The Dirty Little Airplane Wars By Marquess Of Queensberry. Airbus Keeps Its Dukes Up!

"Taking aim at Airbus's flexibility over pricing of the A330, whose development was paid for long ago, a Boeing executive said it would be a "losing proposition" against the smaller 737 in China, even if Airbus gave up any gap in price.

An Airbus official retorted curtly, saying Boeing's own data was "veracity-challenged".

Rueters reference see link below.

Combine that with John Leahy's, " Dogs Breakfast", at Singapore Air Show. You are beginning to see a pattern that Boeing has really, really  an irritating new Zip Code under Airbus' central nervous systems spine. Everywhere Airbus turns, is a sales pitch from Boeing, that is blocking Airbus' attempt on world dominance. Its begins to show-up with the 747-8i, in that dwindling Fat Body market for the A-380 and is encroached upon by a cheaper and more efficient by seat count, 747-8i. Currently, Boeing is nipping at Airbus' below its own A380 break even point. With the A-380 order count at 304 total booked, it can't reach its break-even number due to time valuation for money as it will take another 10 years of production.  Cost increases and money devalues on locked prices. The break-even point varies over time upward in units, and Airbus is doomed to that outcome, as order numbers grow quiet. Even though Airbus has just received a large order for the A-380, (two years of sales work) that profit dog won't hunt in the upcoming years. It will lay on the Airbus' front porch by 2016. Everybody who wants one will have its orders up. 2016 and Airbus will be in a mid afternoon restaurant slump for the A-380. While the little dog, 747-8i may continue to nip at Airbus' heals.

Rueters: Article Reference for Context

Wikipedia Unofficial Count

Customer	Entry into service	Firm Orders	Options	Deliveries	EA	RR	Press Release
Air Austral	2014	2			*
Air France	2009	12	2	9	*		[2]
Asiana Airlines	2014	6				*	[3][4]
British Airways	2013	12	7	4		*	[5]
China Southern Airlines	2011	5		5		*	[6]
Emirates	2008	140		44	90		[7]
Etihad Airways	2014	10	5		*		[8]
Hong Kong Airlines	2015	10
Kingdom Holding Company	2013	1				*
Korean Air	2011	10		8	*		[9]
Lufthansa	2010	14	2	10		*	[10]
Malaysia Airlines	2012	6		6		*	[11]
Qantas	2008	20	4	12		*	[12]
Qatar Airways	2014	10	3		*		[13][14]
Singapore Airlines	2007	24	1	19		*	[15]
Skymark Airlines	2014	6				*	[16]
Thai Airways International	2012	6		6		*	[17]
Transaero Airlines	2015	4			*		[18]
Virgin Atlantic	2018	6	6			*	[19][20]
Totals		304	31	123	148	106

304 orders with  123 deliveries tells the tale after a many year leap (2007) on Boeing's next offering, the 787 (2012). Even though they are not in the same same class, they represent the same type of gigantic capitalization poured out during a R&D and production of a type change aircraft. Boeing will surpass  the Airbus A-380 break even point on the 787 from its own investment hole. Before Airbus can get it "there", as in making money they will languish since the A380 is inflexible for route changing. In fact the order book will shrink before Airbus can make its money on the aircraft, where Boeing continues to bring in, its 787 sales order book, well beyond break even. Boeing now has enough 787 on the books to make a profit by 2017. That is my own sensible projection for writing down a profit for the project, when everyone else says sometime in 2015 for the 787. Sometime in 2015 will also be the follow-on sales years for current owners of the aircraft. The A-350 will have its splash during that time and the comparisons will have been made. A second look for the 787 after 2015, will be at an epic period for the 787. All airlines will want to know who did the best. The 787 or the A-350.

If Boeing fixes everything in a permanent fashion by then, "they really need to do that little thing",  it will come down to bottom lines of commercial carriers and the flying reach of such aircraft in its business plans. The A-330 is already marked for niche duty, and will have a graduation ceremony of rotating out to those niche routes, as airlines resupply  the A-330 with the "new premier generation of aircraft". This includes the MAX and the 777X models coming on, later in the decade.

So the Dog's breakfast is now seved in South East Asia by Leahy. The stakes are high, and becomes the tipping point for the duopoly. Winner takes the domination award. "The Veracity (or lack thereof) Challenge Award" should be awarded to Airbus rather than Boeing. The old school yard adage is in play at high levels, as Boeing is tempted to say, "it takes one to know one". Since they brought it up, they will receive the "Veracity Award Of Acheivement". They somehow explain how the A-350 works better than a 787, before customers even take delivery, using old technology with a plastic bodies. Meanwhile these so called  "untruthful competitors", have over 120 airlplanes for its customers flying every day, every hour and every second. After-all, Airbus sweeps the "Hydraulics" award, and the "My Extra Wide Body is Not Enough Award" (77X). Plus they receive a medallion for "No New Breakthrough Technogoly On The A-350 Award. They just barrowed from 787 suppliers, its new stuff to plug and play on the A-350.

