Boeing's New Baby

The Wall Street Journal ^ | November 18, 2003 | J. LYNN LUNSFORD

[jjm2111]

Have a look0 at Boeing's proposed 7E7 models, and how their configurations compare to its aging 676.

See our revamped Personal Journal section2 with new features and online-only columns, tools and stories, along with the entire contents of the print edition.

[jjm2111]

Some of these ideas seem quite sensible. A comfortable jet that makes the airline money will be a real seller.

[Crazieman]

Wichita has really been trying to woo Boeing into having the Beoing Wichita plant build this plane. We could use the additional jobs to replace the thousands lost post 9/11. We've been one of the hardest hit cities primarily due to the fact we (stupidly) rely almost entirely on aircraft manufacturing.

[r9etb]

Although its main selling point has been a 20% increase in efficiency

Yowza -- that's an incredible savings: on the order of $20k per flight.

[N. Theknow]

The short version can go from 200 seats in different passenger classes to 300 seats in one class?

Mooooooooo!

[Puppage]

How many bombs can it drop?

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Airbus says it isn't concerned.

It has always struck me as ironic that Boeing among other American plane makers made it possible for a free French and British to make the Airbus to compete with Boeing.

[Portnoy]

The inside looks similar to the Starship Enterprise corridors...

[ken5050]

Probably no one , outside of residents of Wichita, knows the long and proud history of aircraft production in your city....the vast majority of the B-29 bomberw were built there...

[toddst]

Wichita has really been trying to woo Boeing into having the Beoing Wichita plant build this plane.

We've been one of the hardest hit cities primarily due to the fact we . . . rely almost entirely on aircraft manufacturing.

Hope Wichita does get the nod on production of this plane. However, it won't impact me. Thanks to all the security wackyness at airports I fly via general aviation - charter when I have to fly. If more people would do this Cessna (Wichita plant?) would get busier.

[stainlessbanner]

"Big ol Jed left the light on...."

[zeugma]

The airlines (except Southwest) won't make money until I can take my swiss army knife aboard without being shot by the brainless twits they call 'airport security'.

Also, I didn't know Boeing counting in Hex when they were numbering their aircraft designs.

[NYer]

Nothing will ever surpass the golden age of air travel - that spanned from the 70's into the early 90's. The Boeing 747 reigned supreme!

[jjm2111]

I don't know if being crammed into the back of a 747 for a transpacific flight can really be called "golden age", but I have to admit that 747s look pretty for the behemoths that they are.

[jjm2111]

"The airlines (except Southwest) won't make money until I can take my swiss army knife aboard without being shot by the brainless twits they call 'airport security'."

I was flying on military orders just last weekend and I was forced to go through the whole strip search thing. Belt off, shoes off, etc. I try hard to be polite but it's really tough. Not only do I have a higher clearance than any of those clowns with the wands, I'd give my life if need be if the plane were attacked.

On a funny one, one elderly gentlman (TSA employee) had a hard time standing up straight but was wearing the nomex tactical gloves that the specwar or SWAT guys wear. I almost busted a gut laughing.

[finnman69]

AMAZING! but all they had to do waws look back 30 years for good design.

[RayChuang88]

It appears more and more that it's a GO for Boeing to start the 7E7 project.

There are these reasons for this:

1. There is great interest from Japan Airlines, All-Nippon Airways, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, the airlines of the German TUI Group tour company, Continental Airlines and Delta Airlines in launching this plane.

2. The plane will most likely be built at Boeing's Everett, WA factory on the former 767 production line, which means Boeing can recall much of their laid-off workforce in the Seattle-Tacoma area.

3. The plane has a HUGE potential for sales to the US Air Force. The USAF desperately needs to phase out their aging KC-135 tanker fleet, and other 7E7 variants for the USAF may include VIP transports, electronics intelligence platforms to replace the aging RC-135's, and a combined AWACS/JSTARS battle management platform.

[biblewonk]

Me new bread and butter, maybe.

[bmwcyle]

I flew the 777 three times. It is the best plane other than the L-1011 that I have been in.

[1Old Pro]

More comfortable seating is absolutely the #1 priority. Sitting for 3,4,5 or more hours is uncomfortable enough. Doing it with little wiggle room is awful.

[null and void]

Looks good! Good enough for me to want to go through a cavity search to get on? No.