-17's than the 205 aircraft already on order.  This is also great news for the C-17 plant in Long Beach, California, as well as the hundreds of C-17 suppliers scattered around the nation.  With the lifeline extended indefinitely, it could potentially buy the program more time to seek follow-on orders from foreign governments, most notably those who need a stopgap solution to their air-cargo capability as they wait for EADS' A400M airlifter to become fully operational.  The bill also includes $465 million for the highly-controversial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter second engine program, as well as $45 million to recoup R&D costs from the development of the also-controversial VH-71 Presidential helicopter program, but no money was included to purchase additional F-22 Raptor stealth fighters aside from the 187 already on order.

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787 Dreamliner first flight wrap-up

Unless you've been hiding in a cave for the past several days, then chances are you would have heard a sound byte or two about the Dreamliner's first flight.  I believe most major media news outlets (TV, radio, internet, newspaper) devoted resources to reporting on this truly historical event.  I'm a little bit disappointed that I wasn't able to witness the plane taking off.  So good job on Boeing for providing videos and pictures for the multitudes who couldn't be there.  In retrospect, it was likely more comfortable watching a streaming video in front of my computer than standing outside on the airfield in the cold Seattle weather.  Below is a recap of the flight:

* First flight occurred at Paine Field in Everett, Washington
* Estimated crowd of 12,000+ employees and guests
* Guests included former Boeing BCA CEO Scott Carson and former
  787 Program Lead Mike Bair
* Approximately 3 hour test flight (takeoff 10:27AM PST, landing
  1:33PM PST)
* Flight was cut short from 5 hours to 3 hours because of bad weather
* Test Pilots: 787 Chief Pilot Mike Carriker and Captain Randy Neville
* Revised flight path over the east end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
* Original flight path would have taken plane over the Cascade
  Mountains 
* ZA001 accompanied by two T-33 jet trainers
* Reached an altitude of 15,000 ft. and a speed of 207 mph
* ZA001 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines
* Six total flight test aircraft (two of which are powered by GE GEnx
  engines)
* Scheduled first delivery: 4th quarter of 2010

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787 Dreamliner ZA001 arrives safely at Paine Field

The aircraft safely landed on the wet and slick runway of Paine Field at 1:33PM PST today, capping off a successful first flight for this revolutionary aircraft.  As the plane touched down, it was greeted by cheering crowds of Boeing employees, suppliers, and customers, along with local and national news media.  The videos of both the takeoff and landing are available for viewing at the link below.  Now that they got this thing up and running, the next step now is to actually start turning a profit on the airplane.

Dreamliner Takeoff and Landing Videos

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UK to purchase 22 Chinooks and a C-17

In an effort to provide more airlift capability for its soldiers, Britain has agreed to purchase 22 Chinook heavy-lift transport helicopters and one C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft from Boeing.  This year alone, one hundred British soldiers performing operations in Afghanistan have been killed due to attacks by roadside bombs, and the British government has been blamed for not having provided enough helicopters to transport its soldiers; the helicopters would help negate the threat posed by these roadside bombs.  The British Royal Air Force expects to have the first of the new Chinooks in operation around 2013, bringing its total fleet to 70 Chinooks.  The addition of the C-17 order (expected to be delivered in December 2010) would bring its total fleet to seven C-17 aircraft.

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787 Dreamliner makes it first flight, finally!!

As I'm sure most of you have already heard by now, the 787 did indeed make its first flight today, taking off from Paine Field in Everett, WA at approximately 10:27AM PST.  The aircraft (ZA001), piloted by Captains Mike Carriker and Randy Neville, is expected to land back at Paine Field around 1PM PST.  A live webcast of the landing as well as the post-flight press conference will be streamed at the website link below.  Kinda weird that the stock price for Boeing actually dropped when the Dreamliner finally took off.  Maybe investors are still wary about the months leading up to first delivery to launch customer All Nippon Airlines.  But regardless of the mood of nervous investors, I'm sure Boeing is breathing a sigh of relief that they've finally managed to achieve this important milestone for the program.

