Erik Brouwer wrote:Even ter toevoeging:
Boeing heeft 'nog maar' 4,5 miljard in de ontwikkeling van de 787 geinvesteerd. Het outsourcen van ontwerpen en productie naar buitenlandse partners brengt een groot voordeel mee: risicospreiding.
Even er vergelijking: in de 777 is toentertijd een geschatte 14 miljard gestoken.
Al dit gedramatiseer van 'hij zal wel nooit vliegen', hoorden we bij de gebroeders Wright, bij de 747-100 in 1969, bij de A380, et cetera. Het is een soort wet van Meden en Perzen, dat bij grote innovaties je altijd pessimisten hebt die niet meer in een project geloven bij een tegenslag.
M.b.t. de A330: De A330-300 is niet te vergelijken met de 787-8. 250 passagiers voor de 787-8, een A330-300 kan er 350 meenemen. Is dus ook weer een kwestie van appels en peren.
Lees dit maar eens over het "grote voordeel van risicospreiding":
http://www.seattlepi.com/business/337793_boeing02.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Last updated November 1, 2007 9:15 p.m. PT
Boeing executive faults some 787 suppliers
Public criticism is an unusual move
By JAMES WALLACE
P-I AEROSPACE REPORTER
In unusually blunt language for a top executive of The Boeing Co., Mike Bair, who was recently replaced as head of the troubled 787 program, said some suppliers have let the company down.
"Some of these guys we won't use again," Bair said Wednesday in a speech to the Snohomish County Economic Development Council.
He did not name names.
Did Bair mean to include Boeing's top-tier partners in the U.S., Italy and Japan that are responsible for manufacturing the composite wings and fuselage sections of the new jet?
"The suppliers you name and some of their subtiers," a Boeing spokesman said Thursday when asked to clarify Bair's comments.
One industry analyst called Bair's speech "remarkable."
"It's remarkable that Boeing is saying publicly that some of their world partners are falling down on the job and that Boeing made a mistake and that they will do it differently the next time," said Scott Hamilton of Leeham.net.
Bair did not have a prepared speech, Boeing said.
For Boeing's next all-new jet program after the 787, Bair said, it would be better to have a central manufacturing site rather than the global assembly method that is being used for the 787.
He said Boeing would put pressure on its suppliers the next time to locate in the same area.
The 787 production system requires modified 747 freighters to ferry the large wings and fuselage sections from the various manufacturing sites around the world, with final assembly at Boeing's Everett plant.
"It's an elegant solution to having suppliers in the wrong spot," Bair said.
Bair, who had led the 787 from its start, was replaced last month, shortly after the company announced a six-month delay in delivering the first planes to customers because of supply-chain and production problems.
Boeing workers at the Everett factory were overwhelmed by work that should have been done by suppliers.
Boeing has yet to complete work on the first plane, which has remained in the factory since its official unveiling on July 8.
First flight of that plane, initially set for late August or early September, has been delayed until the late first quarter of next year, Boeing said.
On the 787 program, Boeing gave some of the design work to suppliers, in addition to manufacturing responsibilities.
Bair said some of that design work had to be done by Boeing when some suppliers "proved incapable of doing it." The 787 will be the first large commercial jet made mostly of carbon fiber-reinforced composites instead of aluminum.
The major 787 partners include the three Japanese heavies: Mitsubishi makes the wings; Kawasaki a section of the forward fuselage, the main landing-gear wheel well and the fixed trailing edges of the wings; and Fuji the center wing box.
Alenia Aeronautica of Italy produces the center fuselage and horizontal stabilizer.
Vought Aircraft Industries in South Carolina makes the rear fuselage section. Vought and Alenia also have a joint assembly facility in Charleston.
Spirit AeroSystems in Kansas makes the nose and forward fuselage.
Boeing has acknowledged problems at the plants in Japan, Italy and South Carolina, and the company has sent hundreds of its own people to those sites to help get things on track.
"We made a bunch of mistakes and we learned a lot," Bair said.
In a recent conference call with media and analysts, Jim McNerney, chairman and chief executive of Boeing, said the 787 production system -- an industry first -- has not worked as well as planned. But he said it is still the best and most efficient way to build airplanes once the early kinks are worked out.
Airbus, in fact, plans a similar production system for its A350 jetliner due in 2013.
The Boeing spokeswoman said Bair, in his speech, was not suggesting the 787 productions system is flawed and should be scrapped, only that it would be better to have the main manufacturing partners together and located near Boeing's final assembly facility.
After being replaced as the 787 boss, Bair, 51, was handed a new assignment as senior vice president of business strategy and marketing for the commercial airplanes unit.
In that job, he will direct the business strategy for new airplane programs, including the ongoing study of a 737 replacement.
Bair said in his speech that Boeing might conduct a search to determine where to build the next new plane.
In an interview last year, McNerney told the Seattle P-I that Boeing will consider locations outside Washington state for the next plane.
"It is hard to imagine doing it someplace else, but we will look at alternatives," McNerney said.
In his speech, Bair expressed confidence that his replacement, Pat Shanahan, is up to the task. Shanahan led two commercial airplane programs before transferring to Boeing's defense unit.
"Pat has a great track record for driving things to completion," Bair said.
Hamilton said Bair's speech confirms what many in the industry had already suspected: Boeing has serious production problems.
"They have issues with front-line partners, and not just with second- and third-tier suppliers," Hamilton said.
"If things are in this much disarray, what's next?"
This report includes information from The Associated Press. P-I aerospace reporter James Wallace can be reached at 206-448-8040 or
jameswallace@seattlepi.com. Read his Aerospace blog at blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace.
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Dat ga je de komende jaren ook krijgen met de fan-motoren.. iedereen kijkt ernaar, iedereen speelt met het idee, maar wie als eerste the balls heeft om er een type mee te lanceren valt nog te bezien....