25 Dec 2006 - ANA to Launch 'BusinessJet' Service; World's First Boeing 737-700ER on Nagoya-Guangzhou in March 2007
To better serve the needs of the international business traveller, ANA will launch a new service called ANA BusinessJet when it takes delivery of the world's first Boeing 737-700ER.
The 48 seat aircraft will be fitted with 24 business class and 24 economy class seats, both in a 2-2 configuration. Club ANA BJ will feature seats with a pitch of 61 inches - similar to that on ANA intercontinental services, and Economy BJ seats will have a pitch of 38 inches. The seats will be 20.6 inches and 20.5 inches wide respectively.
This 737-700ER, of which ANA is the launch customer, will be used to open ANA's fifth international route from Nagoya's Centrair Airport to Guangzhou from March 25,2007, serving on a daily basis. This will bring the number of China routes plied by ANA to a total of 20, with 147 flights per week.
"We are introducing the 737-700 as part of our commitment to flying the most efficient, customer pleasing and environmentally friendly fleet of next generation aircraft," said ANA President and CEO, Mineo Yamamoto. "With the new 737-700ER we can offer a product tailored for the business community, and at the same time secure the cost benefits derived from streamlining our narrow body fleet into one family of aircraft," he continued.
17 Nov 2006 - 737-300 Advanced cockpit from Universal Avionics receives FAA certification
Boeing 737-300F Flight Deck shown with newly installed Universal Avionics EFI-890R Displays, Dual UNS-1F FMS and Class A Terrain Awareness & Warning System. Universals Synthetic Vision System can be seen displayed on the Pilot’s PFD and the Copilots Navigation Display.
Tucson, AZ – November 11, 2006 – Universal Avionics along with Commercial Jet, Inc. (CJI) and ARC Avionics (ARC) announced today that the first Boeing 737-300F EFI-890R flat panel display flight deck retrofit received FAA STC approval on October 19, 2006. The installation of 4-Universal Avionics EFI-890 flat panel displays, the Vision-1™ Synthetic Vision System, dual UNS-1F Flight Management Systems, Class A Terrain Awareness & Warning System was seamlessly integrated with the existing autopilot. A follow-on certification will add Universal Avionics TSO’d & STC’d Application Server Unit. This server unit provides weather graphics, charts, checklists and E-Docs to be displayed on the EFI-890R Navigation Display.
The core of this system is the Universal EFI-890 high-definition LCD display. This 8.9” diagonal display is the only large display system capable of both Synthetic Vision and Electronic Charts on the market today. In addition, flexible interface capability and ease of installation means a lower “out the door” price than competitive products.
“The B737-300F Advanced Cockpit offers our customers a new standard for operational capability, flight safety, reliability and for fleet operators, standardization,” said Iso Nesaj General Manager Commercial Jet, Inc.
The ARC Avionics and Commercial Jet, Inc. teams are co-located at the Miami International Airport. They were responsible for all aspects of the Advanced Cockpit installation including design, fabrication and certification.
ARC is comprised of DAR, DER, DMIR, FAA licensed A&P mechanics and FCC licensed avionics technicians. During the past 20 years, ARC has established a reputation for quality and expertise. Today ARC Avionics is recognized as a leading provider of avionics engineering services.
CJI specializes in complete airframe inspections, passenger to cargo conversions, heavy maintenance repair/modifications, interior modifications and avionics upgrade programs for a wide variety of commercial aircraft. CJI takes pride in maintaining a high standard of quality, workmanship, reliability and satisfaction for its worldwide customer base.
http://www.uasc.com/marketing/newsdetail.asp?newsid=85
16 Oct 2006 BBJ3 Officially Launched
Boeing Business Jets today celebrates its 10-year anniversary by launching the newest member of its business jet family -- the BBJ 3. The airplane, which is based on the new Next-Generation 737-900ER (Extended Range), won two orders from undisclosed customers.
Boeing does not reveal the identity of BBJ owners at the request of its customers.
The new BBJ 3 is the largest BBJ family member and offers 1,120 square feet (104 square meters) of cabin space, 35 percent more than the BBJ and 11 percent more than the BBJ 2. With up to eight auxiliary fuel tanks, the BBJ 3 has a maximum range of 5,475 nautical miles (10,140 km).
In addition to the two BBJ 3 orders, Boeing Business Jets has secured 10 new orders for BBJs in the last 11 months, bringing total program sales to 114 airplanes.
"This has been a remarkable year for the BBJ," Boeing Business Jets President Steven Hill said during a media briefing at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention and Exhibition in Orlando. "Since last year's NBAA, we have won 12 new orders. The continued success of the BBJ is validation of the airplane's value to its owners. And I can't think of a better way to celebrate 10 years of success in the VIP market than with a new family member."