787 Dreamliner First Flight Webcast

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787 set to fly on Dec. 15th

The moment is almost upon us!  Last Saturday, Boeing completed taxi testing on flight test aircraft ZA001.  Along with the completion of structural analysis, functional testing, a flight readiness review, and receipt of an experimental ticket from the FAA, the 787 Dreamliner is now on track for first flight tomorrow, December 15th, at approximately 10AM PST.  This is, of course, valid pending any adverse weather conditions, and the Weather Channel is indeed reporting 80-90% chance of rain tomorrow in the Seattle area.  So let's hope the sun is shining on Tuesday!

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Airbus A400M military airlifter takes to the skies

I had posted earlier about an Irish bookmaker taking bets on which aircraft would fly first: Airbus' A400M or Boeing's 787?  Well we now have an answer, and it looks like the folks across the Atlantic beat Boeing to the finish line.  After having run 3 years behind schedule and beset with financial late penalties and cost overruns, the Airbus A400M military airlifter finally made its maiden flight today in Seville, Spain.  Seven European countries (Germany, France, Spain, the U.K., Turkey, Belgium, and Luxembourg) as well as Malaysia and South Africa have all placed orders for the aircraft in order to meet each country's airlifting needs.  But even with all these orders, EADS says that the program itself will be unprofitable.  In fact, EADS is trying to persuade the partner nations to shoulder some of the financial burden.  And because the A400M won't actually be delivered for quite some time, the various Air Forces may have to find stopgap solutions for the time being.  This could mean potential new orders for other competing airlifters, such as Lockheed's C-130 and Boeing's C-17.

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Window for first flight of 787 begins on Dec. 15

So it's now official!  Boeing has confirmed that the much-anticipated first flight window of the 787 Dreamliner can take place as early as Dec. 15th.  They specify a "window" because of weather concerns at Paine Field in Seattle, where the flight-test will take place.  And weather is always a concern in the dreary and wet Seattle area.  A detailed flight test review also needs to take place, as well as paperwork that needs to be filed with the FAA, but these shouldn't be huge hurdles to overcome.  And if geographical or financial concerns are preventing you from being there personally to witness the first flight, then not to worry.  Boeing has decided to webcast this historic event, from takeoff to landing to the post-flight press briefing.  The webcast link is available below.  Once the exact date of first flight is confirmed, then the webcast will go live 24 hours prior to that date, so keep checking it daily.  The tentative time of wheels-up will be around 10am, with the actual flight-test occurring for about 5 hours.  The post-flight press conference will take place sometime before nightfall.

787 Live Webcast

787 completes static test analysis and gauntlet tests

On Wednesday, December 10th, Boeing completed the analysis of the side-of-body fix on the static test aircraft.  The results indicate that the fix did work and that the airplane structure, particularly the section where the wing attaches to the fuselage, has been validated and deemed ready for flight test.  Boeing also completed the final series of gauntlet testing on ZA001.  The next step now is for the plane to undergo final flight readiness reviews and taxi testing.

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787 final gauntlet testing begins

On Tuesday, Boeing began a series of final gauntlet tests on the 1st Dreamliner aircraft ZA001.  With only days leading up to first flight (which could come as early as next week), Boeing has been ramping up its ground, system and taxi tests.  What took almost two years to realize may finally come to fruition in just a matter of days.

Boeing to provide dual-sourcing for 787

In a move that could upset an already anxious Puget Sound workforce, Boeing has decided to set up a second 787 supply chain in Charleston, South Carolina, which is also the home of the second 787 production line.  This means that even some of the more complicated components of the Dreamliner, such as the vertical tail-in (currently manufactured in a state-of-the-art composites-manufacturing center in Frederickson, Washington), will also be manufactured in Charleston.  According to Boeing brass, this would allow the Charleston production line to operate independently and without interruption in the event that another Union strike affects the Puget Sound area.  Boeing has insisted that they are not replacing any work in Puget Sound, but rather than they are simply adding additional sourcing options.  But for the IAM, this is just more evidence of the writing of the wall that all Boeing production work will inevitably head down South to Charleston.

