I don't think Boeing needs to make a replacement for the 747 as long as they keep refining it. Look at the one of the most popular business turboprop, the King Air. It's 40 years old yet still selling good because Raytheon keeps refining it. The 737 is also approaching 40 yet it still keeps selling good. The 717 is good for regional routes that are close to the capacity of a 737-600/700 or A319/320. I don't think a smaller capacity 717 would be good at this time due to the gigantic head start in the area by Bormadier and Embraer. However, a longer range version would be good. David R > Stonecipher has far greater challenges than breathing new life into a line > that only produces one plane a month! There's still no launch customer for the > 7E7; there's still no jumbo replacement for the 747; and there's still no > aircraft that can capture a share of the RJ market. A lot of missed opportunies > IMHO. The 717 remains a distraction to a company that needs to focus. > > RT Simpson > Phoenix > > Fan of AmWest giving legacy carriers nightmares!