A decade ago, Boeing and General Electric launched Boeing Business Jets, providing private owners, heads of state, corporate leaders and charter companies with a long-range airplane that offers three times the interior space of traditional business jets with similar range capability.
Since then, Boeing Business Jets has become the eighth-largest Next-Generation 737 customer. Boeing Commercial Airplanes provides airplanes to Boeing Business Jets, which then delivers them "green" to a customer-selected completion center for interior configuration and paint.
Private individuals comprise 43 percent of the BBJ customer base. About 35 percent are government heads of state, 12 percent are corporate operators and the remaining 10 percent are charter operators.
The BBJ 3 joins an airplane family that includes the BBJ, which is a high-performance derivative of the 737-700, and the BBJ 2, which is based on the 737-800. The BBJ was launched July 2, 1996, and was followed by the BBJ 2 on Oct. 11, 1999.
27 Sep 2006 - Launch order for BBJ3
The first BBJ3, based on the 737-900ER, has received its first order. This is ahead of the formal launch expected at the NBAA meeting in Orlando, Fl. in October.
13 Sep 2006 - Boeing Considering Two 737 Replacements
Boeing is weighing options for replacing its best-selling 737 and one scenario might include separate aircraft for two markets, the company's senior marketing official said on Wednesday.
The 737 family covers the 110- to 200-seat range and is the most popular commercial plane ever with more than 5,000 produced in nearly four decades. There have been several 737 upgrades, including a major overhaul in the early 1990s.
With airlines seeking variety in seating capacity and more fuel and operating efficiency, Boeing is studying how to meet expectations and continue to offer a workhorse for the short- and medium-haul market.
A decision is nearly two years off and production several years away but one option under study, said Boeing marketing vice president Randy Baseler, is dipping into the under 100-seat market dominated by regional jets and satisfying customers who want more than 200 seats at the same time.
Boeing currently does not manufacture a regional jet, a market dominated by Canada's Bombardier Inc and Brazil's Embraer SA. Boeing would also compete with any changes by Europe's Airbus, which now makes the A320 to compete with the 737.
A Boeing foray into the 100-seat market with the 717 aircraft ended in May. The plane was initially a product of McDonnell Douglas and was renamed after Boeing absorbed that company in 1997.
Baseler said Boeing first must determine whether it should replace the 737 -- one for one -- with another one-class single-aisle aircraft. He said the company is studying the 80 and 90-seat market and what regional jet manufacturers are planning for 100-seat aircraft.
"It could end up being it doesn't make any sense for us being in the 90 or 100-seat market," Baseler said.
But if Boeing goes that way, Baseler said it will have to have two models to also satisfy airlines that want more than 200 seats.
SEATTLE, Sept. 05, 2006 -- The newest member of the Boeing Next-Generation 737 airplane family took to the skies over Washington state Friday on its maiden flight.
Painted in the Boeing blue-and-white livery, the 737-900ER (Extended Range) took off at 9:21 a.m. PDT from the Renton Municipal Airport in Renton, Wash.
The first flight marks the beginning of a five-month flight test program to obtain certification of the airplane from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency by early 2007.
Boeing flight test pilots, Capts. Ray Craig and Van Chaney, flew the airplane west toward the Pacific Ocean, then south to Astoria, Ore., and over Washington state's Olympic Peninsula before landing at Boeing Field in Seattle. The first flight tested the airplane's airworthiness, aerodynamic performance, stability and cruise performance. Flight controls, the autopilot, pressurization, avionics, air condition systems and the flight management computer also were checked during the flight.
"It was a near flawless flight," said Craig, following the one-hour, 45-minute flight. "We've been working on this airplane since 2001 and to see it come to fruition under budget and ahead of schedule is a great tribute to the Boeing engineering and manufacturing team."
The 737-900ER flight test program will include a second test airplane, and the two jets are scheduled to accrue a total of 235 hours of flight testing and 210 hours of static ground testing. Both flight-test airplanes are scheduled to be delivered next year to Lion Air, the 737-900ER launch customer.
To date, Boeing has won orders for 80 737-900ERs from Lion Air, GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS), Sky Airlines, Continental Airlines and SpiceJet. Additionally, Futura International Airways and Excel Airways will begin operating 737-900ERs on lease from GECAS in 2008.
The 737-900ER incorporates a new pair of exit doors, a flat rear-pressure bulkhead and other structural and aerodynamic design changes that allow it to carry up to 215 passengers and fly up to 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km).
The 737-900ER will begin commercial service with Lion Air in the spring of 20.
http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2006/q3/060905b_nr.html
29 Aug 2006 - RAAF AEW&C almost 2 years behind schedule - The Australian.
Mark Dodd
The first of the RAAF's new Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft is now slated for delivery in August 2008, almost two years behind schedule. The latest setback to the $3.5billion project was confirmed yesterday by the Defence Department in response to a series of questions put by The Australian.