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United Airlines to purchase 787's

Very good news for the 787 order books.  United Airlines, the No. 3 U.S. airline by traffic, has announced that it plans to purchase 25 787-8's, worth around $4 billion at list prices.  United will join domestic rivals Delta, American Airlines, and Continental as operators of the 787 Dreamliner.  But United didn't solely choose Boeing to help replace its twin-aisle fleet of 767-300's and 747-400's.  The airline also announced that it will purchase 25 of Airbus' new A350, which is a direct competitor to the 787.  The price of that contract is roughly around $6 billion.  Not really sure how United plans to pay for these new aircraft, what with United having emerged from bankruptcy-court reorganization in 2006 and continually reducing its capacity in the face of sky-rocketing oil prices and the global recession.  No word yet on whether Boeing and/or Airbus has agreed to provide financing.  On another note, this is a pretty shrewd move by UAL to split the order between the two companies, since it would force the two manufacturers to be more competitive for future UAL orders.  In fact, the airline has secured purchase options for 50 of each aircraft.  So this could be just the beginning of United's future order scenarios.  Others have also speculated that by having both new aircraft types in its fleet, it would make United more palatable to any potential merger.  However way you interpret it, this is still great news for Boeing.

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UAE wants to spend $3.2 billion on Chinook

The United Arab Emirates is interested in spending as much as $3.2 billion on the acquisition of 30 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift transport helicopters and associated equipment and logistics support.   This would not only help to increase the UAE's airlift capability in the region, but would also support U.S. and NATO airlift requirements for the war in Afghanistan.  Although the UAE is a NATO ally, Congress would still have to approve the sale before a contract can be negotiated.

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Copa Airlines orders two 737-800's

Last week, Copa Airlines (Panama's flagship airline) placed an order for two additional 737-800 Next Generation aircraft, bringing their total orders to 15 for this year.  Currently Copa flies a mix of 737-700's and -800's in its fleet.

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3rd WGS satellite begins transmitting data

WGS-3, the 3rd of 6 satellites total that comprise the DOD's latest satellite communications system, has begun transmitting signals to ground stations on Earth, indicating that the satellite is functioning and ready for operation.  The satellite was launched on December 5, 2009 on-board a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket.  WGS-3, which will be placed into geosynchronous orbit over the Atlantic Ocean, will join its sister satellites WGS-1 (operating over the Pacific Ocean) and WGS-2 (operating over the Middle East).  Built on the Boeing 702 satellite platform, WGS provides secure high-data-rate communications for the U.S. military.  The remaining 3 satellites will be launched in 2011 and 2013.

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Korean Air places order for 747-8's

Korean Air has agreed to purchase from Boeing five 747-8 Intercontinental aircraft.  It is the first airline to order both the passenger (-8I) and freighter (-8F) versions of the aircraft (it has seven 747-8 Freighters currently on order), and the first Asian airline to operate the -8I.  It is also the 2nd major airline to place an order for the -8I (Lufthansa was the first).  This will help to dispel any doubts that the 747-8 is an antiquated airframe and that no preeminent airline will want to fly it.  In fact, this vote of confidence from Korean Air may help open the path for future orders from other hesitant airlines.  The contract is worth about $1.5 billion, and the planes are scheduled for delivery beginning in April 2013 thru May 2015.

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First flight for 787 could come as early as Dec.14

Now here's a first: the 787 Dreamliner is actually AHEAD of schedule!  Company officials are advancing their gauntlet testing on the flight test aircraft (ZA001), which could result in wheels up as early as Dec. 14th.  If nothing huge comes up during this final battery of ground and system tests, and if the weather remains relatively clear around Paine Field...  Still a lot of if's to deal with.

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Northrop pulling out of tanker competition?

