D-ABYI went for her first revenue flight today (that link will only work for about four months after this post). Welcome to the working world "I", may your career last 120,000 hours or more. She's at about 30 hours as of this post; 119,970 to go.
Three frames were up today for test flights: Nippon Cargo line 1479, Cargolux line 1478, and Unclaimed line 1437. Unclaimed is sure hanging around Paine Field for a long time. I'd think she'd be in storage by now. Hopefully that means they're finding her a home...?
An article here has some more detail on 747-8 improvements. A lot we might have heard before. 747 program v-p and general manager Eric Lindblad says that current frames are 5,600 pounds lighter than those originally delivered, and Boeing has identified ways to drop another 1,600 pounds; in all, the savings contribute some 2 percent to operating efficiency. He also says he'd like the total weight loss to reach 10,000 pounds, and perhaps increase the -8I’s range to 8,200 nm, by around 2016. The article also acknowledges that all unfinished frames have been refurbished, so the 747 build team can get back to focusing on building new frames. Well, I guess there's still line 1435.
Come on Paris, give us another 747-8 order!
Three frames were up today for test flights: Nippon Cargo line 1479, Cargolux line 1478, and Unclaimed line 1437. Unclaimed is sure hanging around Paine Field for a long time. I'd think she'd be in storage by now. Hopefully that means they're finding her a home...?
An article here has some more detail on 747-8 improvements. A lot we might have heard before. 747 program v-p and general manager Eric Lindblad says that current frames are 5,600 pounds lighter than those originally delivered, and Boeing has identified ways to drop another 1,600 pounds; in all, the savings contribute some 2 percent to operating efficiency. He also says he'd like the total weight loss to reach 10,000 pounds, and perhaps increase the -8I’s range to 8,200 nm, by around 2016. The article also acknowledges that all unfinished frames have been refurbished, so the 747 build team can get back to focusing on building new frames. Well, I guess there's still line 1435.
Come on Paris, give us another 747-8 order!
Great article, and I too hope for another order or two at Paris, or soon after. There were rumors of Eithad looking at the 8I and perhaps the 8F as well. Additionally, while I don't know how much sense it makes, Garuda Indonesia is said to be considering a 3-5 plane 380 or 748 order.
ReplyDeleteHere's an AviationWeek blog post that goes over some of the same information in your article, but has a few different quotes and pictures and a project name. :-)
http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog:7a78f54e-b3dd-4fa6-ae6e-dff2ffd7bdbb&plckPostId=Blog%3a7a78f54e-b3dd-4fa6-ae6e-dff2ffd7bdbbPost%3aaa529617-0c92-4f72-b148-b257c81c8b03
This article talks about the order and some of the "lean manufacturing techniques":
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2013/06/18/boeing-747-8-wins-life-support-order.html?page=all
That article also links to this article that has quotes from a few executives from before the show and a the show. This includes the GEnx General Manager.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-06-16/boeing-bets-on-jumbo-rebound-while-some-747-8s-in-desert.html
Project Ozark. If it has a name it's gotta be important to them.
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