I haven't mentioned the Neo and single isle dominance. Unfortunately no one has produced its single isle champion to the market, as of yet, and we have bloated order books for both sides. The veracity remains with its actual operational numbers. The spin of the roulette wheel will tell who wins and who loses. The Max has made the case it beats the NEO. The Neo claims order book numbers and proclaims,"customer's know best, look at our sales numbers". Boeing retorts, "we are gaining on you NEO because we are better." ... And so forth and so forth!

This battle will be solved by the veracity of flight test numbers of the MAX. Then the table will turn when those actual numbers come out and play in the minds of airline analyst and CEO's. If the Max has more seats than the comparable Neo and flies cheaper, then the single isle market does not move aircraft for its amenities, but for the the cheaper ticket prices. On board passenger gizmo's are not as important on a three hour flight as on a 15 hour 787 flight. Customers want to hop on and hop off with value and efficiency. The MAX has a leg up on that matter as its ticket prices could trend lower than the NEO's  tickets could do, because of MAX value is imputed within the airframe. Why fly on an American Airlines NEO when you can fly on a SW Max for those hours spending $20 dollars cheaper for the ticket, savy!

That would also take Boeing to get that message out after its two years in service. Then you will see aircraft NEO models orders, flipping from Airbus to Boeing in the third year during the NEO vs MAX war.

Veracity of a Dog's Breakfast is Airbus' war cry, as it pains its way through South East Asia's market. A better war cry from Boeing is the "The Silence of Victory is Our Engine, Our Wings and Our Design".

The Terrible Teens and What To Do!

Like all parents who no longer can cope with a terrible teen there are options for that parent who will remedially apply techniques on that teen. The 787-8 who languishes with a thousands drops of water torture in Everett,WA. Is the billion dollar write -off that doesn't necessarily have to happen. Boeing needs to find a partner on a 787-8 project. One suggestion could have good consequences and  provide a win-win solution.

Enter a military agreement by developing those terrible teens (production numbers 11-19) in an AWACS development plan.  The large 787-8 as opposed to the much smaller 737 current submarine hunters or AWAC type aircraft could be crammed with up to one hundred specialist and its equipment to manage war on the ground, air and sea in array of devices up linked to satellites and its photography. Imagine having a 15 hour on station presence over a broad playing field directing friendlies and defeating the foes. Integrating with cruise missiles, submarine and other tactical applications. The ability to find intruders in an array of tracking devices and giving real time updates by the milli second data streams. Attacks and targets are orchestrated from above in the middle space. It would use both the up-linking of ground inputs giving targets on the ground a specific GPS address and directing that upload to war fighters is the sub space internet. Mufti tasking a large array of equipment could be the "terrible teens tasks".

So Boeing should look to the military and offer a quid quot pro deal in upgrading war field management with jets large enough and jets that can fly long enough to have a 24 hour presence in a theater of war. This integration would provide all services the ultimate high ground. Satellites have greater safety but are diminished by the ability of using up satellite resources in re positioning where an aircraft could give a broader range of services and remain on station 24 hours a day with shifts of flights with a super large command center during a crises.

To further make this case one would think a missile shoot down of this large aircraft with a hundred skilled persons would be a tragic loss. And it would be. But the same electronics on-board the large command center would also track, aircraft, missiles and its launches where a sufficient shield would protect this command center in seconds rather than minutes. Early warning and defensive measure would most certainly protect the 787 platform, as it could integrate its own defense from all the war making delivery systems from the Army, Navy and Air force at its disposal. A multi-missile attack would expend valuable resources a foe needs to sparingly use against the US Arm Force. Counter measures would be directed by the 787 Command center since it has all the data available of its resources available and to deploy it.

The 787 has plenty of electrical generation on-board to expand the AWACs mission into a true battle field command center without using up its military satellites when re positioning them. The 787 high ground can reach most satellite trajectories to relay battle field information and these terrible teens could do that Job.

John Leahy " Dogs Breakfast,", Really JOHN At An Event!

Especially when considering the status of what Dogs are in, with a Singapore Menu selection for the South East Asia cuisine.