In a highly risky maneuver, Northrop has informed the Pentagon that it will drop out of the $35 billion Air Force refueling tanker competition unless the draft request for proposals is changed significantly.  In Northrop's opinion, the guidelines for the competition are constructed in such a way that it would favor the smaller and less expensive Boeing 767 Tanker proposal.  Although Northrop's entry, based on an Airbus A330 airframe, would cost more per aircraft, its bigger size would translate into additional fuel and cargo capacity.  Final bids are still not due until January 2010.  The Pentagon's response is that they will not make any changes to their request for proposals (at least for right now anyways).  Furthermore, although it would be ideal to have two competitors vying for the contract, they can't force Northrop to bid.  If Northrop indeed follows through with opting out, that means that Boeing would most likely be awarded the contract.  Although it looks like the Pentagon is holding firm, the political winds may be strong enough to force them to change the requirements.  Time will tell if Northrop's "posturing" move works or not.

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DIRECTV 12 satellite ready to launch in December

On Nov. 25, Boeing shipped the DIRECTV 12 satellite to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch facility in Kazakhstan.  There, it will be prepped and loaded onto a Proton/Breeze M rocket for a launch sometime in December.  This is the 11th satellite that Boeing has built for the popular satellite TV company.  Once operational, DIRECTV 12 will increase DIRECTV's HD programming by 50%.  So for those of you still looking for a reason to switch from cable (3 words: NFL Sunday Ticket), how about an extra 1500 channels of high-definition programming, perfect for showing off your brand new LED 52" TV to your friends.

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Side-of-body fix verified on 787 static test airplane

Well, this is it.  We have officially reached December, the proposed month in which the 787 Dreamliner will take to the sky for the first time.  As such, Boeing took one step closer to achieving that goal; the company announced that they had completed validation of the side-of-body fix on the static test airframe, which is required before they can proceed with full flight testing.  During the test, the wings and trailing edges were subjected to the highest limit loads (about 2.5G) that the aircraft is expected to encounter during flight.  They still need to analyze all the test results, which Boeing says will take about 10 days to complete.  In the meantime, the company has rolled out A/C 1 to the fuel dock on Paine Field.  There, the aircraft will be fueled and then subjected to engine run-ups and system tests.  If that goes well, then they can proceed with taxi tests.  And if that goes well, then the expected first flight of Dec. 22 could very well be attainable.

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U.S. Navy orders additional C-40A

Last week, the U.S. Navy placed an additional order for Boeing's C-40A aircraft (valued at around $64.6 million), bringing the Navy's total C-40 fleet to 12 planes.  They currently have nine in operation, with two aircraft to be delivered in 2010 and 2011.  This 12th plane will be delivered sometime around fall 2011.  The C-40A is a modified 737-700 Next Gen aircraft, and will be used by the Navy to carry both passengers and cargo.

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EA-18G Growler approved for full-rate production

Another milestone was achived for the Navy's newest Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) aircraft.  The DOD approved Boeing's EA-18G Growler for full-rate production to about 20 aircraft per year; the total amount is 44 Growlers, valued at $386 million.  The EA-18G, which is based on the vaunted F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet, will replace the Navy's current AEA platform, the EA-6B Prowler, developed by the Grumman Corporation in the 1970's.  The Growler will be the only type of aircraft capable of full-spectrum electronic attack, from disrupting enemy communications to jamming potential surface-to-air threats.  And unlike the old Prowler, the Growler will be able to capably defend itself with its nine available weapon stations, which means that it can use the same weapons that the Super Hornet uses.

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Dubai debt crisis may endanger aircraft orders?

