Bold Moves

Bold moves define aircraft manufacturers, and this is reflected in their product families. 

Here is a list of bold moves over the company lifespan of two giants in civil aviation jetliner builders market.

#Boeing #Airbus

Boeing 367-80 (Dash 80): The Boeing 367-80, first flown in 1954 and known simply as the Dash 80, is a quadjet prototype aircraft built by Boeing to demonstrate the advantages of jet propulsion for commercial aviation.

#dash80

Boeing 707: The Boeing 707 took its inaugural flight in 1957 and was the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Its fuselage cross-section allowed for six-abreast economy seating, a feature retained in later models such as the 720, 727, 737, and 757.

#boeing707 #jetliner

Boeing 747 (“Jumbo Jet”): Approximately 12 years later, in 1969, the Boeing 747 took its first flight. It earned the nickname “Jumbo Jet” as the world’s first wide-body airliner.

#jumbojet #boeing747 #widebody

Concorde: Also in 1969, the Concorde made its debut. This collaborative effort led to significant technological advancements and later influenced the creation of Airbus.

#concorde #sst

Airbus A300: In 1972, Airbus introduced the A300, its first production aircraft and the world’s inaugural twin-engine, double-aisle (wide-body) airliner.

#A300 #twinaisle #twinengine

Boeing 757 and 767 Pair: Around 12 years later, in 1981, Boeing unveiled the 757 and 767. These joint developments allowed Boeing to efficiently produce two aircraft that met different market needs while sharing many design elements.

#757 #767 #boeingtwins

Airbus A320: The Airbus A320 took its maiden flight in 1987, approximately 15 years after the A300. It pioneered the use of digital fly-by-wire, and side-stick flight controls in airliners.

#fbw #A320 #a320family

Airbus A340 and A330 Pair: About four years later, in 1991, Airbus introduced the A340 quadjet in parallel with the A330 twinjet. Both aircraft shared a common cross-section.

#A340 #A330 #cross-section #airbustwins

Boeing 777: Roughly 13 years later, in 1997, the Boeing 777 became the first commercial aircraft to be developed entirely using computer-aided design (CAD) processes.

#777 #CAD

Airbus A380 (“Superjumbo” or “Whale”): In 2005, about 14 years after the A300, Airbus launched the A380—the world’s largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner.

#superjumbo #whale

Boeing 787 Dreamliner: In 2009, the Boeing 787 took its maiden flight, marking a significant milestone as the first airliner with an airframe primarily made of composite materials.

#dreamliner #787 #yellowstone

Airbus A350 XWB: Eight years later, in 2013, the Airbus A350 XWB debuted. It was the first Airbus aircraft largely constructed using carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers.

#A350 #xtrawidebody

Airbus A220: 2018 following the acquisition from Bombardier Aerospace, Airbus introduced the A220.

#a220 #CSeries

Both Boeing and Airbus must continue to be bold leaders in the industry. Referring to their growth models from the history books, we see that Boeing were due for a significant development in 2022—a missed opportunity. Their next major milestone is aligned for ±2035, with Boeing’s recent statement of no major innovations until the 2030s. Meanwhile, Airbus might maintain its pattern by achieving a significant milestone in 2028, especially if its green, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plans succeed, allowing it to stay ahead of the curve.

Notes:

• These timelines show the results of the first flights.
• There are many parallel events for each, sometimes in different order.
• Innovation is the future. This is based on bold, clean paper designs.
• Airlines that stick to a single model, as old as the 1957 era fuselage width and ground clearance, risk their future business model and the suppliers.

Try to purchase with long-term plans in mind. Project planning is about moving forward but also knowing where to go.

#SAF #green # future

In the comments share your input about how risky these bold moves are today over the past, how can they remain bold?