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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner aims to improve flying

While we extol the technical advances and human friendly environment in Boeing’s forthcoming 787 Dreamliner over 18 pages in this issue, there’s still the sobering reality of flying today. Generally, it stinks. Airlines stuff you into seats packed tighter than teeth, lose your luggage, leave late and are generally unresponsive to complaints (United is my least favorite these days). As I ticked off the advances in the 787 to a colleague who flies a lot, he responded cynically, “the airlines will just pack it with more seats in.”

Can a plane like the 787 help reverse the misery we call flying? For sure, standard features like a constant cabin pressure at 6,000 feet, smoother ride, improved humidity and lighting characteristics, bigger windows and large carry-on bins will help. But it’s up to the airlines to improve the flying experience. The 787’s immediate predecessor, the 777, improved upon the interiors in earlier models, but I took my first 777 flight only last year – 13 years after the plane started flying.

In other words, your chances of getting a flight on a 787 any time next year are complicated by a couple of factors. Even though the 787 had racked up an impressive 544 orders at this writing, it’ll take time for the airplane to permeate the airline’s rosters. Among major American airlines, only Continental and Northwest have publicly ordered any 787s not including deals for 78 planes from “unidentified customers.” Big Boeing customers like United and Delta are still recovering from bankruptcy and downsizing. Asian airlines, on the other hand, are snapping up 787s. Granted, American airlines have encountered a lot of bumpy air for years, now, but it’s important to paint a realistic picture of what the 787 means to domestic air travelers. Probably not much for a few years.

On the engineering side, the new plane means a lot -- from the innovative composites to how pieces of it were designed by companies around the world. Final assembly done at Boeing’s huge Everett, Wash. plant is projected to take a mere there days! The 787 encompasses many technical, design and manufacturing innovations. So we challenge any other engineering publication to beat the thoroughness and depth of our 787 coverage. Boeing 787 communications specialist Jennifer Cram gave us access to many of the Dreamliner’s top engineers whose time, needless to say, is in short supply these days. Jennifer, we can’t thank you enough.

The plane is scheduled to roll out on July 8 (7-8-7) and to fly for the first time within two to three months. Until the 787 flies, it’s not really an airplane. Boeing likes to tout that it’s “11 for 11” in passenger jetliners although it’s still not clear me why 11. Not counting its McDonnell Douglas models and the 787, it looks more like 8 for 8 with respect to jetliners unless they’re counting prop or military planes. Needless to say, the 787 needs to fly. Our exhaustive coverage begins on page xx and online at www.designnews.com/boeing

The response to my global warming column in the April 30 issue was unprecedented….more than 50 responses and counting. Many are long and thoughtful. They’re all posted on my Designing Engineering at Large blog if you’re curious about what your colleagues believe (or disbelieve) about global warming.

What impresses you most about the 787? Write me at john.dodge@reedbusiness.com or comment at my blog Design Engineering At Large.

(Add your comments)

at 5/31/2007 10:53:23 PM, Courtney said:
My question for Jennifer Cram and/or the 787 Dreamliner's engineers and design crew... where are the in-flight massage therapists? Talk about making a flight better, counteracting the effects of flight on a human body, major good-will marketing tool... and Virigin is already doing it.

at 6/7/2007 8:49:48 AM, Yasobara said:
Your comment "Airlines stuff you into seats packed tighter than teeth" is sadly true for 787. Even though Boeing initially designed 787 with 8 abreast seating with 18.5 inches wide seat bottom for economy class, most airlines are seating 9 abreast with 17.2 inches wide seat bottom for economy class. That is the seat width standard for 707 designed in 1950s. Since then the flying public''s bottoms have grown tremendously.

at 6/11/2007 1:57:45 PM, Joe Vu said:
Dear Sir; I like to know your requirements for RAM LVDT's used in your Flight Surface Control System are. Is a 0.01% accuracy device useful in fuel economy and global warming reduction ? Thank you kindly. Joe Vu

at 6/13/2007 5:39:29 AM, John Dodge said:
In Flight therapists - hmmm...not a bad idea!!

at 6/13/2007 5:41:51 AM, Keith Chaet said:
Mr. Dodge, You made an error on your "The Dodge Report" about the 787 Dreamliner. In the 3rd to the last paragraph, you write "The plane is scheduled to roll on July 7 (7-8-7) and...". It should have been "July 8". Also, although not technically and error, we like to use the term "roll-out" instead of just "roll". v/r, Keith Chaet THE BOEING COMPANY Support Systems - Philadelphia

at 6/13/2007 5:42:42 AM, John Dodge said:
Keith, Both are errors. Corrections made here. Thanks for the heads up and I'm surprised more engineers didn't notice!

at 6/13/2007 5:47:27 AM, Tom Chambers said:
In your editorial on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, you state that "Boeing likes to tout that it's 11 for 11 in passenger jetliners, although it's still not clear to me why 11. Perhaps Boeing's Dreamliner engineers are mostly Spinal Tap fans. Tom Chambers Lakehurst, NJ

at 6/13/2007 5:58:33 AM, Joe Cowan said:
The plane is scheduled to roll on July 7 (7-8-7)… 2007 July 7 … 7-7-7 July 8 … 7-8-7 U.S.A. date format (Everett, WA) Aug 7 … 7-8-7 European date format -Joe

at 6/13/2007 5:59:22 AM, John Dodge said:
Joe Cowan, Point made and corrections made online...

at 6/16/2007 5:05:18 AM, hello said:
...

at 7/17/2007 1:24:08 PM, Tom Ciccateri said:
Even the Boeing virtual tour video revealed that the Economy Class seating will fail to provide one armrest for each arm of the passengers - some improvement!

at 8/14/2007 8:36:07 AM, MDx_Wayne said:
I have read in several places where the 787 has some of the most advanced designs of the day. I also have read where Boeing intends to procure many components from China, namely many of the fasteners. How secure can we feel in this thing when the level of experience with the manufacture is nil and at the same time the country of origin on what holds it together is known for not following requirements and producing complete junk? It doesn''t give me a warm a fuzzy. Welcome to the friendly skies.

at 8/23/2007 3:08:17 PM, Finetune said:
Personally I find that reclining airline seats make no sense. When you recline your seat, you gain room at the expense of the person behind you. The only recourse the person behind you has is to endure the intrusion or recline their own seat. The result is "mutually assured discomfort" for everyone on the plane. When you put the seat back, you stick your headrest into the face of the person behind and you make it hard for the person behind to use his tray table. I also find that reclining the seat doesn't really make it more suitable for sleeping. My suggestion is to disable the reclining feature or else restrict the degree that seats can recline

at 6/24/2008 12:43:11 AM, Ed McK said:
I like the reclining seats for long overnight flights, the flatter the better. The KLM design comes to mind. I find it near impossible to sleep for more than a few ninutes if I can't put my feet up.

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