Brookside

Airbus Has A Bad Case Of Jet Lag
Its redesigned, lightweight plane will still trail Boeing's Dreamliner by years

Plastics. They really are the future. More precisely, the carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics known as composites are reshaping the rivalry between Airbus and Boeing Co. (BA ), and the European planemaker has a lot of catching up to do.

With oil prices soaring, airlines are flocking to Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner, which promises to burn 20% less fuel than conventional planes. The 787 is made mostly of composites, which weigh half as much as aluminum, but are stronger so that wings and other parts can be made slimmer and more aerodynamic. Airbus is countering with the A350, a planned aircraft with one-third less composite content than the 787. But most carriers are snubbing it. Small wonder, then, that Airbus Chief Executive Gustav Humbert confirmed at the Berlin Air Show on May 17 that the company will unveil a revamped design for the A350 by July. "The game is not over," he said.

Seems like it should be a cinch for Airbus to up its composite content in a new A350. The company has been building composite parts since the 1980s. The expected $10 billion price shouldn't be a problem, either. Airbus has already overtaken Boeing as the world's top jetmaker. Its parent, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS), on May 16 reported first-quarter profits up 26%, to $665 million, on sales up 30%, to $11.7 billion.

But Boeing has a big head start. True, Airbus had been a pacesetter when it introduced composites on tail stabilizers. But Boeing has since leaped ahead with its work on military contracts such as the B-2 bomber and its use of composites on civilian jets such as the 777. Airbus' much smaller composites program lags Boeing's on almost every front, from design to manufacturing to multiyear supply deals for carbon fiber. "All Airbus' engineers and all their factories are working in aluminum," says Andrew Walker, a former top Airbus engineer who now teaches in the materials program at the University of Manchester.

To close the gap with Boeing, Airbus will pour $580 million into research over the next few years. "Their lead will not be for long," says Airbus' Humbert. But Airbus can't get an all-composite plane into service before 2012, four years after the 787. Even then, most industry experts say it's unlikely the Airbus plane would be significantly better than the 787. "It's four years too late with a me-too airplane," crows Randy Baseler, Boeing's vice-president for marketing.

Airbus has plenty of talented engineers, but they're stretched thin. They're wrapping up work on the A380 megaplane, set to enter service at the end of this year, while also developing a new military-transport plane and an air- refueling tanker aircraft. Overall, Airbus spent $2.1 billion on research and development last year, only slightly below 2003, when A380 spending peaked.

STUMBLING BLOCKS
The upshot: while Airbus gets up to speed on composites, Boeing will take an early lead, with 6 or 7 of its 787 Dreamliners rolling out of the factory each month at a list price of $120 million a pop. That gives Boeing plenty of time and money to launch its next plane, most likely an all-composite makeover of the 737. Such a plane would take direct aim at Airbus' best-seller, the A320, throwing the European company on the defensive once again.
Boeing could still stumble. Some 70% of production work on the 787 has been farmed out to contractors worldwide. Even minor glitches could delay the launch. Airbus also knows airlines will keep steering orders its way to prevent Boeing from gaining market dominance. "They don't want to be subject to higher prices," says George Hamlin, the head of Hamlin Transportation Consulting in Fairfax, Va.

The Europeans say they're up to the challenge. "Airbus has a history of successfully managing a steep ramp-up," Humbert says. Indeed, for most of Airbus' 36-year history, its newer aircraft designs and more modern factories gave it an edge over its older U.S. rival. But now, Boeing looks set to invade that comfort zone.


BusinessWeek May 17,2006

Curb Zone

 

Michael

120 million is actually cheap for the technology that is going into that aircraft. Damn!

A brand new Boeing 777-300ER will range way higher than that. Man what a bummer for Airbus.

I have always been a Boeing fan, so this makes me happy to see that Airbus is falling behind at least in something. Ever since the A380 came out, I thought the queen of the skys was dead and so was Boeing. Nevertheless, this was all due to hype of the A380 which scared many Boeing fans, and the fact that some thought that market only lay with the A380.

Well as it turns out, the A380 is having some problems of its own. Nevertheless, this will not turn away any customers. However, I do see the next Boeing 747-800 taking up some of the A380 share, if not, being bought by the same airlines that bought the A380. So this is very good for Boeing.

In reference to the 737 being redesigned, that is incredible. The 737 has had a bad reputation because of the 100-200 series and all the frames that have been lost. I do however think that the next-generation 737 that were introduced several years ago changed some airlines views on the aircraft. Good for Boeing!


P.S. One thing that really gets me was how Boeing had this idea of the future being with better airplanes that were made out of more composite material and were more fuel efficient, of course along with other things. So many people were against that, and even some said that they were lost. Well, look who is lost now Airbus! (Sorry I had to say that)

Brookside

I can't translate all these specs from Dutch...but the illustration looks to be a
comparison of materials used on each fuselage.

Michael

The is truly remarkable how the 787 is so much more advanced. Boeing really did it's homework when designing this plane. I thin Airbus rushed into it to try to compete and therefore didn't want to redesign the 330 so much or completely design a new aircraft. Now they are falling back.

OH one thing I wanted to say was conerning the 787 and the tail you see. That is not the tail that is truly going to be on the aircraft. Boeing has radically changed the aircrafts look.

Brookside

A nice comparison to the Airbus A380 heavy.

BMWFreak...I love the 787 tailwing...what will they change?

Michael

Take a look at the picture that I posted above you last post. That is the official rendering of what the 787 should look like. The shark fin as been done away with to bring back the typical rudder that Boeing has.

The sharp nose that you see in the comparison between the A380, 787, and the bus is done away with as well, for a more conventional and less radical nose.

The radical design has changed a lot.

Brookside

Michael

The Constellation if I am not mistaken is the name of that plane.

What a beauty.

Do you know they still have one in preservation at some musuem. A few months ago I was going through Airliners.net and I saw that the plane had taken a flight recently which was done by the TWA musuem or something to that effect.



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In reference to the changes that Boeing made to the 787 I think one could say that were expected. Maybe some sort of regulation or engineers fearing that it was not an apt design, went ahead and changed it. So in a way, it is a modern version of a 757 and a 767. I am not sure about the seating capacity, but I do know that different versions are going to be made. I realy look forward to the introduction of this aircraft in the aviation industry, as it truly will be a marvel.


Here is a picture that I got from a thread at airliners.net which is referencing to a article on the Boeing 787 and the decision to whether they should ramp up production:

Michael

The picture I posted above reminds me so much of a Boeing 767-300ER.

ZicZachZo

You know I'm kind of dissapointed that 787 looks really different from when the first CG images were realesed. One thing that looks really really cool is the inside of that airplane. That looks very promising. As for the A350... Well I really haven't heard anything about it.

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