Boeing and Airbus Foresee Strong Growth In Asian Market

Recent press releases by both Airbus and Boeing reveal that both aircraft manufacturers are still predicting strong long term and short term growth in Asia. At a time when aircraft and airline demand is quite dismal in North America and parts of Europe, strong economic growth in Asia has resulted in demand going through the roof in this area of the world. This is mostly due to the shift in wealth that is taking place throughout the world, which has resulted in more people in Asia being able to afford traveling by air. As the economic prosperity of these countries continues to increase this demand for air travel will certainly follow, as flying is viewed in most areas as a luxury that is not affordable for most. The overall increase in wealth for the Asian region is not only resulting in increased demand for airlines but also for private aircraft as well.

This is good news for aircraft manufacturers, which are one of the most “international” business sectors in the world. There are few companies that can match the diverse customer base that both Airbus and Boeing rely upon. This means that even though the economic conditions in their respective countries are struggling, they can rely upon the strong position of the emerging economies in Asia. While this increased demand has been a blessing for both manufacturers, there are challenges that accompany this growth. For example, Boeing recently released information that states they anticipate a severe shortage of qualified pilots in most areas of Asia within the next 20 years.

It is no surprise that the majority of this demand will come from China, which is slated to need an additional 72,700 new pilots and 108,300 new technicians. This takes into account those who will be retiring as well as the new positions created due to increased demand. This is a staggering number that is troubling in a time when the prospect of being a pilot is not a very desirable job. While in the past pilots where given VIP treatment similar to a rock star, the days of glamorous travel are gone. As a whole we now view travel as a means to an end, rather than a experience all its own. There are a variety of reasons that have contributed to this change but the fact remains that becoming a pilot is not a job path sought out by the masses. This has resulted in Boeing undertaking efforts to entice young students into a path to becoming a pilot. These efforts are aimed at recruiting enough pilots to fill these positions in the next 20 years, in order to keep up with demand in the region. Boeing recognizes that no matter what the demand is, they will only get the orders for new aircraft if there are enough pilots to fly them.

It remains to be seen whether this shift in demand from North America and Western Europe to Asia is a short term event or the new reality. Either way it is important for both manufacturers to embrace this change in demand and react accordingly. Boeing’s efforts seem to be a logical response to an obvious issue they will be faced with in the future. The strong demand that is predicted in this region will hopefully be enough to sustain these manufacturers as the economic woes continue to hamper growth in the US and Western Europe.

Is Automated Aircraft Assembly A Realistic Concept?

The aircraft industry as a whole has consistently led the way in developing high tech solutions to increase overall production and decrease the time needed for production. The latest example can be found by looking at the widespread use of composite materials in aircraft construction. While high strength, low weight composites have been around for many years, it has taken this long to perfect the formula for use in aircraft construction. Since an aircraft is built to such tight tolerances, designers must be absolutely certain that their materials will work in every possible situation. Many people have often questioned why automation has not been utilized more widely within the aircraft manufacturing industry and there are a few logical answers. The main argument that is most logical is that if the automotive industry can figure out how to utilize robotic machinery for assembling cars & trucks, why can’t the aircraft industry do the same. While this may seem like a good comparison on the surface, when you dig a little deeper you see why this is not such a great example. Another likely factor in the whole automation argument is that the companies will face the backlash from workers whose jobs are replaced by robots and other machinery. When you put all of these factors together it becomes a little more clear as to why we have not seen more widespread automation throughout the aircraft manufacturing sector.

One of the biggest challenges of trying to integrate robotic automation systems into the aircraft manufacturing process is the sheer size of the components. When it comes to automotive assembly the biggest component is only several feet long and weighs less than 1,000 pounds. This is compared to full size aircraft which are assembled in sections weighing several tons and spanning distances similar to the length of your home. Not only does the sheer size of the component parts pose a potential problem but the fact remains that aircraft need to adhere to extremely tight tolerances in order to maintain absolutely perfect handling and performance characteristics. While these are certainly a unique set of challenges, they are not insurmountable, just a big project to undertake. It would seem likely that one of the major aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing or Airbus would have developed a solution to increase the automation in factories, but up to this point there have been no sweeping changes in this regard. However, a team of developers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials has put a significant amount of time and effort into developing a system to revolutionize the aircraft manufacturing industry.