"Software integration problems" are cited as the reason for the latest delay in delivery by US manufacturer Boeing.
In a meeting with Boeing chief executive Jim Albaugh in June, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson expressed the federal Government's disappointment that the project had fallen behind schedule. After the meeting, Dr Nelson was assured of a new delivery date in early 2008 following testing problems with radar and sensor computer systems.
"The first two Wedgetail aircraft are now expected to be delivered in the August 2008 timeframe," Defence said.
"When Boeing announced the schedule delay in June, the company cited 'problems associated with sub-system integration, hardware reliability, radar and ESM maturity, and aircraft modification' as the cause of the delay. This remains the case."
Australia has ordered six of the state-of-the-art airborne early warning aircraft.
Boeing is building the airframe based on its popular 737-700 commercial aircraft.
The first two aircraft will be built in the US, while the other four will be assembled in Australia. Dr Nelson earlier warned that the Wedgetail contract included a provision for damages.
But federal Opposition defence spokesman Robert McClelland said cost was not the issue, rather the lack of capability, and that the new delay posed a "very, very big" problem for the RAAF.
The air force was already looking at a gap in its air defence capability with the retirement of the F-111, Mr McClelland said.
That gap was supposed to be bridged by the Wedgetail, whose role was to enhance the capability of the FA-18 fighter bomber.
31 Jul 2006 - First 737 with Short Field Design Enhancements Delivered
SEATTLE, July 31, 2006 – Boeing on Friday delivered to GOL, Brazil’s low-fare, low-cost airline, the first Next-Generation 737 with enhanced short runway landing and takeoff capabilities.
The 737-800 is the first of that model type delivered to GOL as the carrier augments capacity on domestic and regional international routes. It also is the first delivery of 67 737-800s the all-Boeing carrier has on order for delivery out to 2012. The airline currently operates 50 737s.
"We have worked with GOL to enhance the 737 and add value to its operations. Our partnership drove development of these enhancements that now will benefit the product line and many airlines around the world," said John Wojick, vice president Sales, Latin America and the Caribbean, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The 737 design enhancements allow operators to fly increased payload in and out of airports with runways less than 5,000 feet long. The design enhancements include a two-position tail skid that enables reduced approach speeds, sealed leading-edge slats that provide increased lift during takeoff, and increased flight spoiler deflection on the ground that improves takeoff and landing performance.
"Boeing helped us to expand our capacity on the most profitable route in Brazil, (Sao Paulo-Rio De Janeiro) while offering comfort and safety to our clients,” said David Barioni, GOL’s vice president, technical.
The short-field performance changes were developed starting in 2004 in response to GOL’s needs at Santos Dumont airstrip in Rio de Janeiro. That 4,300-foot runway is short compared to other runways and could not accommodate larger airplanes at higher approach speeds with full payloads.
The short-field design package is an option on the 737-600, -700 and -800 and is standard equipment for the new 737-900ER. The enhancements increase payload capability for landing up to 8,000 pounds on the 737-800 and 737-900ER and up to 4,000 pounds on the 737-600 and 737-700. They also increase payload capability for takeoff up to 2,000 pounds on the 737-800 and 737-900ER and up to 400 pounds on the 737-600 and 737-700.
To date, 11 customers have ordered the short-field performance package for more than 250 airplanes. In addition to GOL, Alaska Airlines, Air Europe, Air India, Egyptair, GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS), Hapagfly, Japan Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Sky Airlines and Turkish Airlines are among some of the operators that have ordered the design package.
27 Jul 2006 - Boeing 737 Short Field Design Enhancements Earn FAA Certification
Boeing design enhancements that increase the short-field performance of the Next-Generation 737 earned certification this week from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration following a successful four-month flight-test program. European Aviation Safety Agency certification is expected to follow soon.
"Our ultimate goal is to help our customers succeed by offering them products that add value to their operations," said Mark Jenkins, vice president and general manager of 737 Airplane Production. "The 737's short-field performance enhancements will allow airlines to generate more revenue."
The 737 design enhancements allow operators to fly increased payload in and out of airports with runways less than 5,000 feet long. The design enhancements include a two-position tail skid that enables reduced approach speeds, sealed leading-edge slats that provide increased lift during takeoff, and increased flight spoiler deflection on the ground that improves takeoff and landing performance.
The short-field design package is an option on the 737-600, -700 and -800 and is standard equipment for the new 737-900ER. The enhancements increase payload capability for landing up to 8,000 pounds on the 737-800 and 737-900ER and up to 4,000 pounds on the 737-600 and 737-700. They also increase payload capability for takeoff up to 2,000 pounds on the 737-800 and 737-900ER and up to 400 pounds on the 737-600 and 737-700.
