[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!

[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...

[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!

[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.

[budwiesest]

Wonder where they put the transporter bay?

[Charlotte Corday]

Boeing believes passengers would be more comfortable

As if the seat-pitch engineers at America West and USAir give a rat's a**.

[JETDRVR]

Cathay Pacific Has Little Interest In Launching 7E7
By Lori Ranson
November 14, 2003


While the likelihood of Cathay Pacific launching Boeing's 7E7 is low, the airline's VP-Technical in the U.S., Peter Gardener, believes the airframer has "created a situation" where rival aircraft would have to "stretch out" to match the 7E7's technology, comfort and efficiency levels.

Gardener joined representatives from 80 airlines and eight financial firms in Seattle this week for what Boeing called a "progress summit" for the airplane, touring a mockup of the 7E7's interior.

Gardener said he couldn't envision his carrier opting to launch the 7E7, but in a conference call said the 3,500-nautical-mile, short-range version could be attractive to Cathay Pacific when the program is launched in 2008, barring circumstances similar to the Sept. 11 terror attacks or this year's SARS pneumonia outbreak.

Boeing's planned health-monitoring system for the 7E7 impressed Gardener, suggesting it could help carriers reach significant savings in maintenance costs. Boeing VP-7E7 Customers John Feren said the system could increase maintenance intervals once airlines collect empirical data that beat conservative fatigue estimates for aircraft fuselages normally included in new aircraft programs.

Commenting on the interior mockup, Cathay's Gardener said Boeing has stopped the "cramming effect" in bin space, and said the passenger windows were much larger.

Feren and Gardener were joined by Lufthansa's Senior VP-Corporate Fleet Program Nico Buchholz, who praised Boeing's 7E7 progress by saying the aircraft is approaching a capacity that's "acceptable" and a more suitable range.

Gardener said he'd prefer to see two engine offerings for the 7E7, and Buchholz said two would be a "nice mix," while three would be questionable.

The 7E7's fly-by-wire cockpit will feature yoke controls, Feren said but noted some airlines brought up the issue of fleet commonality regarding sidesticks. Pilots could transition from the 777 to the 7E7 cockpit in three days, Feren said.

Feren said Boeing could send out proposals with prices to carriers with estimated costs of the 7E7 shortly after the company's December board meeting, if the members give Boeing approval to formally offer the plane to customers.




I have mixed feelings , especialy if they go composite on the airframe like Airbu(tt)s.

[nightdriver]

"Airbus says it isn't concerned. It is launching its own ambitious new aircraft called A380, a double-decker behemoth that will be the largest passenger plane ever."

I thought the FAA refused to allow double-decker airliners because of evacuation problems. Has this been changed?

[ErnBatavia]

I'm trying to remember what a 747 wieghs "Heavy"...all I know is that once they take off, they can't land without expending (or dumping) an awful lot of fuel; I understand the airframe would just break from the weight.

[RightWhale]

Some of that old Starship Enterprise decor.

Starships have lots of room. Well, except the ones that pack the passengers into stasis tube.