Their newly developed system would replace the traditional assembly cell system, which requires extensive renovation and retooling of factory space when switching manufacturing from one model to another. The idea that Fraunhofer has put forth is dubbed as a flexible assembly line model that relies upon robotic grippers attached to a single arm. While this type of system would need to be reconfigured when switching from one model to another, it would take far less time than traditional methods. This system does have some similarities to what is found on automobile assembly lines but this is a truly unique solution catered to the challenges of aircraft manufacturing. They plan to demonstrate some of the capabilities of this system at the upcoming Composites Europe Trade Fair being held in Stuttgart, Germany from September 27-29. It would likely take a great deal of additional testing and research before any manufacturer where to introduce this system into their factories. However, it would not be a great surprise if this system started to see use in the assembly of new aircraft within a few years.

Boeing Gets The Nod From FAA For Its Largest Aircraft Ever, The 747-8

After countless delays and numerous cost overruns the Boeing 747-8 has finally received approval from the FAA. The project initially got underway in 2005 with the goal of finishing in 2009 and was bogged down from the beginning as engineers had to put more effort into the already lagging 787 Dreamliner project. In addition to this the design underwent numerous design changes after the test flights began. These changes resulted in even more delays and pushed the entire process way behind schedule. The initial plan for this cargo jet project was to simply stretch the layout of the existing 747-400 aircraft. This plan consisted of adding two extensions to the fuselage, with the wings and remaining structure unchanged. Boeing decided to utilize the 787 style engine on the new aircraft for increased fuel efficiency, but this required changes to the wing in order to perform as expected.

Since this decision required the engineering team to totally redesign the wing it resulted in a much longer time frame than anticipated. The wingspan on the new 747-8 is a total of 225 feet which is 13 feet wider than the model used on the previous design. This ultimately resulted in some issues that were found on test flights. On the test flights it was discovered that there was excess vibration while operating at cruising speeds. While these vibrations were discovered to only be a nuisance, and nothing that compromised the safety of the aircraft, it was still another issue to be resolved. Another problem that was discovered during the many test flights was buffeting which occurred when the flaps were lowered during landing. However, this was a minor issue and was resolved by changing the settings of the flaps and did not require any structural alterations. The Boeing 747-8 was found to have much better handling at low speeds than expected, which helped with resolving the buffeting issue.

Test pilots who flew the 747-8 during the test phase of the project report that this model handles similar to the existing 747-400 models. Boeing reports that pilots who are certified to fly the 747-400 will only be required to have 3 days of training in order to fly the 747-8. While the new 747-8 was intended to have an advanced flight management computer system, problems in developing the new system resulted in the 747-8 being rolled out with the same flight management system as current 747 models. Boeing has plans to release an upgraded software package in the future which will add to the functionality of the current system.

With a total of $4 billion being spent thus far on developing the 747-8, Boeing is looking to recoup these costs as quickly as possible by increasing production of these models. They are currently producing approximately 1.5 units per month and they are planing to increase production to 2 units per month starting in early 2012. They have received a total of 78 orders for the 747-8 model and they are working on a separate model to accommodate passengers instead of freight.

Honda Aircraft Co. Unveils New Plant For HondaJet In North Carolina

Honda Aircraft Company recently unveiled the main building in their newly constructed production and servicing plant, which is located in Greensboro, NC. According to officials within the Honda Aircraft Co. the completion of this building means that they now have all necessary operations located at one single facility. Everything from marketing to design and production are going to be handled at this one facility in order to streamline the process. Placing all of the business functions in the same physical area will greatly reduce turnaround time when changes are implemented and allows for all business areas to be more aware of the situations being faced by one another. They are hoping that this facility will eventually have the capacity to churn out around 100 of the small corporate jets yearly for the next three years.

Representatives speaking on behalf of Honda Aircraft stated that they have currently received around 100 orders for the new HondaJet. They are also starting to heavily market the jet and with a second test model scheduled to be finished within a few months, they will be further increasing marketing and promotion efforts. With the current demand for corporate jets just starting to experience a slight rebound it seems that the timing is right for the HondaJet. Also, they have designed the jet to be very affordable and offer tremendous value to their customers. If they can deliver on this design philosophy there is no doubt they will easily sell the 100 per year that are scheduled to be manufactured.