The short-field performance changes were developed starting in 2004. The flight-test program was conducted on a new 737-800 and began when the airplane made its first flight on Jan. 24, 2006.
Boeing will deliver the refurbished test airplane later this week to the launch customer, Brazilian low-cost carrier GOL Linhas Aereas S.A. The jet is the first of 67 737-800s ordered by the carrier.
To date 11 customers have ordered the short-field performance package for more than 250 airplanes. In addition to GOL, Alaska Airlines, Air Europe, Air India, Egyptair, GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS), Hapagfly, Japan Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Sky Airlines and Turkish Airlines are among some of the operators that have ordered the design package.
The Next-Generation 737s are 10 years newer and fly higher, faster and farther than competing models. Through June 2006, 97 customers have placed orders for more than 3,300 Next-Generation 737s; the program has 1,365 unfilled orders with a value of $91 billion at current list prices.
20 Jul 2006 - Mulally Talks About 737 Replacement
In an interview before leaving Farnborough for Seattle, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Alan Mulally spoke about the next jet-development program just over the horizon — the 737 narrow-body replacement. He talked in more detail about what will be the company's next new jet after the 787 -- a composite plane that will replace the popular 737. Although some airlines are eager for Boeing to develop this jet as soon as possible, Mulally said Boeing will take its time. He repeated that a 737 replacement won't be ready for airline service until at least 2012 and perhaps not before 2015.
Like the 787, the 737 replacement will have a composite airframe, now the "material of choice" for airplane design, Mulally said. "Composites don't corrode, don't fatigue and are more reliable and easier to maintain. This has been our goal and dream. Composites also allow a greatly simplified manufacturing process, and that can significantly drive down costs."
With the 787, the first commercial jetliner with a composite fuselage and wing, Boeing is introducing a new way of making jets. Large one-piece composite sections of the plane will be manufactured elsewhere and then taken to Everett for final assembly in only a few days. That manufacturing method will become even more efficient by the time Boeing is ready to build the 737 replacement. "The goal is to get the fewest number of parts that fit together accurately, and then final assembly takes the least amount of time and has the highest quality. To replace the most efficient plane in the world, the 737, we need to improve its fuel burn, maintenance costs, weight and manufacturing costs, which will translate into savings for airlines. It takes time to do that. We will end up with a very competitive airplane"
Udvar-Hazy, Chairman and chief executive of International Lease Finance Corp. said Boeing and Airbus shouldn't rush their upcoming development programs, expected around 2012 to 2015, to replace their narrow-body 737 and A320 families. He said he and Mulally had had "some off-site secret meetings ... to focus on what the airlines will need five, 10, 15 years from now." "It's really looking at a crystal ball," he said. "It gets a little hazy."
19 Jul 2006 - Innovative Solutions and Support, Inc. Announce Flat Panel Display System Upgrade for 737-3/4/500
Exton, PA. and Hampshire, U.K. – July 19, 2006- Innovative Solutions & Support, Inc. and Jet Partners, LLC announced today at a joint press conference their program to install their Cockpit/IP Flat Panel Display System in the Jet Partners fleet of Classic B-737 aircraft. Deliveries will occur in IS&S’s fiscal year that begins October 1, 2006 for 30 firm and 30 options. The IS&S Flat Panel Display System can be utilized on the B737-300/400/500 models.
The state-of-the-art Cockpit/IP is an all-glass cockpit offering AMLCD displays for Primary Flight (PFD), Navigation (ND), and Engine Instrument Displays (EIDS) systems. The cockpit suite eliminates 65 traditional components and replaces them with 5 display units, 2 control panels, and 3 data concentrator units.
“Installing the IS&S Cockpit/IP Flat Panel Display System is the most cost effective way to retrofit aircraft with modern navigation technology,” says Innovative Solutions and Support’s President, Roman Ptakowski. “Through our agreement with Jet Partners, lessors of Classic B-737s will have the unique ability to configure their aircraft to their individual needs and preferences, while gaining significant safety, situational awareness and performance enhancements.”
With the addition of the IS&S Cockpit/IP to their B-737 aircraft, customers of Jet Partners will benefit from highly desirable options like a built-in Class 3 electronic flight bag with functionality that includes the Jeppesen certified database, XM or WSI satellite weather radar services, and advanced synthetic vision systems. Weight savings of 150 pounds, convection cooling, and a reduction in power consumption provide fuel and heat savings to the operator.
“IS&S flat panels replace 20-plus year old, virtually unsupportable technology with liquid crystal displays that offer a ten-to-one improvement in reliability as well as a platform for growth,” adds Ptakowski. “Existing instrumentation is increasingly difficult to support as the products are no longer in production, and parts acquisition and repair becomes increasingly more expensive. But with the IS&S Cockpit/IP, modern design technology and processes offer significant reliability improvements with MTBFs in excess of 24,000 hours.”
