Also in Dreamliner news, on April 27th the first B787 from the secondary production line in Charleston, South Carolina was rolled out. The principal production line is in Everett, WA, but to meet production goals Boeing needs multiple lines. The current plan is to increase production to ten units per month, with seven coming from WA and three from SC.

The Robert J. Collier Trophy is awarded annually “for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year.” The list of Collier winners represents a timeline of aviation, as many of the awardees mark major events in the history of flight.

Boeing has released two videos in celebration of the award. The first video examines the B787′s journey to winning the trophy. The second video is a look back at Boeing’s rich history of Collier Trophy awards, both within Boeing itself and in the ‘legacy companies’ they’ve acquired, such as McDonnell Douglas.

Most passengers are never aware of it, but on those long international flights the crew needs somewhere to rest. They certainly can’t get much rest in their jump seats since they don’t even recline. The traditional approach was to have a crew rest area in the lower fuselage, on the same level as the baggage hold, below the passenger cabin. But that cuts down on cargo space, which is important for airlines as it is a significant source of revenue. So a more clever approach was developed. Consider the shape of the fuselage as seen from the outside, now think of the cabin interior. The ceiling isn’t a high arc, is it? Right.

There is a lot of space between the passenger cabin ceiling and the outer skin of the fuselage. Traditionally this has been used for air conditioning ducts, cable runs, etc. But it was largely wasted space. Boeing re-arranged the ducts, cables, etc., and make room for a small area for the crew to get some sleep. In the B747 there is a crew rest area in the aft fuselage above the passenger cabin. Later models of the B777 offer an overhead crew rest area at the front, above the first class cabin. And the B787 offers this feature as well. It’s just something I think is neat.

They also released a video highlighting how quiet, relatively, the B787 is compared to legacy airliners in the same class:

Next up is the same type, the B747-8F, undergoing a flight loads survey. This involves flying the aircraft through aggressive maneuvers including parabolic flight which subjects the aircraft, and those on board, to rapid changes in G-loading. Looks like quite a ride:

And finally Boeing’s newest airliner, the B787-8 Dreamliner, undergoes final customer inspection before delivery to the first operator, Japan’s ANA:

UPDATE: Shortly after I posted this I was going through my RSS feeds and I saw this post from Android Central, which linked to a report in Australian Business Traveler on these very same entertainment systems. It turns out they’re all Android based. Not only that, Android is the only option for the B787. Unlike other airliners which airlines select their choice of interiors, seats, entertainment systems, etc., on the B787 Boeing has a list of pre-approved options they must choose from. And both the Panasonic and Thales systems, the two options for B787 entertainment systems, run Android. Boeing has done this to increase efficiency in aircraft production, since it allows for more standardization which speeds things up. And it allows for everything to be tested out ahead of time so you don’t run into snags trying to integrate the disparate choices an airline may make on other products.

With 820 Dreamliners on order already, that’s a big win for Android. And Panasonic and Thales will certainly be marketing the systems they’ve developed for the Dreamliner for other airliner applications.

The originally JT8D powered 737-100/200s with the long narrow ‘cigar tube’ nacelles are just 737s, or the 737-200 Advanced for later models. The first major revision was the switch to CFM56-3 high bypass turbofans, in the fat ‘hamster pouch’ nacelles. These 737-300/400/500 models retroactively became ’737 Classics’ when the next generation came out. That next generation is exactly that, the 737 Next Generation, or 737NG. This was a major redesign with a large number of design changes, and newer CFM56-7 engines, and it is produced in four models the 737-600/700/800/900.

Against newer Boeing names like the B787 Dreamliner or the B747-8 International, and lofty names of old like Stratocruiser and Stratoliner, ‘MAX’ just seems like a cold marketing name out of a focus group. And it plays right into the marketing message, which is that it offers “max efficiency, max reliability, max passenger appeal”.

But all I can think of is Pepsi MAX. Other options like B737NE (for New Engine) or B737RE (for Re-Engine) sound better to me. Or how about B737 LEAP, in light of the engine choice? Eh, maybe MAX will grow on me.