The plan for Honda Aircraft is to increase hiring efforts at the new Greensboro, NC plant to fill an additional 300 positions, which will bring the production end up to full capacity. This is in addition to the 600 employees who are currently working for Honda Aircraft Co. The company plans to move all of the necessary equipment into the plant by early next year, with the first production model being completed by the beginning of 2013. The base price for this jet is a meager $4.5 million, which in terms of a private jet is quite affordable. Honda Aircraft is hoping to bank on the strong reputation of the company in other areas to help people put their faith in this new endeavor. Initial testing has gone fairly well and all indications are that production will begin as scheduled, which is a rarity in the aviation world these days.

American Airlines Announces Massive Order For 460 New Aircraft

In an announcement to the press American Airlines confirmed that they have just placed a record order for 460 new aircraft. The aircraft air to be made by both Boeing and Airbus, with Airbus getting a slightly larger portion of the order. This will mark the first time in many years that American has bought an aircraft from Airbus, the last Airbus to be operated by American was pulled from service in 1998. The order will be for 260 planes from airbus and the remaining 200 to be manufactured by Boeing, with options in place for a few hundred more between both manufacturers. This marks a major shift in the model being followed by US airlines. On average the United States has some of the oldest aircraft throughout the world, which is likely to soon change because of this announcement.

As we have seen in the past, when it comes to the major airlines in the US when one makes a big move the rest are sure to follow. This is good news economically speaking as this order will likely speed up plans that American’s competitors have for replacing their aircraft. The other major airlines are likely to start scrambling to put together major orders for new aircraft. If they do not they will be at a major disadvantage in the future as American will then have a fleet of aircraft which will be far superior as compared to its competitors. The new aircraft will not feature increased fuel efficiency but also much improved interiors with superior in flight entertainment options and other improvements.

The new aircraft will allow American Airlines to better cater to the business class of travelers, which are generally viewed as the most profitable segment of travelers. There had been rumors that American was going to be placing a substantial order for aircraft but no one predicted it would be this big of an order. This will allow the airline to replace its aging fleet of fuel hungry MD-80s with more fuel efficient modern designs. With the current high cost of fuel and no relief in sight, American decided that now was the time to take action. For the first time in the history of the company fuel costs are now greater than labor costs, which helped them to make this decision.

There are some who question this move by American and think it is illogical to undertake such an expensive capital investment project in a time of such dismal results. Those who question the decision think that the business model for American needs to be updated, not the aircraft. It will be some time until we see how this all plays out, but in the short term this has definitely gotten the attention of the other major airlines in the US. It is also good news for Boeing and Airbus as both manufacturers are likely to see more business as a result of this move. This move is also likely to bring much needed business to American, as the public will be more likely to book a flight with an airline that has better aircraft. The first of the aircraft in this order are slated to be delivered as early as 2013 from both manufacturers. This short turn around time means that American will only have to wait just over a year until they start to see how well this benefits the company.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Makes Debut In Japan

Amid much fanfare the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to fly across the Pacific Ocean landed at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan. The Dreamliner was flown by All Nippon Airway’s pilots from Seattle, Washington to Haneda Airport where it will begin testing before being the first one to be put into commercial service. All Nippon Airways has awaited the arrival of the Boeing 787 with much anticipation as it was originally scheduled to be delivered back in 2008. After multiple delays due to a variety of production and development issues All Nippon is glad to have finally taken delivery of the aircraft and are looking forward to putting it into service.

The 787 Dreamliner marks the beginning of a new era of aircraft that are being produced with lightweight composite materials. The shift from using aluminum to composite materials has resulted in many of the delays, as composites require many components to be redesigned or altered. Along with the use of composites to reduce weight, the new 787 also relies upon engines which are more fuel efficient when compared to previous models. The combination of more efficient engines and a lighter overall weight make the Dreamliner 20% more fuel efficient as compared to other similarly sized aircraft. In a time of sky rocketing fuel prices this is a key factor that will end up saving airlines a considerable amount of money through reduced fuel consumption.

All Nippon Airways was the first customer to order the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and they have ordered a total of 55 of the newly designed model. They are planning on using the aircraft on longer, intercontinental routes where there is moderate demand. These routes do not have enough demand to warrant the use of larger 747 models but they were too great of a distance for existing smaller aircraft. With the increased fuel efficiency the 787 is the perfect aircraft for All Nippon Airways when it comes to these longer flights with moderate demand.

