787 Lameliner
Well, well, well… It looks like the ‘groundbreaking’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner is going to be nothing more than a warmed-over 767 or 777-variant. In a press release on the Boeing Media web site, Boeing indicated they had finalised the exterior design of the aircraft. Gone is the distinctive shark fin-like tail and the swept-back, elongated cockpit. It doesn’t look so special any more.
Having seen the renderings, I have to say the aircraft is nothing more than a next-generation 767 with gigantic engines and a newer wing design. The name 767NG comes to mind for me, instead of an entirely new product line. I wonder if the big windows are going to be axed in the final product design, too.
I rather suspect Boeing knew their design inefficiencies all along, and came up with such an exaggerated, futuristic design to turn heads and book orders and shift attention away from the real industry leader: Airbus. Aside from the interior (which will probably not materialise, either) this plane is going to be pretty boring.
As a fellow Apple user and former airline Captain, I must comment on your A380 piece. You are way off the 787. The A380 is no technological marvel. It is just a bit bigger than a 747, and uses all current manufacturing tech and equipment. The 787 will take efficiency to a new level, no matter how it looks. An ultra-smart wing and lighter-weight systems such as electrics replacing pneumatics, will take the commercial airliner to the next level. The A380 is a very nice airliner, from all accounts, but it is not breaking any new ground. Flashy interior mockups have been displayed for many decades whenever a new airliner is being marketed. Actual interior configurations depend on airline-dictated specs, such as a Fedex config versus a United config, for example. The 787 will trim fuel costs in a significant way and utilize far more weight-saving construction. That is what the airlines, especially the ones bleeding cash, really need. Airbus and Boeing both make fantastic planes, but please stick to what you do best. P.S. Your site is very easy on the eyes…keep up the good work!