In recent years Dubai had been throwing money around left and right.  From seven-star luxurious hotels to man-made islands shaped like palm trees to an indoor ski-resort, it looked as if Dubai had an unlimited source of wealth.  But it was inevitable that the global economic crisis would affect Dubai's lavish spending.  Essentially the country has an excess of real estate that no one wants (or at least, can't afford at the moment).  As a result, Dubai's investment arm, Dubai World, is now $59 billion in debt.  All this spells trouble for government-controlled carrier Emirates, which also got infected by the spending bug.  It has about $30 billion in aircraft orders for Airbus planes (including 53 A380's) and about $4 billion on Boeing 777's.  In addition, the aircraft leasing firm DAE Capital has $12.6 billion and $16 billion of outstanding orders for Airbus and Boeing planes, respectively.  So the big question is: will Emirates and DAE Capital still be able to purchase all these aircraft it has on order?  Will it have to defer payments and/or deliveries, or worse, outright cancel some orders?

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U.S. Air Force awards $23 million contract for B-1

Today the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a $23 million follow-on contract (Phase II) for the B-1 Laptop Controlled Targeting Pod Software upgrade.  Phase I was completed in April of this year.  The upgrade (with its unique system of interchangeable "sniper" pods controlled by laptops) will allow this cold-war relic to more accurately track and identify both stationary and moving targets.  In fact, for stationary targets, the pod will automatically relay their GPS coordinates to the B-1's weapons systems, thereby eliminating the need to manually input the coordinates.  Lord knows what could result if the weapons officer was off by one degree.

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Turkey Break

Yah, sorry for not having updated anything recently.  I was on vacation all of last week, most of it spent attempting to ingest all 16 lbs. of my family's turkey (with a little room for some pumpkin pie of course).  But I'm back now!  Hopefully all that tryptophan won't make me too lethargic as I write this... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ryanair issues ultimatum to Boeing

Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary took a hard line against Boeing with regards to a potential follow-on order (around 200 737 aircraft for delivery beginning 2013-2016).  Here's the bottom line: if a deal can't be reached by the end of November, then Ryanair will terminate it's long-running relationship with Boeing.  Ryanair is known for its cutthroat tactics: after 9/11 and the subsequent rapid decline of the aviation industry, Ryanair was able to wring out huge concessions from a desperate Boeing for 737-800 purchases.  Normally when it comes to bullies like O'Leary, I would have personally introduced him to both my fists and told him to go 'eff himself, but that's not how it works in the business world.  If Ryanair ultimately decides to go elsewhere, then they would need to make large investments in re-training and certifying their pilots and mechanics to fly and maintain a new type of aircraft; currently Ryanair only flies 737-800's.  And from Boeing's perspective, how much business sense does it make to sell aircraft for far far less than the cost of making them?  Is it more important to rack up quick sales numbers with little to no profit, or wait patiently to turn a decent profit from those sales?  I'm not an economics major, but it'll be interesting to see if Boeing caves in to Ryanair's demands, or stands firm.

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Will this be the last time Ryanair flies a 737?

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Boeing breaks ground on Charleston 787 Assembly Line

At Charleston International Airport, the first shovel struck the ground as Boeing held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the construction of the new 2nd 787 production assembly line. Governor Mark Sanford, Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Jim Demint, and a handful of state and local government representatives were on hand for the event.  Once complete, the new $750 million Boeing plant will employ around 5,000 workers, and will go about producing 3 Dreamliners a month when it is fully operational.  The main 787 assembly line, based in Everett, Washington, will produce 7 Dreamliners a month.  This marks yet another important milestone in the Dreamliner saga as Boeing goes about fulfilling the 840 orders for the new revolutionary aircraft.  It'll be interesting to see if Charleston can develop on time the experienced workforce required to construct such a technologically complex aircraft.  I'm sure the entire Puget Sound region (most notably the folks at the Everett facility who felt snubbed that they did not win the 2nd 787 line) will be keeping a close and watchful eye on their new Boeing cousins in the South.

