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Another very cool thing about the 787 for those of us who like window seats - the windows are much larger, and they have an internal screen that's activated from your seat. No more window shades.
Please forgive my ignorance, but what is the difference between a 767 and this plane, 787? Is it bigger than the 767? Isn't the 767 the largest plane thus far? I was on a 767 a few yrs back on a flight from MIA to U.K.'s Gatwick(sp?). That was a huge plane, very nice though!
The 767-400 and the 787 are similar in their passenger capacities, but the way they're constructed, the technology in the avionics, and the materials they're made out of is the big difference between both aircraft, and as somebody else mentioned, the 787 will be more economical to operate since it is lighter than the 767, and it has a higher fuel efficiency.
The one advantage of the 767 is it has the same instrument panel as its sister model, the Boeing 757, which means somebody who is rated for a 767, can also fly a 757, and since the 767 is larger and heavier, somebody with 757 rating can also fly the 767 with minimal training. Unfortunately, Boeing stopped producing the 757, but I'm sure the ones that are being operated will be around for a long time.
I've flown on the Boeing 767-200 and the 767-300 numerous times, and I've flown them on simulators, and I love them.
Right now the 747 is still Boeing's largest aircraft, the second largest is the 777/Tripple 7, and as of now, the 767-400 is their third largest aircraft.
A problem that I would have with a molded barrel fuselage is repairs. Current airliners have aluminum frames, and stringers that are covered with an aluminum skin.
It is only a matter of time before a baggage loader, or catering truck gets driven into the side of an airplane. We normally just cut out the damage, throw in a new chunk of aluminum, and stick on a couple of doublers at the splice joints. I have even replaced entire skin sections that are 20 feet long. It takes a lot of fasteners, and a little time, but we are very good at it.
Composite repairs are a horse of a different color. I'm sure the engineers have worked out cold lay up repairs that can be done in the field, but this airplane pretty much turns me into a dinosaur.
SRF, Boeing, like Airbus, also uses a lot of Titanium on their newer aircraft, which is a light, and a very strong material, and I believe it is used extensively on the 787. I'm also sure Boeing has taken into consideration that a catering truck or a baggage loader will run into the fuselage of a 787 while it's parked on the tarmac, and I'm sure they'll have procedures to repair the damage. You won't be a dinosaur, you'll probably be using different tools and procedures to repair an aircraft.
I question the parts of the plane made out of plastic....what parts and just how durable is it in turbulance, storm conditions, and extreme cold??? I see how plastic in other areas, including much of it used it tools and hardware doesnt hold up.....
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Originally Posted by WyoNewk
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From what I gather, most of the plane is made from carbon fiber; that includes the fuselage, wings, etc. It's not too new in aircraft use, but it's new to use it to this degree in a plane of this size. You can be sure it'll undergo considerable in-flight testing before you ride in one, but its long-term durability won't be proven for years.
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It's what WyoNewk said, that material is not your typical household plastic you see at home everyday, it is a very strong material, and you can be sure that it will hold up under the most strenuous conditions.
I know the older Boeing jetliners, like the 707, the 727, and many older 737s can only operate for a certain number of hours, and then they have to be either retired, or go through some extensive repairs on the airframes, since the integrity of the airframe degrades gradually. With newer 737s, 747s, the 757, 767, 777, they are designed to operate for a considerably longer period of time. With the older aircraft, it wasn't feasible for airlines to spend a lot of money to rebuild the airframes, that's why many airlines chose to retire them.
Speaking of stress-testing aircraft, I remember watching a video on the news, that was made at Boeing, this was around the time the Boeing 777 was still under development, and I think it was recorded in 1993 or 1994. They showed a Tripple 7's wing being stress-tested, and it looked like a lot of mechanical pressure was being applied on the wing to make it flex and see how far it would bend before it breaks, to simulate worst-case possible scenarios in flight, those were conditions the aircraft would probably never encounter, and the wing stood against the worst possible stresses, and it finally snapped with a very loud explosion, when they expected it to, which gave an indication of a very strong wing design on the 777.
I also remember people from Boeing, who were watching the test in an isolated chamber, they cheered when the wing broke.
Here's the latest on the 787. Boeing unveiled the interior of the cabin of this beautiful aircraft.
Boeing tests inside of new 787 - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100204/ap_on_bi_ge/us_boeing787 - broken link)
The windows will be bigger but otherwise it will be just like another airplane. Economics dictate it: the airlines are going to cram as many seats as they can into the thing. Despite all the hoopla, flying on a 787 will be pretty much like any other plane for 90% of people on board. Your knees will still be jammed against the seat in front of you, your elbows will still be scrunched next to the smelly guy in the neighboring seat, the security lines at the airport will still be long, and the gate agent will still be surly.
The windows will be bigger but otherwise it will be just like another airplane. Economics dictate it: the airlines are going to cram as many seats as they can into the thing. Despite all the hoopla, flying on a 787 will be pretty much like any other plane for 90% of people on board. Your knees will still be jammed against the seat in front of you, your elbows will still be scrunched next to the smelly guy in the neighboring seat, the security lines at the airport will still be long, and the gate agent will still be surly.
Well, it won't be like another short to medium range aircraft, like a 737, or an Airbus A319/A320. The 787 does have the same features that were introduced with the 777 in the mid 1990s, but in addition, it will also have the capability to allow passengers to use their laptops and access the internet. It does also have a quieter cabin than your typical 737.
There are also many features on it that make the job of the cabin crews, and the flight crews (Captain and first officer) jobs easier, and it is more economical for an airline to operate because it has a longer range than Boeing's own comprable wide-body model, the 767, which the 787 will eventually replace.
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