Posted on 07/17/2006 10:04:57 AM PDT by lowbuck
Airbus, desperate to pull out of the worst dive in its commercial history, on Monday released details of a radically redesigned midsize plane in a $10 billion project to compete with the Boeing 787.
snip. . .
Airbus intends to begin development of the new jet in October, and the plane is expected to enter service in mid-2012.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
I have said in the past that cash flow must be keeping the Airbus folks awake at night.
I can imagine what they are having to offer their potential customers for the "new and improved, super dupper" A350 is not going to help the bottom line much.
Government Subsidies can only keep a situation afloat for so long. They will always fail in the long run.
So, Airbus is trying to compete with the 787 by introducing the airplane two years after the 787 is expected to be in service? Plus, hasn't Airbus already demonstrated problems with hitting delivery dates?
Nah. They're subsidized by the european governments, who have too much invested in money and reputation to let them fail.
Instead of A350 they should call it 053A, and it will be flying backwards. But seriously, how long were they in "redesign", and couldn't it be expected to be a rushed botch?
No. They are trying to compete by introducing a plane to be delivered FOUR years after the 787, as per this article:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1666865/posts
which states the first 787 is scheduled for completion in mid 2007 with delivery for service a year later.
A previous article indicated Boeing is planning on increasing the production rate on the 787 from the initially projected rate to one which will essentially allow Boeing to saturate the entire market for the 787 type aircraft before the A350 gets out the door.
Now, now, folks, let's not judge them to harshly. After all they TRIED to do it right and they did their VERY BEST.Isn't that more important then actually succeeding?
They'll do better this time I KNOW they will. You'll see. they are SURE to get it right THIS time.
"AirBus" has changed to "ErrBust"..
not sure it that bad but... lets see
Airbust is one battle too late, by 2012 the plastic 737 will debut and it will have a wider fuselage and bigger windows, etc, than the 319/320, which will mean that Airbust will lose the narrow body war as well. Massive government bailout and still losing gobs of money. During all this time Boeing will have had the 787 market to itself for 5 years. At 120-150 planes per year, there will be 600 to 750 787's before the first 350 tucks its flaps in. By then we will be looking at a plastic 747 being designed and the 380 will be in Oregon in a hangar right next to the Spruce Goose.
I was going from memory, as I thought I saw an article that said the 787 was slated for a 2010 service date. Thanks for the correction; it certainly makes Airbuss look even worse.
If I were a buyer, I'd be skeptical of Airbus even hitting a 2012 delivery date.
"Airbust," I like it.
I can see it now, Airbust sinks, and Boeing picks up their talent. I've no doubt Airbus has some very talented people that Boeing wouldn't mind having.
Indeed; furthermore, since they have to do a complete redesign, it means that won't even be finalized (read perfromace specs) for a couple of years, by which time Boeing will have rolled out the first 787 and flight test will be finished. No one is going to order an A350 before they know what it is going to do (performance, capacity, range, fuel burn, etc.) which leaves the market to Boeing for at least the next few years. Even after that, it will be Boeing's real airplane with known actual performaqnce figures up against Airbus's promise of an airplane they might deliver by 2012.
Unless Airbus can significantly beat the price/performance of the 787, who is going to bother waiting four extra years for a "me, too" aircraft?
By 2012 the rag heads will have taken over western Europe and will demand that prayer rugs be installed instead of seats!
The only way Airbus will beat Boeing on price is through massive government subsidies.
Excellent point about design and specification timelines.
I just don't see how Airbus can hope to compete when Boeing will have such a huge lead. Boening will be better positioned to compete with price in four years, too, because the more you build something, the better you get at it.
You seem to be up on aircraft specs and I was wondering if you can confirm something I seem to remember reading a few years ago.
It seems to me that some European pilots complained about the lack of power in a certain model of Airbus. Supposedly, the aircraft was dangerously underpowered if the aircraft encountered any type of severe weather. From what I remember, the problem was due to smaller engines being installed due to fuel efficiency standards.
Do you recall anything like that?
After all they TRIED to do it right and they did their VERY BEST
My french wife once said: If it is done halfway right, that should be good enough.
she only said it once
I don't mean to be indelicate or to pry here but are condolences in order? I mean are the words "may she rest in peace" appropriate?
Lipstick on a pig...
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