For additional benefits, improved dispatch reliability is provided by the Cockpit/IP’s triply- redundant engine instrument data concentrator unit and the dual redundant PFD/ND data concentrator units in each of the Pilot and Co-Pilot’s positions. On the B767, the Cockpit/IP solution received FAA MEL dispatch relief of three days. Customers can achieve further functionality and configuration growth from the Cockpit/IP’s capability to support data related to upcoming requirements such as ADS-B and RNP.
With thriving retrofit programs already in place for the B-747, 757, and 767, the IS&S agreement with Jet Partners offers easily installed cockpit upgrades at a low cost to an ever expanding variety of aircraft. The program has the ability to standardize pilot training, utilize industry recognized Primary Flight Display (PFD) and Navigation Display (ND) formats, provide health monitoring and exceedance recording for engines, and eliminate the complexity and support of analog and/or EFIS displays. Furthermore, changing requirements are accommodated by flexible graphic display formats certifiable by the FAA.
19 Jul 2006 - Southwest to Retrofit Winglets on 737-300 Fleet
Southwest Airlines committed to install Aviation Partners Boeing Blended Winglets on up to 90 of their 737-300 aircraft. The order of 59 firm systems and 31 options follows Southwest's commitment in June of 2003 to install Blended Winglets on all of their 737-700 aircraft. Installations are planned to begin in early 2007. "This is a monumental order for our 737-300 winglet program and a real testament to the value of our Visible Technology," says Aviation Partners Boeing
31 May 2006 - Assembly Begins on the 737-900ER
Boeing today began final assembly of the first 737-900ER (Extended Range), the newest member of the world's most successful single-aisle airplane family. The wings and landing gear shown here are being joined to the 737-900ER fuselage in the Boeing manufacturing facility in Renton, Wash. Last-stage assembly and interiors installation will begin once the airplane joins the moving assembly line. The 737 derivative incorporates an extra pair of exit doors, a flat aft-pressure bulkhead and other structural and aerodynamic changes that allow it to carry more passengers and fly farther than the 737-900. The twin-engine jet can carry up to 215 passengers and fly up to 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km). The 737-900ER, destined for Indonesian-based launch customer Lion Air, will embark on a five-month flight test program later this year.
02 May 2006 -- Boeing Business Jets today announced it has won six new orders, increasing total program sales to 108 airplanes.
"The continued sales momentum of the BBJ reflects the value customers place on the airplane's range capability, its industry-leading reliability and its spacious cabin," BBJ President Steven Hill said during a media briefing at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland. "The BBJ offers more than transportation; it offers the ability to travel with family, friends or business associates while working, eating, sleeping or entertaining in the air as you would at home or in the office."
Boeing Business Jets secured the new orders within the last six months from regions all around the globe including Southeast Asia and Europe. Most BBJ customers choose to remain anonymous, which often is typical in these types of private business transactions.
Seventy-three customers have ordered 95 BBJs and 13 BBJ 2s. About 40 percent of BBJ customers are private individuals, 37 percent are government heads of state, and the remaining customer segment is divided between corporate and charter operators.
Hill also announced that the program is considering the development of a convertible cargo airplane based on the commercial Next-Generation 737-700C (Convertible). The airplane allows operators to alternate between passenger and cargo layouts. The 737-700C already includes the BBJ-inspired configuration of the 737-700 fuselage and the strengthened landing gear and wings of the 737-800.
"The airplane would provide the ultimate in flexibility and multi-purpose mission capability. It would be an ideal airplane for government heads of state or entrepreneurs," Hill said.
The decision to explore a possible new BBJ family member is based on a firm order from a BBJ customer for a 737-700C. Hill said a decision to offer the business jet version could be made before the end of the year, and if launched, it would be called the BBJ C.
18 Apr 2006 - Allegations of 737 Production Quality Faults
Claims that Boeing is using faulty aircraft parts have raised questions about jet safety, write Florence Graves and Sara Kehaulani Goo
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Claims that Boeing is using faulty aircraft parts have raised questions about jet safety, write Florence Graves and Sara Kehaulani Goo Jeannine Prewitt knew there was a problem when the holes wouldn't line up.
On a Boeing assembly line in Kansas in 2000, Prewitt saw workers drilling extra holes in the long aluminum ribs that make up the skeleton of a jetliner's fuselage. That was the only way the workers could attach the pieces, because some of its pre-drilled holes didn't match those on the airframe.
Prewitt was a parts buyer, the third generation of her family to work at the sprawling Boeing factory on the outskirts of Wichita. She believed pieces going into one of the world's most advanced and popular airliners, the Boeing 737, should fit like a glove.
