Trying to cover the 747-8 right now is sort of like trying to cover decaying uranium. Things are slow and there's not much to talk about.
Boeing said last month that the slow down in manufacturing is temporary, and that in 2019 they'll increase the rate once again. But this outlook depends on their slightly biased/myopic predictions about cargo demand, which I have some skepticism over. Meanwhile they're laying off a large group of people in the short term.
Boeing has been shipping 747-8 engines from various sad frames in the desert to install on KPAE airframes due for delivery over the next months, namely Korean Airlines frames. They still have five scheduled to deliver this year. Could this be a sign of engine production issues? Or GE lethargy? This, by the way, doesn't bode well for the short term future of said desert airframes.
I flew a Cessna 210 a few weeks ago, which, compared to the C172s and PA-28s I'm used to, sort of felt like a 747-8. I pretended to have four throttle controls the whole time...
Boeing said last month that the slow down in manufacturing is temporary, and that in 2019 they'll increase the rate once again. But this outlook depends on their slightly biased/myopic predictions about cargo demand, which I have some skepticism over. Meanwhile they're laying off a large group of people in the short term.
Boeing has been shipping 747-8 engines from various sad frames in the desert to install on KPAE airframes due for delivery over the next months, namely Korean Airlines frames. They still have five scheduled to deliver this year. Could this be a sign of engine production issues? Or GE lethargy? This, by the way, doesn't bode well for the short term future of said desert airframes.
I flew a Cessna 210 a few weeks ago, which, compared to the C172s and PA-28s I'm used to, sort of felt like a 747-8. I pretended to have four throttle controls the whole time...
As a B747-8/-400/LCF captain (over 9,000hrs is ALL B747 models, a heavily laden B747-8 climes like a B747-100 lol. Then again, 990,000lbs is a lot of weight to lift off. Any payload over 50%, I always select MAX Climb on the FMC.
ReplyDeleteCapt Bird
Absolutely false. I have a similar amount of time on all three airframes. 747-8 climbs very well at all weights. The only time the -8 dips below 1000fpm is when it transitions from IAS to MACH climb speed at heavy weight OR if climbing above optimum cruise altitude.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-07/boeing-quarterly-airplane-deliveries-slip-as-747-767-decline
ReplyDeleteLooks like there was a 4 frame order for 747-8Fs reported by Boeing today. ABC? Or potentially Cargolux? Hopefully there are more orders coming down the pipeline soon.
ReplyDeleteIt was me. I ordered them just to make everybody happy OK?
ReplyDeleteActually I dunno the real customer is. :P
LN1533 rolled out from FAL with engines attached:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/woody2190/status/721091631982596096
Any news on LN1541 to LN1544.
ReplyDeleteRead the story that LN1544 might be for the US govt. What about the others ?
GH
LN1531 RC057 HL-7638 did B1 flight today:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/mattcawby/status/725014048601870336
LN1520 RC673 finished repaint in Victorville and will be ferried back to KPAE today:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/BOE673/history/20160426/1800Z/KVCV/KPAE
RC673 painted into CargoLogicAir livery:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/mattcawby/status/725099403938172928
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CargoLogicAir
RC673 will be registered as G-CLAB.
ReplyDeleteGood photo:
https://flic.kr/p/FGZM71
Seems to me only the Russians are buying the freighter version. Is there really NO INTEREST AT ALL in what this plane can do? What a waste.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Korean Air's 2015 4th quarter financial results, 1 748F will be delivered in August and 2 748I will be delivered in May and June.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.koreanair.com/content/dam/koreanair/en/documents/AboutKoreanAir/InvestorRelations/QuarterlyFinancialResults/2015%204Q%20Financial%20Release.pdf