=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/c/a/2007/07/07/BUGTIQSGEG= 1.DTL --------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, July 7, 2007 (SF Chronicle) Boeing's new 787 to take flight/Lofty expectations for jet made from compos= ite materials Peter Pae, Los Angeles Times (07-07) 04:00 PDT Seattle -- With the fanfare of a royal wedding and Tom Brokaw as emcee, Boeing Co. will lift the veil Sunday on its first new passenger jet in more than a decade, ushering in what some analysts believe will be a new era in air travel. More than 15,000 dignitaries and airline executives have been invited to the 787 Dreamliner rollout at Boeing's massive plant in Everett, Wash., and an estimated 50,000 current and retired employees will watch on large screens at Qwest Field, home of the National Football League's Seattle Seahawks. Boeing officials hope that the extravagant rollout befits a plane that could be a game-changer in aviation, much the way the first U.S. passenger jet, Boeing's 707, redefined travel in the 1960s, analysts said. The date of the rollout was chosen because it is the same as the model designation for the aircraft. The 707 jetliner changed aviation by enabling airlines to fly to far-flu= ng destinations more quickly than propeller-driven planes, allowing carriers to offer economy seating for the first time and making air travel more affordable. The Dreamliner is groundbreaking for a different reason: It's the first large passenger jet to have more than half of its structure made of composite materials -- carbon fibers meshed together with epoxy -- instead of aluminum sheets. Boeing has promised airlines that because of the lightweight composite material and a new jet engine, the plane will use 20 percent less fuel than passenger jets of similar size flying today. The plane, which can seat about 250 passengers, will also require less maintenance because it has fewer parts and less corrosion. Boeing claims that will save airlines about 30 percent in maintenance expenses. The plane won't start flying passengers until May 2008, but it already h= as become the hottest-selling passenger jet ever, helping Boeing report net income of $877 million for its fiscal first quarter on April 25, up from $692 million for the like period last year. Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) has ordered 50 Dreamliners and will be the first to fly it next year. With its extended range, airlines will be able to offer more nonstop flights. In all, Boeing has orders for more than 600 of the 787s from more than 35 airlines and is sold out until 2014. With such demand, Boeing has raised the list price for the plane from the initial $125 million four years ago to about $150 million. The 787 will also likely be the basis for Boeing's future aircraft development and production, analysts said. Instead of Boeing workers fastening parts and wiring the plane in Everett, the bulk of the plane will arrive at the Everett factory pre-assembled. The entire wing and major sections of the fuselage will have been assembled in such places as Japan and Italy and then shipped to the United States. Everett workers will take three days, compared with a month under the traditional process, to "snap" the sections together, much like the way a prefabricated house is constructed. While the 787 is expected to save airlines money and redefine aircraft manufacturing, less certain is its impact for passengers. Passengers will notice that the windows and the overhead bins are larger. The air in the cabin should be healthier since the composite hull will allow the airplane to be pressurized to about 6,000 feet above sea level compared with 8,000 feet for today's jet. At the lower pressurized height, passengers should be able to breathe slightly more oxygen. But basic creature comforts such as wider seats and more legroom will depend on the airlines and how they want to configure the cabin. ANA hasn't revealed how the seating will be designed but plans to install bidets in the 787's restrooms. --------------------------------------------= -------------------------- Copyright 2007 SF Chronicle <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".