Posted on 03/27/2006 1:48:04 AM PST by Paleo Conservative
BOEING is pitching the new version of its legendary jumbo jet to Qantas, arguing it will beat Airbus's double decker A380 on costs per seat as well as for a total trip.
The passenger version of the Boeing 747-8 will be stretched by 3.6m and will be able to carry 34 more seats in a three-class configuration with 21 per cent more revenue cargo space than the existing 747-400.
Due to enter service in 2010, it will boost range by 1850km, give a 16 per cent lower fuel burn and 8 per cent lower costs per seat.
More importantly, Boeing says, it will also offer 6 per cent lower seat-mile costs and 29 per cent lower trip costs than the giant A380.
"We've really been able to make some significant breakthroughs in the fuel efficiency on the 747-8 - with the engines, with the aerodynamic improvements, as well as significant improvements in the operating costs," Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice-president of product development, Daniel Mooney, told a recent briefing in Sydney.
Mooney estimates that about a third of the efficiency improvements come from the 65,000lb-thrust GEnx 2B67 engines, which are based on the GEnx engines launched on the 787 Dreamliner.
The new engines use 15 per cent less fuel per seat with a 17 per cent gain in fuel per tonne. Despite being larger, the 747-8 has lower fuel consumption than the 747-400.
This translates into an improvement of about 8 per cent in operating costs over the 400.
"When we develop a heavier, bigger airplane, typically what happens is the trip costs go up but it just takes more fuel, and it's higher cost to send a bigger airplane on that trip," Mooney says.
"With the efficiencies we're getting from the 747-8, it's great to see that our trip costs have actually reduced a little bit versus the smaller 400. That's a really powerful economic improvement.
"When we compare it to the A380, our assessment is that the 747-8 will have better seat mile costs, and significantly - in the order of over 25 per cent - better trip costs."
Aerodynamic improvements and an enhanced wing are expected to contribute another third to the efficiency gain, although Boeing concedes the A380's completely new wing still has a slight advantage.
Boeing redesigned the wing to give it a state-of-art airfoil, building on the lessons learnt with the 777 and the 787, and added raked wingtips which increased the span of each wing by about 2m.
This increased the depth of the airfoil, giving the wing more structural efficiency, helping to reduce weight and adding to the fuel capacity. The manufacturer also simplified the trailing edge system to double slotted inboard flaps and single slotted outboard.
"We were able to make that simpler, get weight out, help reduce the maintenance costs for the operators and still get the low-speed performance that we need for the airplane," Mooney says.
Other improvements include electronic spoilers, the use of new alloys and some carbon composites as well as better integration of the engine nacelles to reduce drag.
Boeing says the 747-8 also wins when it comes to structural efficiency. It says the A380 is 18 per cent heavier than the 747-8 in terms of operating empty weight per seat, a measure of structural efficiency, and would need to be stretched to 650 seats to match its competitor.
As well as improved efficiency, the new Boeing plane features a new interior and an upgraded flight deck and will meet London Heathrow's QC2 noise requirements. Interior changes include access to empty space behind the bulge at the front of the plane for use as galley space or even passenger beds.
Not only that, but your origin and destination won't need to repave and refit just to accommodate you.
Interesting.
I get to fly a BA 747-400 in June (first time) and I'm as excited as a little school boy.
Probably because it has to go through just rigorous testing and type certification by the FAA?
Holy cow, look at this:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/photos/popup.asp?SubID=1342&page=4>itle=Boeing%20747%2D8%20interior&css=gtitle%2Ecss&pubdate=12/14/05
Sleeping berths in the hump above coach!?! Each slide shows a space bigger than my apartment in law school!
Is there any difference between the experience of flying a 747-400 as a passenger compared to a 747-100 or 747-200? What I thought was strange about the 747 classics was how much the wings bend up and down during flight. It's a little unnerving the first time you see it. I never got to fly on a 747SP, but I did see one at HNL in 1978.
We're probably going to try to sit as far aft as possible (honeymooners, you know) . . . so I'll keep an eye out for that wingflex.
I should point out that I've never flown any 747 configuration, just some 737s and a pair of 767s.
The disgraced former CEO who had an affair with a subordinate liked living in Chicago over Seattle. Not the reason they claimed, but likely the real one.
The 747SP is a rocket! I changed a whole vacation around just to ride on one! I had a ticket from Johannesburg to Miami, and I asked them if I could exchange it for Johannesbug to Frankfurt. My only flight on the SP.
As for the 100, I think I only flew it once on TWA, and we had 4 -200's. Only did the 300 once LA to Amsterdam round trip.
The 400 is great, I've been on combis and regular. Been upper deck in coach and all over the plane, its like a big flying house.
400 has better TV and audio and all that. Lots of 200's are gone, damn few flying. Wings do flex, that is what they are supposed to do.
Yes, I've seen simulations of the wing flex on PBS/Discovery/NatlGeographic, but never in reality. I am going to insist on a window seat and we will hopefully be far aft.
Sorry for us, we have to fly coach. More's the pity, we have a layover at LHR before getting on a ScareBus something or other.
The two worst aspects of transatlantic flight are the noise and the dehydration. This time, I am prepared!
All I remember was how friggin' huge the engines were. I remember looking out that window and thinking "I could park my car inside one of those!"
And I drive the Crown Vic.
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