The assembly workers Prewitt observed were not the only ones who noted problems with parts from a key Boeing supplier, AHF Ducommun of Los Angeles. Other workers told her many pieces had to be shoved or hammered into place. And documents reviewed by The Washington Post show that quality managers reported numerous problems at Ducommun in memos recorded in Boeing's system for monitoring its suppliers.
Whether questionable parts ended up in hundreds of Boeing 737s is the subject of a bitter dispute between the aerospace company and Prewitt and two other whistle-blowers. The two sides also have enormously different views on what that could mean for the safety of the jets.
The whistle-blower lawsuit is in US District Court in Wichita. No matter how it is resolved, it has exposed gaps in the way government regulators investigated the alleged problems in aircraft manufacturing.
Boeing said the lawsuit is without merit and there is no safety issue. Even if faulty parts landed on the assembly line, the company said, none could have slipped through Boeing's controls and gotten into the jetliners. The whistle- blowers "are not intimately familiar with Boeing's quality management system," said Cindy Wall, a company spokeswoman. "Our planes are safe."
The three whistle-blowers contend that Boeing officials knew from their own audits about thousands of parts that did not meet specifications, allowed them to be installed and retaliated against people who raised questions. They say the parts, manufactured from 1994 to 2002, fit the Federal Aviation Administration's definition of "unapproved" because they lack documentation proving they are airworthy. Moreover, they say, forcing a part into place could shorten its lifespan.
After the whistle-blowers notified federal authorities in 2002, the FAA and the Pentagon looked into their charges. Each said its investigation cleared the airplane parts and found no reports of problems from military or civilian operators of Boeing jets. The Department of Transportation's inspector general also dismissed the charges.
The Post's review, however, found that the FAA did not assess many of the whistle-blowers' key allegations. FAA inspectors examined only a small number of parts in the plants and did not visit any airplanes to inspect the roughly 200 types of parts questioned by the whistle- blowers.
The Pentagon and Transportation Department, in turn, relied on the FAA's work, documents show.
One reason the FAA chose not to pursue the whistle-blowers' claims, officials said, was that its engineers believed the parts in question would not present a safety risk even if they failed in flight. There has not been a crash caused by such a failure, the agency said.
But on several occasions, the agency has expressed concern about similar parts, albeit on the previous generation of 737s. Last year, prompted by reports from some carriers of cracks, the FAA formally alerted US air carriers that fly 737s made before 1998 to inspect for possible fatigue cracks around such parts. Cracks in these areas, the FAA said, "could result in reduced structural integrity of the frames, possible loss of a cargo door, possible rapid decompression of the fuselage."
Prewitt's job at Wichita was to purchase parts for 737s and other jets from Ducommun and other suppliers. She said she saw that some pieces were coming in with inaccurate measurements beyond the margin of error. In the summer of 2000, she visited one assembly line where the aluminum ribs, known as chords, were being attached to the 737 fuselage.
As Prewitt watched, she said, one worker pulled a chord from the stack and saw its holes were in the wrong place. "I said: `So what do you do?' She grabbed a drill and drills a hole and connects it together," said Prewitt, now 45. "We're all appalled. I sat there watching her drill, drill, drill." She said the chord problem reinforced worries that others had raised for a year about other Ducommun parts. She had examined reports of problems with "bear straps," large pieces of reinforcing sheet metal bonded to the skin around an airliner's doorways. Prewitt said the pieces, which have four jutting corners something like a bearskin rug, were coming in short in one corner. That forced workers to drill holes for rivets closer to the edge of the piece than specified.
The whistle-blowers said they learned that some managers knew of the problem but encouraged workers to make the parts fit. For example, when Prewitt recommended tossing out 24 bear straps she considered unacceptable, a Boeing procurement manager objected. "Scrapping any bearstraps is stupid, since we've used over 300 with the same condition," the manager wrote to one of the whistle-blowers in a May 13, 1999, e-mail.
Boeing's corporate audit office convened a team to look into the parts problems in 2000. The 14 members included Prewitt and two others who later joined the whistle-blower lawsuit - Taylor Smith, 44, contract administrator for the new generation of 737 and other jets; and James Ailes, 53, a technical troubleshooter. Others were experts on quality assurance, tooling and manufacturing processes.
The team visited Ducommun's plant in California. In its report to Boeing, the team said it found that many of the more than 500 heavy-duty manufacturing tools used by Ducommun were incorrectly calibrated, misused or not built to Boeing's specifications. Contrary to Ducommun's factory records, the report said, the supplier still was making parts with hand tools such as routers, as it had done for the older 737 models, instead of the sophisticated computer-programmed tools Boeing engineers had specified.
