July 08, 2007
Big Day for Boeing
The 787 rolls out today, with coverage from the Everett Herald and Seattle Times to digest, plus Boeing's multimedia efforts online.
Aside from the pomp and circumstance of a big event emceed by Tom Brokaw, the more important long-term news is probably whether or not Boeing can hold to its continued belief that the 787 will be ready for delivery to customers as scheduled. Given the complexity of the supply chain and combination of partners they've assembled for this plane that would seem to be quite a feat - especially compared to the notable troubles of Airbus. It just remains to be seen whether they can pull it off.
MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: Local media outlets are festooned with coverage of Sunday's events, but a bit lost in the clutter of interviewing every Tom, Dick, and Harry at the event or its satellite locations are two interesting bits: a collection of new orders for the 787 and the classy congratulatory letter from Airbus. This wire story covers both.
Posted by Eric Earling at July 08, 2007
08:58 AM | Email This
1. Good comments. The long term story is Boeing as an example of the response to globalization and how corporations can use inter-related international networks to build things across the globe.
Any lessons for our car makers? Other industries? Perhaps one day we will only design automobiles and assemble them. Garnering the high value intellectual property work here, while steel is bent and crimped somewhere else. Assuming we actually graduate more engineers and scientists, that is.
Whether you are rightie or leftie the reality seems to be that you must design a new way to produce, to compete on a new, "flat" global plane, in order to be able to export, and survive.
The only survival is global market survival.
2. The only survival of the global market will be the total destruction of the Islamonazi movement within Islam. Boeing got lucky this time. It will take one well conceived attack to disrupt a concept like this. England learned this lesson last century.
3. Whoa.
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.
A couple days ago, you were saying BA management's excrement was odorless, maybe even perfumed. Today, they're virtually clueless? Or, maybe just getting lucky?
Buddy, you gotta get on the stick. You either agree w/ what BA did, or not. The fact is this: There's precious little to be dickered here. BA NO LONGER has the facilities to do massive fabrication as they once did. They've "leaned" ('bulemic' is a better word) themselves into a corner. This dog better hunt, or ???
4. Bringing the French into the equation means certain doom for the project. Whose idea was that?
5. I was there (hubby works on 787). I gagged at the obligatory mentions of how "environmentally friendly" the new plane is, and the constant mention of how the new plane will be "increasing our understanding of other cultures", etc., etc. Scott Carson did get in a cute dig at Airbus. One big reason they are using so many foreign "partners" is that the state-owned airlines said, we'll buy your planes only if you let us build a piece. It's a logistical feat getting all the parts here, but it's a perfect argument for air-shipment of anything that will fit in a plane. Boeing needs to design and build an aircraft solely for cargo, not passengers-air freight is the wave of the future!
6. I was there (hubby works on 787). I gagged at the obligatory mentions of how "environmentally friendly" the new plane is, and the constant mention of how the new plane will be "increasing our understanding of other cultures", etc., etc. Scott Carson did get in a cute dig at Airbus. One big reason they are using so many foreign "partners" is that the state-owned airlines said, we'll buy your planes only if you let us build a piece. It's a logistical feat getting all the parts here, but it's a perfect argument for air-shipment of anything that will fit in a plane. Boeing needs to design and build an aircraft solely for cargo, not passengers-air freight is the wave of the future!
7. Boeing needs to design and build an aircraft solely for cargo, not passengers-air freight is the wave of the future!
Ummm....maybe you haven't seen the Dreamlifter. You can pack 50% of a 787 in that thing. Be perfect for UPS, Fed EX, etc.
8. Cato, I sure have seen the Dream Lifter (a more ungainly aircraft does not exist)-we only live 1/2 mile from the plant. It is not a production aircraft, and as far as I know there are only two extant, dedicated to 787 parts. I wonder if any customer has inquired about producing them in quantity.