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Below is a news link from the Chareston-based Post and Courier newspaper which gives South Carolina's perspective on the new Boeing facility:

Charleston

And below is a link from an editorial in the Seattle Times from Rick Bender, president of the Washington State Labor Council.  Let's just say that he has a different take on the matter:

Seattle

Boeing backers want $5 million duty per EADS tanker

Representative Norm Dicks (D-Wash), a member of the House of Representatives Defense Appropriations subcommittee and a staunch Boeing defender, called for the Pentagon to charge an additional $5 million per aircraft to EADS/Northrop Grumman's KC-X tanker bid.  This is in response to a well-publicized claim by Boeing lawyers (and is now an open case with the World Trade Organization) that EADS has received about $5 billion in so-called "launch aid" to help develop their A-330 line of aircraft, which would be the platform for the EADS/NG tanker.  The $5 million duty would help neutralize the advantages gained from that launch aid.  Currently the Air Force's Draft Request for Proposal for the KC-X program contains no provision regarding the current WTO rulings, and the DOD's position remains clear that the subsidies dispute between the two aircraft makers has no place in the procurement of U.S. defense systems.

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Dreamliner set for first flight around Dec. 22

Per the Dow Jones newswires, an unidentified source has stated that the Dreamliner will make its inaugural first flight around Dec. 22 of this year.  If it does happen, that would make a nice little x-mas present for Boeing.

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C-17's to Indian Air Force???

The Indian government is in negotiations with Boeing to purchase 10 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.  This would be welcome news to the C-17 program and the dedicated workers at the Long Beach, California plant where the C-17 is assembled, not to mention the hundreds of suppliers scattered about the country that produce parts for the C-17.  With the number of unfulfilled orders dwindling by the month, the program needs more orders to stay alive.  Congress is trying to appropriate funds for up to an additional 10 C-17's, but the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense have repeatedly stated that they don't require any more C-17's beyond what it already has on order, so it'll be a tough battle to get funds for those additional aircraft.  International orders have to take up the slack, so all the more reason why this deal with India could potentially save the C-17 line.

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Boeing delivers 777-300ER & relief supplies to PAL

Not only did the bigwigs at Philippine Airlines (PAL) receive their first Boeing 777-300ER (leased via GE Capital Aviation Services), but stored within the cargo hold were about 18,000 lbs. of food and medical supplies to help support Filipino citizens who were affected by Typhoon Ketsana.  Boeing partnered with 3 different organizations to help pull-off this humanitarian effort.  The Philippines (my hometown, by the way) have just been battered by massive flooding and property damage, so hopefully this cache of relief supplies will provide some much needed help and comfort.  Much love to those folks who contributed to this effort.

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Boeing Laser programs score multiple hits

Boeing's Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Intergrated eXperiments (or MATRIX, don't ya just love acronyms) had a successful demonstration for the U.S. Air Force when it tracked and downed 5 UAV's at various ranges using a single laser beam.  And another of Boeing's laser-themed programs, the Laser Avenger, was also successful in knocking out a UAV.  As UAV's become more prevalent on future battlefields, it's vital that we have a reliable defensive mechanism to counteract this new type of threat.  Don't ya remember season six of 24, when the terrorists launched a dirty bomb into San Francisco using a UAV?  Thank goodness for Jack Bauer!

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Placing bets on which will fly first: 787 or A400M?

Is there nothing in this world that you can't place a bet on?  Remember when Vegas had odds on who killed Mr. Burns from the Simpsons?  Personally my money was on Mr. Smithers, because there was no way I was putting money on Maggie the freakin' infant!  Anyhoos, Dublin-based bookmaker Paddy Power has odds on which aircraft will reach the air first: the 787 Dreamliner (1-2 odds) or EADS' A400M military transport (6-4 odds).  Both have scheduled maiden flights of early December, and both have been beset by countless delays, with the Dreamliner running about 2 years late and the A400M an incredible 4 years behind schedule.

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In the red corner, it stands 48 ft. tall, is 148 ft., long, has a wingspan of 139 ft., and an overall max takeoff weight of 310,852 lbs.  Flying out of the continent of Europe, the A400M!

Photo Credit / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

And in the blue corner, it stands 56 ft. tall, is 186 ft. long, has a wingspan of 197 ft., and an overall max takeoff weight of 484,000 lbs.  Flying out of Everett, Washington, the 787-8 Dreamliner!

