Hold it, airbus! Not so fast!

Flight Journal, Jun 2001 by Pace, Steve

The long-time ruler of the jumbo-jet roost, the Boeing Airplane Co., plans to get a piece of the action in the super jumbo-jet arena. But will it?

With the December 2000 launch of the Airbus A380 (formerly known as the A3XX) super jumbo-jet program (see "Flybys," April 2001 issue), the Boeing 747 is about to lose its more than 30-year reign as the world's largest passenger airliner. After many years of market research, Boeing concluded that there just isn't enough customer demand for a super jumbo-jet airliner. Now, Airbus Industries has firm orders for more than 66 A380s (with at least 54 options) and is committed to building just such a behemoth.

Just in case, Boeing is developing several versions of its famed 747 jumbo jet. The new Boeing 747X brood includes the 747-400X, 747X and 747X Stretch.

The 747-400X will be a companion to the existing 747-400 but will have a range of about 500 more statute miles. The Longer-Range 747-400 (formerly the 747X) is a stretched 747-400X with a range of about 1,000 more statute miles. The 747X Stretch is an even longer version of the Longer-Range 747-400 with a shorter range (by about 1,000 statute miles) but with seating for as many as 522 passengers. This is the version of the new 747 family that most closely resembles the Airbus A380 in size and performance, but the latter will be able to accommodate up to 550 passengers.

Powered by four 72,500-pound-thrust fanjet-type engines, Boeing's 747X Stretch will be 262 feet long, it will have a wingspan of 228 feet, 11 inches, and its maximum takeoff weight is projected to be 1,043,000 pounds.

Boeing initiated the development of its new Longer-Range 747-400 on November 28, 2000. This will be the first new version of the 747 since the standard 747-400 entered service in 1989. The new airliner will be 31.5 feet longer, and it will carry as many as 416 passengers.

As we go to press, a formal announcement that the Longer-Range 747-400 will be jointly developed and produced by Boeing and three Japanese companies-Fuji Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-is expected. Mitsubishi will build the wings, thus becoming the first Japanese company to build the wings of a large commercial aircraft.

To meet Airbus's A380 super-jumbo challenge, Boeing claims that its 747X Stretch will have lower seat/mile costs, lower trip costs, a larger hold with room for seven more containers, lower ton/mile costs (freighter configuration) and a better performance (longer range, lower fuel consumption, less noise and more speed).

Nevertheless, in the super-jumbo-jet race, Airbus Industries now appears to have a giant lead on Boeing. It has 66 firm orders for its A380, while, as I write, Boeing has no orders for the 747X Stretch. Could it be that Boeing is dogged by the "Too little, too late" syndrome? Only time will tell. -Steve Pace