Ducommun, also named in the lawsuit, declined to comment on the allegations beyond stating that the FAA and other agencies had already dismissed them.
The Boeing audit team issued its report in August 2000. It noted that Boeing was seeking financial compensation for irregularities at Ducommun's plant and was reconsidering its relationship with the supplier.
Ducommun said it never made a payment to Boeing as settlement, but according to documents reviewed by The Post, the firm agreed in January 2001 to a US$1.6 million (HK$12.48 million) settlement with Boeing for overbilling and manufacturing problems. Boeing declined to comment.
Prewitt received a cash-and-stock bonus worth nearly US$3,000 after what Boeing called her "outstanding contribution" to the audit. Soon, however, members of the team grew discouraged with what they saw as Boeing's reluctance to follow up on their findings. They said Boeing officials cleaned the report of details about possible airliner safety problems and violations of FAA procedures. When they raised the possibility of reporting their concerns to the FAA, they said, they were told to keep quiet or face possible legal action from Boeing.
Boeing said it did not sanitize the report and its policies prohibit threats or retaliation against employees who raise safety questions. Company spokeswoman Wall said the fact that the audit team was assembled shows Boeing's oversight of suppliers is effective. She said the team's mission was to look at "cost issues" regarding Ducommun's accounting and tools and she does not know how the whistle- blowers on the team drew the conclusion that the parts were flawed. She said assessing quality was outside their area of expertise.
In early 2002, Prewitt, Smith and Ailes sent thousands of documents supporting their case to the Justice Department. They alleged questionable parts had been installed not only on hundreds of 737s but also on some 747s, 757s, 767s and 777s and their military equivalents without the knowledge of the Air Force and Navy, the commercial airlines, or the FAA. Shortly after that, in March 2002, the three workers - and one other whistle-blower who later dropped out - filed their lawsuit.
In 2003, the whistle-blowers withdrew their suit after the Justice Department declined to join. They refiled it in March 2005. By then, Ailes was still employed but Prewitt and Smith had been laid off. All three allege they received demotions and lower job evaluations because of their actions.
The lawsuit cites only those jets sold to the military, because the False Claims Act applies to only federal contracts. However, the whistle-blowers said most of the parts in question also had been installed on commercial airliners. So at the request of the Justice Department, the FAA launched a probe in the spring of 2002. It was handled by the division that investigates parts suspected to be "unapproved" - ones that lack the paper trail showing they meet specifications.
FAA officials said that rather than restrict themselves to the more than 200 types of parts questioned by the whistle- blowers, their engineers reviewed a list of all Ducommun parts made for Boeing. They said they found most of the parts were unique to military planes. None of the commercial parts on their own, the engineers decided, were "principal structural elements," or parts whose individual failure could lead to a catastrophe. FAA officials, however, now say that some parts are in areas considered principal structural elements.
In the end, the engineers narrowed their list to 11 of the "most critical" Ducommun commercial parts and the FAA focused its investigation on how they were being made at the time of its probe. The agency said it has no official documents explaining the decision to eliminate hundreds of parts from investigation. That did not follow procedures adopted when the agency created an office devoted to investigation of suspect parts in 1995. Those rules require that FAA inspectors review the manufacturing history, quantity and importance of each part that is reported as suspect and then document their findings.
In the summer of 2004, the FAA closed its two-year probe, saying Ducommun's current manufacturing processes were sound. "The most important thing is corrective action," said Peggy Gilligan, deputy associate administrator for aviation safety at FAA.
Last year, the FAA reopened the case. The agency had received new reports about the parts from two FAA- certified experts hired by the whistle- blowers' lawyers.
The lawyers had provided four experts with the court documents and Boeing quality control reports from 1999 and 2000. All four experts, who are certified by the FAA to make decisions about aircraft engineering or airworthiness on behalf of the agency, and one additional expert hired by The Post to review the same documents said they believed that practices at Ducommun and Boeing were seriously flawed.
The evidence that Boeing and Ducommun ignored quality controls is "beyond the scope of anything I've ever heard of - where an entire inspection system would be bypassed," said Sammy Hanson, the consultant hired by The Post. Hanson, who has worked in aircraft certification for 12 years, said that because the FAA acknowledges it did not look at parts installed on planes, "every one of these parts (in the lawsuit) is `unapproved.' "
Other aviation consultants said that even if FAA procedures were violated, metal parts used for reinforcement are not as critical as, say, the main landing gear.
"Sheet metal parts are necessarily pretty flexible so if they don't fit perfect as delivered, it's not a big deal to shove them into place, bend them a little bit, push on them and rivet them together," said Charles Eastlake, a professor of aerospace engineering and a former aircraft structural designer for the Air Force. "Quality control people turn purple when they see that, but it's the way it's always been."