The cover line – War over wide bodies – refers to Max Kingsley-Jones’s piece, filed from the show, about how the big two air framers were taking potshots at the other’s twin-aisle product strategy at Singapore, with Airbus’s John Leahy describing his rival’s eight-aircraft line-up in the 200- to 400-seat space as a “dog’s breakfast”. Boeing’s Randy Tinseth retorted by saying Airbus’s A350 “looks a little, too late to the market place”. - See more at: The Link 

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flight-international-editors-blog/2014/02/war-widebodies/#sthash.fegizXy2.dpuf

This is a quick quip about our Euro Trash, as in taking the trash out in Singapore. The A-350 is a lost leader blow out sale for undiscerning airlines.  Even with the 787-8 roll out into the market place glitching all the way because it is loaded with electronic opportunity for airlines, the A350 can't glitch what they don't have. Once Boeing sorts out all the advancements into a complying format it will make the A-350 a waste of time and money. Lithium -Ion is not dead, and those software issues are handled.

So John, I'm surprised, as the head sales chief as a manufacturer of flying big stuff. You make that kind of remark in South East Asia. Dog is sometimes is what's for dinner not for breakfast, assuming dogs are on the menu.

Qatar Buys Air From Boeing

Not actually air but the wind that is created, as the globe spins. Qatar has agreed to integrate Boeing wind information systems on its current fleet of 787 aircraft. Those annoying head winds will be dampened by flight management systems as it updates the latest flight conditions from wind occurrences around the world, and take advantage of both head and tails of wind. The importance of this information is called a flight management tool. Resulting in a many tiered advantage. Timeliness and fuel efficiency is the air That Boeing sales to Qatar. Fuel loads eat into the profitability of one launch. How much fuel is loaded in weight determines how much more or less the aircraft will burn. Finding the right winds could save tens of thousands of $ dollars on one trip. A global system from satellites measures jet stream and wind currents relaying that information to a target aircraft en-route to its destination. The on-board computer may tweak the flight a little north or south of the flight line drawn on its filed flight plan. A small deviation will squeeze and save more fuel for the next flight and so forth. At the end of the year one can project the what ifs out of the systems  into dollars saved directly from operations to the bottom line.

Qatar bought air flow from Boeing in a package. The sales team made a case that air can cost you money if mis-applied.

Qatar Airways and Boeing in deal to maximize in-flight operational efficiency

"Qatar Airways and Boeing have signed a five-year agreement to provide Boeing Wind Updates services for the airline to maximize in-flight operational efficiency.

Boeing Wind Updates provides customized, real-time wind and temperature information to aircraft. This data allows for more efficient trajectory prediction during pre-flight operations and continuous optimization in-flight by providing tailored wind information for flight crews and the aircraft flight management system. As part of the agreement, Boeing Wind Updates will be integrated fleet-wide, across all Qatar Airways Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

“We are pleased to upgrade our wind up-link capability by integrating the Boeing Wind Updates service into our operations at Qatar Airways to properly predict and measure current wind conditions,” said Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker."

Harrumph We'll Build That Wing Anywhere, Harrumph We'll Build The 777X Anywhere

Hey Seattle/Everett, Harrumph, Boeing isn't going anywhere, but just across the parking lot. After much consideration and flirts with States, Cities and municipalities the 777x comes totally home. Otherwise, it never left the NW or the municipality for that matter. Boeing just gave a big harrumph to the union and went back to work in Everett. The 777X magical wing is being built in Oz. Holy Corsair Batman! This wing will be carted across the hall way to assembly when completed. I know those ginormous buildings don't have hallways, that in itself is an obscene concept. The folding, flexing, and flying wing is going to be built right near the Emerald city. However it won' t be attached to flying monkeys. The 777X is the new magical bird with an all new wing, conceived in a purpose driven plans for world domination. It is rapidly gaining harrumph in Everett. Warning, the next harrumph is for Airbus. Mel Brooks, movie making mogul, would be proud of Boeing's corporate harrumphs in succession ( "Blazing Saddles" fame).

The folding, flexing and flying wing (FFFW) for those in need of a acronym has relocated to another building space. Or you could now call it the flying folding flexing Wing without losing track of the concept. Or go to the flexing, flying and folding after take-off and then landing. Otherwise FFFW makes you an expert no matter how you order the wing functions, just so the W is listed last, you become a Boeing wing type expert. From now on, I will refer to it as the folding, flexing and flying Wing on its third acronym permutation. Its easier to call it out as FFFW, then everybody is right and no one loses. All the FFFW needs is a big building number. A contest may have started to number the building. The number 42 is available and the letters "B" for bend it Beckem, or "W" for your flying monkey wings", are just flying rumors around the many buildings in Everett. Maybe an available EMC barn comes to mind. These are important issues remaining for the FFFW facilities!

