Boeing To Deliver First 787 Today 366
mosb1000 writes "The era of the plastic jumbo jet has finally arrived. Boeing is delivering their first Dreamliner to All Nippon Airways today. From the article: '"Comfort and cost are concerns of the business traveller and the 787 will deliver extreme advancements in fuel efficiency and many traveller features that will improve the journey," said Michael Qualantone, senior vice president & general manager, American Express Global Business Travel. Indeed, this twin-engine, bendy winged, widebody craft has raised the bar for fuel efficiency. Some 50 percent by weight of the 787 airframe is lightweight carbon-fibre composites that could, Boeing says, help reduce fuel costs by 20 percent.' I can't wait for my first chance to fly in one."
Good luck guinea pigs! (Score:3, Insightful)
No thanks, I will wait for the first crash/accident before I fly on one...
Re:in an era of (Score:4, Insightful)
telecommunications and the internet, are these things really all that relevant to international business? I cant imagine they serve any other purpose than airborne cattle-cars for the unwashed in economy class, and exotic chariots of booze and decadence for wealthy elite.
Funny that humans seem to really want to interact with other humans rather than some simulacrum. If you think this desire for person to person contact just results in an 'unwashed economy class' or 'booze and decadence' I think you need to get out more often.
Basements aren't a very healthy place to spend your entire life.
Re:in an era of (Score:4, Insightful)
There are some things that can't be done via telepresence. Like it or not, business almost always boils down to personal connections. This is especially true outside of North America. In Europe and Asia, it can take years to build a relationship between a vendor and customer to the point where the customer will be willing to spend significant amounts of money. However, once you've built that relationship, you'll need to do a lot to lose that business.
By the same token, telepresence doesn't let you turn a wrench or otherwise get your hands onto equipment. Not everything has a command line or a web interface, and even those that do occasionally fail.
Made In China - outsourcing issues (Score:3, Insightful)
Wonder if the Chinese subcontractors cut some corners ro quality to make a little more money? or the other foreign subcontractors who make up 30% of the craft?
Re:Made In China - outsourcing issues (Score:5, Insightful)
Wonder if the Chinese subcontractors cut some corners ro quality to make a little more money? or the other foreign subcontractors who make up 30% of the craft?
30% foreign subcontracting? Japan alone accounts for 35%,although I'm not sure if that is measured by value, weight, or what. When you fly in a 787, you will be flying on Japanese wings (made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, no less - no need for self-sealing fuel tanks on a civilian airliner, thank goodness).
Boeing seems to be working hard at becoming an aircraft assembler more than an aircraft builder. Probably necessary in order to compete in the future with other manufacturers, really , but a hard pill to swallow for Boeing aficionados (and unions). A large part of the delays to the 787 project have had as much to do with completely rearranging their business model as with difficulties in design.
Re:I see it as "how much do you depend on them?" (Score:4, Insightful)
Right, as if the A380s structural integrity isn't dependent on the floor beams, or the pressure bulkheads or anything like that. And the entire tail of the aircraft is just "a chunk of fuselage" and not important at all.
And having followed the 787 very closely during the past 5 years, none of the delays have been down to the use of composites itself - they've all had other causes.