A new series of tests has begun on a Boeing 787-8F in Qinetiq's windtunnel
Posted on 06/22/2006 5:38:19 PM PDT by Yo-Yo
Boeing considers lengthening 747-8I
By Andrew Doyle in London
Boeing is studying the possibility of lengthening its 747-8 Intercontinental passenger aircraft in response to requests from some airlines for additional capacity.
Interest is coming primarily from Asian carriers that are also evaluating the Airbus A380, which nominally seats 555 passengers in three classes, compared with 450 for the 747-8I, say industry sources.
Commenting on the potential for increasing the -8I’s capacity, Boeing says: “We are having detailed discussions in terms of both the aircraft and the potential business deal, with a lot of the large global operators around the world that today operate 747-400s. The specifics on the 747-8 Intercontinental will not be finalised until firm configuration is reached.”
The lead member of the General Electric GEnx-powered 747-8 family is the freighter version, which will be 5.6m (18.3ft) longer than the 747-400 and is scheduled to enter service in May 2009.
The -8I as currently defined will be only 3.6m longer than the -400 because it has a shorter forward fuselage plug than the -8F.
The freighter has a firm order backlog of 18 aircraft, for Cargolux (10) and Nippon Cargo Airlines (eight). Only one -8I has been ordered, by an undisclosed VIP customer believed to be the Qatar government.
Meanwhile, Boeing has begun a fresh series of low-speed aerodynamic validation tests of a scale model of its 747-8 Freighter using Qinetiq’s pressurised, 5m-diameter windtunnel in Farnborough, UK.
The tests are being run to evaluate the aircraft’s performance in its take-off and landing configurations with flaps, slats and undercarriage deployed, its stability and control characteristics and the aerodynamic loading on the structure using 1,800 pressure taps on the left side of the model.
Double-slotted inboard and single-slotted outboard trailing-edge devices have been adopted for the -8, replacing the current 747’s triple-slotted configuration.
The Farnborough tests will continue until the end of July, and Boeing plans to return in September for another two months with a revised wing loft before the design of the 747-8 is frozen.
A new series of tests has begun on a Boeing 787-8F in Qinetiq's windtunnel
For the ping list.
Maybe they could do like with Asian trains. Let people ride on top.
The FAA & JAA sez so.
So what would the seating capacity of the new, longer 747 be? The whole article is about lengthening the plane to compete with the A-380 and their is no indication of seating capacity?????
Whoops!!! Now I see it. D'UH.
The -8I as currently defined will be only 3.6m longer than the -400 because it has a shorter forward fuselage plug than the -8F.
If they end up giving the 8I the same forward fuselage plug as the 8F, that would be an additional 2 meters. 6 feet of fuselage would be about 2 more rows of seats, or 20 more coach seats. They might be able to squeeze in 3 more rows or 30 more seats. That would up the seating to 470-480.
I recieved an email with pix that quoted:
> Boeing to take on Airbus with (1000 seat) giant 797 Blended Wing > plane Boeing is preparing a 1000 passenger jet that could reshape > the Air travel industry for the next 100 years. > The radical Blended Wing design has been developed by Boeing in > cooperation with the NASA Langley Research Centre. > > > The mammoth plane will have a wing span of 265 feet compared to the > 747's 211 feet, and is designed to fit within the newly created > terminals used for the 555 seat Airbus A380, which is 262 feet wide. > > > The new 797 is in direct response to the Airbus A380 which has racked > up 159 orders, but has not yet flown any passengers. > > > Boeing decided to kill its 747X stretched super jumbo in 2003 after > little interest was shown by airline companies, but has continued > to develop the ultimate Airbus crusher 797 for years at its Phantom > Works > research facility in Long Beach, Calif. > > > The Airbus A380 has been in the works since 1999 and has accumulated > $13 billion in development costs, which gives Boeing a huge > advantage now that Airbus has committed to the older style tubular > aircraft for decades to come. > > > There are several big advantages to the blended wing design, the most > important being the lift to drag ratio which is expected to increase > by an amazing 50%, with overall weight reduced by 25%, making it an > estimated 33% more efficient than the A380, and making Airbus's $13 > billion dollar investment look pretty shaky. > > High body rigidity is another key factor in blended wing aircraft, It > reduces turbulence and creates less stress on the air frame which > adds to efficiency, giving the 797 a tremendous 8800 nautical mile > range with its 1000 passengers flying comfortably at mach .88 or 654 > mph (+-1046km/h) cruising speed another advantage over the Airbus > tube-and-wing designed A380's 570 mph (912 km/h) The exact date for > introduction is unclear, yet the battle lines are clearly drawn in > the high-stakes war for civilian air supremacy.
The email format would't allow me to edit it...
That was dropped back in 2002. There are many unsolved problems with the design, such as not too many isle seats, and certifiying the aircraft for 1000 passengers which requires the ability to evacuate all 1000 in under 90 seconds.
Now I know! Thanx!
Biiiig target, lotsa dead people at once.
That's in India. What they do in Japan is run commuter trains without any seats at all. People just pack in, like an elevator. People read newspapers by holding them over the heads of the crowd.
If they add plugs forward of the wings it adds to two decks increasing first and business class seating.
If you want on or off the aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.
Will not work - the beverage cart would be too hard to push from aft to fore. ;)
The longer it is, the more problems you have with VMCG limits........
Cool pic!
-- I'm an airplane nut, also started my flight lessons already ! :)
"Double-slotted inboard and single-slotted outboard trailing-edge devices have been adopted for the -8, replacing the current 747’s triple-slotted configuration."
--Captian, Give me Slats, Stat!!!!! :P :P :P :D
Well, I was aboard a Cathay Pacific 747-400 flight with 531 passengers and crew packed aboard. It was New Years and seemed almost half the plane's passengers had infants or toddlers "sharing" seats.
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