A  large towing  engine would pull the wing out one door from its birthing and incubation facility to the extra large 777X production floor. Auto claves are needed for the large sections. Small  complimentary pieces could arrive from  suppliers like the flaps and leading edge components found on the Boeing 787 parts bin of suppliers. The main thing is the second largest part would move with normal equipment on hand. Perhaps even the main wing assembly fits comfortably on the 787 wing moving carts.

Since my seat is not on the board rather a very friendly confines on ones own Costco type chair. I guess with a digress. That Boeing is sewing together its plan, post haste, with its plan-in hand meeting by April. All contingencies and process for the "Facility" (FFFWF) will have final approvals available for the lead VP to sign off on. The FFFWF is now on for 2015. Those golden workers will achieve a miracle of joining the FFFW to the 777X. The program is growing on the factory floor, and becomes the FFFWF777X production sequence.  An Acronym that takes up the introductory paragraph of its white paper going up the chain of command. Eventually it is the goal of floor supervisors that it becomes a reality so they may, in production mode, initial below the mast head's work-order on the bottom line their own initials as it proceeds forward down the line. My own initials are used in this signature/production approval for the FFFWF777x-9-apb. The wing has now becomes a production reality in Everett, Wa. That wasn't hard at all, and Boeing could have avoided this whole mess of fishing for Red Herrings over the land and sea by just staying put to begin with, but they had to have its harrumph moments to justify who's boss once more.

Lithion-Ion Brings Promise Of Invention From The Mother's Necessary Nurture

Promise is the operative word. Boeing /787 woes have a sordid tale of fire and smoke and some mishap. Even though millions of passenger have already flown on the aircraft with millions of miles and hundreds of thousands cycles. That is current battery clue, ...cycles. As those cycles occur, science has isolated at the molecular level a diminished capacity to handle the electrical transactions in the battery and then begins the building of runaway heat. More cycles mean more vulnerability for a battery event. Even with the new safety precautions Boeing does not have a behavioral compliance for its Lithium-ion battery over expected usage cycles. In other words there is a chance, not on all batteries, but occasional batteries, that  a battery could deplete at its molecular  level and have inability to stay stable and not have a runaway episode. If that time would occur, then Boeing has adequate protection, and sufficient system to handle any event. The Boeing is therefore, safe for all its customers.

The lessons learned here is that the passengers should not have any hesitation about flying the 787 with its current battery strategy of treating a failing battery during flight. It may be no more worrisome than a during flight failure of a kitchen appliance where the potatoes are taken off the menu because the oven is down until arriving at its destination. That is my perspective of the current battery problem.

Establishing a safe habitat for a temperamental issue allows for the necessary time
for the evolution of battery technology, once the Achilles heal of the Lithium-ion has been exposed. Some elemental questions remain on the Boeing table with the FAA.

Should an airplane fly with the possibility of battery runaway during operations?

My own thought doesn't count or matter. Boeing has convinced those who matter and who do the counting , that things fail on all aircraft during life cycles in operation. As long as you have preventative measures installed on those habitual parts of wear and tear, then they have it covered for safe operation. That is the wear impediments Boeing addresses on the 787, a containment box.

The science report that shows promise. A new way of stabilizing The Lithium-ion battery in the lab is under study. No fires ever and no containment box period!

New Polymer Could End Battery Fires, Quadruple Efficiency

While testing the material, the team realized this perfluoropolyether — PFPE or Li/LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 for you chemists out there — could dissolve lithium salt, an indicator needed to produce conductivity in batteries. “Most polymers don’t mix with salt, but this one did,” says grad student and head researcher Dominica Wong. “And it was nonflammable.”


Boeing pushes science with its Lithium Ion Battery and science pushes back.  The "Golden Battery" maybe sooner than later. An airplane without a containment case becomes obsolete. The billion dollar answer is just a  few years away. Containment is becoming just a stop gap not a solution. Research has a new guide on to explore with promising results. Aviation is probably jumping all over this promise with added support and money.

All though this is not a panacea for the current Lithium -Ion  battery problem, it is a new path to pursue with a solid architecture for stability. Who knows how this will play out as the for the click of LI lock is found. Science will play this out with billions of $ at stake. 

In the mean time Boeing can fly on with solid containment of a mystery.

The Tired Tale Of Trouble With Charleston's 787

It was mentioned earlier in this blog that a few trained lead engineers, workers, and technicians mix in with an untrained workforce would make problems. Contract worker are hired in to calm the production woes. Its next prgression is one gigantic cluster formation on the floor. That is where Boeing is today, finding out who clustered forced who during this last surge in production.  Is this another epic movie of "Saving Ryans Privates"? I don't think so. Now Boeing rolls out its heavy cannon for a starboard broadside at any one willing to watch. Admiral McNerney commands in a very weak font this day.