Anyway, naming aside, the B737 MAX is Boeing’s answer to the Airbus A320NEO, or New Engine Option. With today’s higher fuel costs, and stricter environmental regulations, airlines are looking for more efficient aircraft to reduce costs and emissions. Boeing had been pursuing a New Small Airplane, or NSA, with service entry around 2020. But Airbus launched the A320NEO as a minor update to the A320 family, with the largest change being new engine options – the CFMI LEAP-X1A or the P&W PW1100G Geared Turbofan (GTF). The NEO is expected to offer ~16% lower fuel burn and ~20% lower maintenance costs than today’s A320 family. The NEO has been a smash success in the market, with a large number of orders, so Boeing was forced to go with a more expedient solution of updating the B737, pushing the NSA out into the future. Most likely we won’t see a new single-aisle until the 2030 time frame now.

As Airbus is updating the A319/320/321 for NEO, but leaving behind the poor selling runt of the litter, the A318, so too is Boeing updating the 737-700/800/900, and dropping the 737-600. The new 737 MAX 7, 737 MAX 8, and 737 MAX 9 are based on the 737-700ER, 737-800, and 737-900ER, respectively. There will be as of yet unspecified aerodynamic improvements to boost efficiency, and the interior is getting a major overhaul with a new look based on the Boeing Sky Interior originally designed for the new B787. But, as with the A320NEO, the biggest change is in the engines.

While Airbus is offering a choice of two engines, Boeing has had great success with the sole-sourced CFMI CFM56 on the B737 Classic and NG, so the B737 MAX will be available with only the CFMI LEAP-X1B. The most visible difference on the new MAX line will likely be the chevron-edged nacelles, as seen in the photo, first introduced in the B787 and also found on the new B747-8. Boeing is claiming that the MAX will offer a 10-12% fuel burn improvement over today’s 737NG and a 16% improvement over today’s A320. Perhaps more importantly, they claim they’ll have a 4% fuel-burn advantage over the A320NEO.

Boeing has been making exclusive engine deals increasingly on newer models. The B737 has always been a single-option airliner. While earlier models of the B777 were available with engines from GE, Pratt & Whitney, or Rolls-Royce, later models are available only with GE90 powerplants. Similarly GE, P&W, and RR offered engines for earlier models of the B747, but the new B747-8 is available only with GEnx powerplants. The major exception is the new B787 which is available with GEnx or RR Trent 1000 power. It has been a good run for GE – they’re a major partner in the CFM International consortium, so they’re basically the sole provider for newer models of B737, B747 & B777, and the majority of B787 customers have specified GEnx.

(Historically this is somewhat ironic. P&W’s parent company is United Technologies. Way, way back, Boeing, United Technologies, and United Airlines were all part of one conglomerate. Vertical integration and all, until they were broken up. But these days Boeing works most closely with GE and P&W isn’t found on any of their latest models.)

I’m a little disappointed that we won’t be seeing a brand new jet in this category soon, at least not from Boeing or Airbus. The Chinese Comac C919 is on the way, but it won’t be anything radically new. And the Bombardier C-Series is a category down from the B737 & A320. It would’ve been nice to see something radical like a blended wing body or open rotor propulsion, but that’ll have to wait for the next generation it seems.

As a bit of a ‘bonus video’, this is how airlines shop for all the bits that go inside their fresh new airliner. Seats, entertainment systems, galleys, lavatories, etc. Well, it is how they shop for the B787 specifically, but this ‘one-stop shop’ approach is expected to spread.

Via Boeing.

Boeing posted a couple of videos to commemorate the events:

Via the Aviation Week Things With Wings Blog.

I need to attend AirVenture again someday. I went twice during my teens with my family, and was fortunate to be there the year the SR-71 Blackbird made its last show appearance before its (first) retirement. I got a front row view of the Blackbird making a low pass down the flight line, just barely subsonic. The only word for it is ‘awesome’.

The B787 has suffered quite a few manufacturing delays, but it looks like it will finally enter service this fall as the newest and most advanced airliner in the world. Composite construction, all electric architecture, new ultra-high-efficiency turbofans, all kinds of high tech options for the cabin – from LED lighting to entertainment systems, etc. A flying collection of gadgets and gizmos. I hope I get to fly one before too long.

Via Aviation Week’s Things With Wings blog.