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The First Example of Boeing's New 737 Family - The 737-700 - Is Due to Roll Out From Boeing's Renton Factory This December, With First Flight Planned for February Next Year. The Three Members of the New Family Are the 108 to 132 Seat 737-600, the 128 to 142 Seat 737-700 and the 160 to 189 Seat 737-800. (Boeing)
Newsdesk — Commercial Aviation
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Commercial Sees New 777 Variant?
Boeing is expected to announce the development of a new ultra-long-range version of its 777 widebody twin this September, possibly at the Farnborough Air Show. The company has been examining various options for a longer range 777, the 777-100X “shrink” with 250 seats, a shorter fuselage and 8,500 nm (15,745 km) range or the -200X which retains the standard fuselage length but has an increased gross weight and 8,100 nm (15,000 km) range. The 777-200X offers an 8-9% lower seat-kilometre cost than the -100X and is already attracting interest from some operators. It would not, however, be available until 2001, two years later than the smaller aircraft assuming a go-ahead this September. More time is needed to design and certify the -200X to take more powerful engines in the 95-98,000 lb (425-439 kN) thrust class, similar to those being developed for the stretched 777-300.
Boeing Out Of China Air Express
China’s decision to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Europe’s Aero International (Regional) consortium with a view to the joint development of the AE-100 regional jetliner (refer p9 6/96 AA) has caused Boeing to concede defeat on the project and to seek alternate partners to develop a similar airliner. Although the China/AI(R) deal is yet to be formally announced, Boeing has decided it is now out of the running on the project and is looking elsewhere. It is reported that one of Boeing’s problems with the project was that it wanted to restrict the AE-100’s seating capacity to a maximum of 120 so as to avoid conflict with its own 737-600, while China wanted to develop a family of aircraft in three fuselage sizes with the largest seating 140 passengers. The current strained relations between Washington and Beijing are also thought to have contributed to the scenario, although Boeing’s submission also involved a lower technology transfer component and lower investment compared with AI(R)’s. The AE-100 Air Express project involves Aviation Industries of China (AVIC), Singapore Technologies and by the look of it, AI(R). Korean industry is also a possible member of the consortium, although it is continuing plans to develop its own 100 seat regional jet.
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PW4090 Nearing Certification
The 90,000 lb (40.3 kN) thrust Pratt & Whitney PW4090 engine has passed another significant milestone. The first example of Boeing’s new 737 family — the 737-700 — is due to roll out from Boeing’s Renton factory this December, with first flight planned for February next year. The three members of the new family are the 108 to 132 seat 737-600, the 128 to 142 seat 737-700 and the 160 to 189 seat 737-800. (Boeing) on its way to certification and entry to service on the Boeing 777. The engine has completed the official US FAA model tests under the most rigorous conditions ever attempted including 750 simulated flight cycles at maximum temperature levels. In addition, the engine ran for more than 60 hours through a series of power steps designed to induce high vibration stress. The PW4090 follows the PW4084 which launched commercial 777 services with United Airlines in June last year. Since then, some 16 P&W powered 777s have entered service with United, All Nippon and Japan Air Lines. The fleet had accrued more than 60,000 engine hours and 20,000 flight cycles by early May with no inflight shutdowns and a dispatch reliability figure of 99.6%. The PW4090 should have achieved certification by the time these words are read with the even more powerful PW4098 of 98,000 lb (43.9 kN) thrust for the 777-300 scheduled for certification next year for service entry in mid 1998.
Europe Seeks Greater Efficiency
The European aircraft industry is going to improve its international competitiveness by adopting a product offensive and technical innovations within the Airbus program, according to Dr Dietrich Russell, President of Daimler-Benz Aerospace’s (DASA) Aircraft Group. Additional measures to be taken include the reduction of costs and production cycle times as well as the adaptation of capacities to changing market conditions. The product offensive has already been launched and will be implemented by rounding off the existing Airbus family to include the A330-200, A321 growth and ultra long range A340-8000. In addition, Dr Russell says the Airbus program should be extended at the top of the product line above the A330/340 to include the development of a new large commercial aircraft, for which Airbus has already established a special division. Dr Russell also wants the product line extended below the 124 seat A319 to include a 100 seat regional jet. Emphasised was the necessity to undertake measures to turn the European consortium into an integrated, joint stock Airbus company with even closer co-operation between politicians and industrialists. Airbus is already developing more
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