"This is what happens on all of our programs," he said. "Sometimes when we break to a rate, it surfaces an issue that needs some extra attention. And that's really the story here."

Wow, I am really underwhelmed as the wings keep flapping on the factory floor in the cadence of overworked seven-day work shifts, having little sleep. That sounds an issue surfaces, and the rate is broken. The left hand fell asleep on the right hand. Corporate Boeing refuses to give in to its "Dick Headed Momentum".

They are sending in 600 more of the Light Brigade in a futile war way over near Sochi near Crimea. Everybody keep moving, nothing hapining here, and stay back from the yellow tape. All I can tell is that nothing really is happening there until Boeing restores a compitant workforce with realistic goals, other than the dreams of the board of directors.  Boeing spent too much money in Charleston to think other wise. Boeing would be spot on with 8-9 frames compleeated a month. This magical 10 is a graph and chart dream that is breaking the hearts and minds of people who want to do well but have inadequate leadership and expertise to keep the wheels on the production cart. It takes tens years to build the magic on the floor. Charleston been at now for three years barely. Now Boeing up the rates and pinkies are getting jammed in the process. Barrels colide at the mid section. Workers are just plain beat with 10 a month game plan.

Why can't they do it like Everett, WA where they have built every big airplane since 1969. Well, that a no brainer when you put contractors and temporaries and a smattering of key people together to build the most advanced aircraft flying today. Your B team is trying really hard but they are lacking a solid leadership base experienced in putting the 787 together consistantly. Too many mishaps, misteps and regrets occur every week.. They Know how to do it! Because they are doing it. Ten aircraft rate breaks the rubber band holding Charleston together, and Boeing knows the whole production scheme is at risk unless they stop sending out memos from board meeting directing more airplane production without having the real status of the factory echoing from those who really know what they need to do, but will only tell that everything is fine just like McNerney stated earlier in this article, (fading font)

"This is what happens on all of our programs," he said. "Sometimes when we break to a rate, it surfaces an issue that needs some extra attention. And that's really the story here."

Rumors Of The 747-8I Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Mark Twain, American Humorist, once penned something that way with himself in mind. The 747-8I hangs in there with a sale by sale determination. By no means is the 747-8I dead. Boeing's sales minions are developing relationships so airline executives will listen. They talk about the 777X and the MAX. These sales teams continuously speak of the 787-8-9-10. By then an airline is clobbered with a 747-8I proposal they often don't see coming or consider. A perfectly normal response could be, "I thought the 747-8I died! So goes the saga of the 747-8.

Airplane aficionados also think the 747 is a stop gap order that will soon fade into the sunset. The Airbus A-380 is the biggest in the sky. It hold the most passengers and is extremely quiet and so forth. However, sales have slowed on this behemoth, just short of a break even order book number. Remember the 787 is rapidly approaching a Boeing break-even point order book number.

So the 747-8I is only a statement aircraft in response to the A-380. Its four engines seeks after a fuely hydrated twin engine market. Is the 747-8 dead? Mark Twain suggest a gross exaggeration of rumors. Answered earlier, no way! Its going about its business in a quiet four engine march. Freight keeps its plant doors churning copy. Lufthansa has no complaints and a few others are sneaking orders past the press, much to the irritation of Airbus.  So what does Boeing sales department have up its sleve when it comes to the 747-8I. I clipped something out of the Singapore Airshow press briefings from Boeing's sales chief at the show, Dinesh Keskar.

"Not surprisingly, Keskar ranks Singapore as perhaps the top market for Boeing in Southeast Asia, and one particularly suited to the 777X. But he also emphasized the potential embodied in the likes of Garuda Indonesia, which has expressed interest in the 747-8I, ..."

 Boeing Bullish About its Slice of Asian Market

That statement allows for a CPR breath for the 747-8I. The 777X 406 seat market shores up continuity from top to bottom in capacity from the 150 to the 747, 465 seat carrier, Boeing claims a 10% per seat advantage over similar configured aircraft refering to the A-380. Flying with empty seats is a higher risk with the 525 seat Airbus. Fat marrkets can do it with a 747-8i. South East Asia is a fat market (growing). Interest is higher than Airbus would like in these unique markets concerning the 747-8i. Airbus continues to rumor the 747 death. The 747 keeps showing up at the market place party held around the world as some kind of rude party crasher that is well out of fashion and unwanted by Airbus.