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747-8 Freighter Leaves Paint Hangar with New Livery

The new 747-8 Freighter came out of the paint hangar in Everett, Washington with a special livery.  Check out the news link below for a photo.  You'll clearly notice the oversized number 8 on the background of the tail, although you won't be able to see the numbers "747-8" painted on the underbelly.  This "light" livery will remain on this test aircraft until the flight test program is completed, which is scheduled to begin in early 2010.

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The following link has a great close-up photo of the tail section with the new paint scheme.

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U.S. Appeals Court Lifts Ban on KC-135 Maintenance Work

Boeing now has authority to begin programmed depot maintenance work on the U.S. Air Force's aging fleet of KC-135 Tankers after a U.S. Federal Appeals Court overturned a lower court's ruling that prevented the work.  The lower court made the ruling on behalf of Alabama Aircraft Industries, which had protested the $1.1 billion contract award last year.  All the more important since these KC-135's are more than 50 years old, and they require a lot of structural and preventative maintenance to keep these flying gas-stations in the air.  And with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention the fact that the new Air Force Tanker-Replacement Program for the KC-135 fleet is still undecided, it is vitally important that Boeing get to work on keeping these planes safe and airworthy for our warfighters.

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Below is a copy of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's ruling on the matter:

Court Ruling

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Air Algerie places an order for seven 737-800's

More orders for Boeing at the 2009 Dubai Airshow.  Air Algerie has placed an order for 7 Next-Generation 737-800's, bringing their total Next-Gen fleet to 22 aircraft.  Their order also includes the Blended Winglet option, which will help to reduce fuel burn by about 4%.  Air Algerie is based (take a wild guess) in Algiers, the capital of Algeria.  Appropriate name for the airline, right?

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Photo Credit / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Tassili Airlines purchases four 737-800's at Dubai Airshow

On the 2nd day of the 2009 Dubai Airshow, Algeria-based Tassili Airlines placed an order for 4 Next-Generation 737-800's.

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Side-of-Body Installations complete on three 787 test A/C

Boeing just completed the side-of-body fix on the 2nd flight test aircraft and the static test aircraft.  The fix for the 1st flight test aircraft was completed last week.  There are still an additional 3 test aircraft that will have the fix installed.  This is absolutely great news for the company, and gives more confirmation that the program is on track for first flight by the end of the year.  The fix came about when static testing (performed in May 2009) found that there was unexpected stress in the key junction where the wing meets the fuselage.  Because of this, Boeing was forced to delay first flight for a 5th time.  Click below for the news link.

News Link

Photo Credit / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

What the eff is the Dreamliner all about?

Oh yah, for any of you that DON'T know what exactly the Dreamliner is, Boeing has a website about it.  Check out the pretty videos!

http://www.newairplane.com/787/innovativefeatures/

First post!

What's up world! Pretty excited about setting up this blog, which will highlight all the amazing products and ideas that come out from the Boeing company.  Most of the focus right now will be on their new vaunted aircraft, the 787 "Dreamliner."  If you haven't already heard, it's Boeing's newest aircraft since the 777 and it's chock full of innovative new technologies; the first fully-designed commercial aircraft constructed out of lightweight composites instead of traditional aluminum.  New engines from GE and Rolls-Royce, along with the unique characteristics of composites means less fuel burn, and with oil prices reaching triple digits per barrel, that means huge savings for the airlines, and ultimately, for the airline traveler.  But the Dreamliner has gone through some, shall we say, hiccups.  Well, more like straight-up coughing fits.  Two years behind schedule (first flight has been delayed 5 times) doesn't bode well for ornary investors, and Boeing has lost a lot of credibility because of it.  But Boeing is hoping to silence the nay-sayers and doubters.  As of now, first flight is scheduled by the end of the year.  I'll keep you guys updated with reports from the various news services and aerospace blogs.  But count on one thing: the Dreamliner will be a game changer in aviation!