There have been a total of over 800 of the Boeing 787s to be ordered thus far by a number of airlines both in the US and internationally. This will likely be the stepping stone for developing more fuel efficient models throughout Boeing’s entire lineup of commercial jets. Now that they have significant experience with utilizing composite materials in commercial airliners it should make the development of newer models much easier. As the world continues to focus on rising fuel costs it only makes sense for Boeing and other manufacturers to develop and manufacture aircraft with increased fuel efficiency. Since fuel is the major expense component of commercial aviation any manufacturer that develops a more efficient product will sell the most aircraft.

Airbus Gets Majority of Sales At Paris Air Show

The Paris Air Show was certainly a positive experience for Airbus as they signed several deals with a variety of airlines to purchase a variety of their aircraft. The majority of these orders were for the increasingly popular A320neo model, which features improvements to the existing A320 models. Airbus claimed a total of approximately $72 billion in sales from the air show, compared to around $22 billion from rival manufacturer Boeing. Boeing responded to these figures by stating, in so many words, that Airbus was holding out orders over the last few months to save them for the air show so they could post impressive numbers. In other words Boeing is claiming that Airbus delayed signing any deals over the last few months so they could sign them all during the air show to make it look like the airlines were all impressed with what they had to offer. Whether or not this is true will probably never be know, but no matter when the orders were placed it is still an impressive amount of aircraft to be ordered.

The main reason that Airbus was able to sign so many deals is likely due to their focus on improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions in the new models being sold. With record high fuel prices and increasing pressure to reduce emissions airlines are looking to order aircraft that meet both of these criteria. By ordering aircraft that are more fuel efficient the airlines will be able to save money down the road in terms of reduced operating costs for fuel. With high fuel costs being in the spotlight so much lately it is no surprise that airlines would seek out aircraft that offer greater efficiency. This is similar to the automobile market which has shifted from gas guzzling SUVs to more fuel efficient sedans.

After an embarrassing start to the show, when an Airbus A380 clipped its wingtip while moving on a taxiway, they turned things around in grand fashion. In fact they set two records for the largest aircraft order ever made. The first record breaking order was to the airline IndiGo, which was broken just a few days later by AirAsia when they placed an order worth over $18 billion. This order was for 200 of the Airbus A320neo aircraft, which is arguably the most popular aircraft among airlines throughout the world right now. The A320neo’s claim to fame is that it is around 15% more fuel efficient than its competitor, the Boeing 737. While 15% may not seem like a huge amount to some, when put into the perspective of the airline’s operating costs this is huge. Since fuel is such a major component of operating expenses being able to save 15% on fuel could possibly be the difference between being profitable or losing money for an airline. Airbus will likely continue to eclipse Boeing in terms of commercial sales until Boeing can come up with an aircraft that has greater fuel efficiency than current models.

What’s On The Radar For Northrop Grumman Aircraft?

The last few months have been full of activity for Northrop Grumman Aircraft division. With several ongoing projects for the military of the United States, Australia, and others, Northrop has taken on several innovative projects that further their role as a key player in providing solutions in the military aircraft arena. One of the most visible project is that of the F-35 Joint Strike fighter, being designed as the go to aircraft for the US military in the near future.

Northrop Grumman contributes several key components of the aircraft, the project is being overseen by Lockheed Martin. Northrop’s role is to provide center fuselages, the radar system and other vital avionics systems. They have recently added an integrated assembly line in Palmdale, California for the construction of the center fuselages. This integrated assembly line features many of the technological systems and processes that are found in current automobile assembly lines. The entire assembly line is controlled by a wireless communications center that is housed in a central location. This integrated assembly line will allow greater efficiencies in production and will allow them to produce the units as quickly as possible, while still maintaining the necessary precision and quality. The first of the complete fuselages are scheduled to roll off the line in early 2012.

The second most visible project that is underway at Northrop Grumman aircraft is the development and production of the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS), which is being built for the United States Navy. Flight test engineers have recently completed their second and third successful flights of the new aircraft, which was tested at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The second and third flight tests took place less than a month after the initial flight. This is a very tight schedule in the flight testing world and attests to the successful design of the aircraft. These tests are slowly pushing the envelope of altitude and speed. The first test flew at a speed of around 180 knots at an altitude of 5,000 feet, while the second test flew at a speed of 200 knots and an altitude of 7,500 feet. This rigorous test schedule is designed around the date of 2013, when the aircraft is scheduled to be ready for use.

Between the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the X-47B UCAS Northrop Grumman aircraft seem to be providing the military with the solutions that they are after. They are also in the process of developing several other projects for the military. They have proven their ability to provide state of the art products that are both effective and efficient.

Cessna Aircraft Company Flying Out Of The Recession With The Skycatcher

The last few years have undoubtedly been quite dismal for Cessna Aircraft Company, to put it mildly. In recent years a combination of their decision to manufacture some aircraft in China and the global economic downturn led to a steep decline in their aircraft sales revenue. The announcement in late 2007 that the Cessna 162 would be produced in China led to a large amount of complaints from the existing and potential customer base. The complaints were a result of customers’ concerns of the quality of products, human rights issues and job exports in China. While the poor economy did not cause a sharp drop in corporate Cessna Aircraft orders, it did result in a drastic reduction of the number of aircraft ordered by individuals. This is where the Skycatcher comes in, Cessna is hoping that this model will result in increased orders and offer customers a positive view of the company.

The Skycatcher is an award winning light sport aircraft with a reasonable price tag of around $113,000. These models are starting to be delivered in the United States and will soon start to be regularly delivered internationally. The plan is for this model to become the go to trainer in flight school hangars and training centers all over the world. There are currently plans to deliver around 150 models worldwide in 2011. Cessna is hoping that the combination of award winning design, reasonable price tag and ease of use will make this plane a worldwide success that helps turn the company around. From the initial reviews and reactions it seems that this is becoming more of a possibility every day. They will need to rely not only on the North American market but the International market in order to really turn things around. Cessna is focusing now more than ever on the Asian market as a way to increase revenues.

They have recently announced a corporate restructuring plan which puts more focus on emerging markets in some Asian countries. They have also added a regional manager for field service, based in Singapore, to match the pace of the increased growth and demand for Cessna products. While Cessna has been a household name synonymous with personal aviation in North America for quite some time, this recent restructuring should help pave the way for worldwide recognition of the brand. Since the company started in 1927 they have faced similar downturns in the economy and other issues. They are hoping that the Skycatcher will bring new success to Cessna, just as the C-34 Airmaster helped to lift the company out of the great depression.

Bombardier Adds Challenger 605 Simulator To Dallas Training Facility

Bombardier has recently added a new flight simulator to their training facility at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Texas. The simulator was manufactured by CAE for the Challenger 605 aircraft, in order to keep pace with the growing demand for training to fly this aircraft. The simulator received the thumbs up from the FAA and TC around the end of December and began training in the simulator a few days later on January 5th. This simulator adds to the existing arsenal of CAE flight training tools that are currently used by Bombardier at their training centers around the world.

The Challenger simulator is in addition to three other units that were delivered to Bombardier training facilities in the last year. These include models that are for training in the Challenger 300 Series, Learjet 40, and Learjet 45 line of aircraft. These were delivered to the company’s training facilities in Amsterdam, Netherlands and Burgess Hill, United Kingdom. There is also another simulator that is scheduled for delivery sometime in the second quarter of this year. The simulator to be delivered later this year is the Global Vision FFS, which is to be used in training for the Challenger 604 aircraft. The new CAE simulators ensure that Bombardier is able to keep pace with the increasing training needs for all lines of aircraft.

Bombardier is currently one of very few aircraft manufacturers, if not the only one, that provides extensive training and certification for the use of their aircraft. With training facilities in Montreal, Amsterdam, Dallas, Burgess Hill and United Arab Emirates they have strategically located training centers to accommodate customers worldwide. When it comes to training in a particular type of aircraft, who better to teach you than the people who built it. They have mountains of data on the jets and all of the information compiled from countless hours of testing and tuning. It is surprising that more aircraft manufacturers do not follow a similar model and provide training programs for the aircraft they build, especially when introducing completely new models.

Bombardier has proven that it is possible and profitable to train pilots using flight simulators from companies such as CAE. The ease of use, time savings, and fuel savings offset the high price tag of a flight simulator. The rising fuel prices will certainly make virtual training for aircraft pilots a necessity, not just an option, in the near future. While flight simulators cannot completely replace the real thing, they come very close.

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