Another argument holds that because planes are stripped down for major maintenance every five to seven years, any early cracks or corrosion would probably be spotted before the part could create a problem. In fact, FAA officials said their inspectors combed through records from airlines that performed such maintenance and found no reports of problems with bear straps, chords or frames. Spokesmen for Southwest, American and Continental airlines told The Post they had found no problems with the parts.
But some analysts suggest that when factory workers force together parts that are not built according to their design, it could eventually cause premature cracking.
When you "bend and twist" with undue force, you can introduce more stress on the parts and the structure they are attached to, said John Goglia, a former National Transportation Safety Board member and former airline mechanic. Goglia said that can be especially true of parts used to reinforce the cabin around doors, which may be more vulnerable to fatigue.
But, Goglia added, the safety impact of any suspect part is difficult to determine without an engineer's analysis of how it was made.
The FAA has yet to complete its second investigation. The agency said the same lead inspector has been assigned to the matter. "We're confident we came to the right conclusions in the first case," said Brown, the FAA spokeswoman.
THE WASHINGTON POST
2 Mar 2006 - Boeing team to develop post-737 jet
By Dominic Gates, Seattle Times aerospace reporter
Only a couple weeks after rolling out the 5,000th 737, Boeing formally named an initial planning team to lead development of a replacement for the Renton-built jet. On Boeing's internal Web site Tuesday, the company announced that Mike Cave, vice president for airplane programs, will direct the work.
"The Next-Generation 737 is a wonderful airplane with a strong future in the marketplace; the challenge of dramatically improving on its proven economy, performance and reliability is a daunting task and one that will take considerable innovation," Cave said in the Boeing news item. "The leaders we've named today understand the challenge and are the right team to assess both the market requirements and necessary technology developments." The decisions made by the new team, from timing to location of assembly, could have a huge impact here.
In December, commercial airplanes Chief Executive Alan Mulally, said a replacement for the single-aisle 737 would enter service between 2012 and 2015 and hinted it will be assembled in the Puget Sound area. It's unclear if that would be in Renton or in Everett.
The project team includes:
• Carolyn Brandsema, director of engineering for the 737/MMA program, who will head the study of the airplane and the production system used to build it. It's expected that the replacement jet will have a carbon fiber-based plastic fuselage like the 787, and will use the innovative, flexible manufacturing methods that will be introduced for the larger jet next year. Also like the 787, the new program will likely require orchestration of a global supply chain, with major overseas partners contributing large sections of the aircraft.
• Kent Fisher, a marketing vice president in the commercial-airplane division, will head business development. His job will be to ensure that whatever Boeing comes up with is what the airlines want.
• Don Moon, now on the 787 program-management team, will consider how best to manage the project.
• Rod Wheeler, director of finance estimating and planning in the commercial-airplanes division, will work out what it will all cost.
Major partners on the program are likely to have to contribute their own investment to reduce Boeing's development costs. Initiating a new airplane program has the potential to hurt sales of the current jet — airlines might become reluctant to buy if they think that a new, improved jet could be available soon. So even as it made the announcement internally, Boeing sought to play down the move. "Someday both the Next-Generation 737 and the (Airbus) A320 will need to be replaced, but so far we have not found a more compelling airplane for the single-aisle market," Cave said in his statement. "Until we do, we will continue to invest in the Next-Generation 737." Despite the description of the team as being formed for "initial studies" of a 737 replacement, early exploratory work has been going on within Boeing for several years.
At the Farnborough Air Show in July 2004 a top executive with a major systems supplier confided that his company was already discussing concepts with Boeing on what was then code-named the Y1 project. Boeing spokesman Craig Martin said the internal announcement doesn't mean the 737 replacement program will launch any earlier than publicly stated by Mulally last year. To deliver in 2012, Boeing would have to launch the program soon after airlines take their first 787s in 2008.
31 Jan 2006 - 737-700ER (Extended Range) Launched
SEATTLE, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Boeing Company today launched the 737-700ER (Extended Range), following an order conversion from ANA (All Nippon Airways) for two airplanes. The 737-700ER has the longest range capability of any 737 commercial family member, and is able to serve new nonstop, point-to-point routes profitably.
ANA exercised rights to substitute 737-700s with 737-700ERs. The two 737-700ERs are part of a larger order announced June 23, 2003, for 45 737-700s.
"The value of the Next-Generation 737 family continues to grow with the 737-700ER, and we are delighted to have ANA as the launch customer," said Alan Mulally, chief executive officer and president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "This new 737 derivative is a great example of how Boeing helps our customers succeed by responding to new emerging airline business requirements."
Boeing is scheduled to deliver the first airplane to ANA in early 2007.
"This special airplane will bring new possibilities for ANA in terms of the routes we fly," said ANA President and CEO Mineo Yamamoto. "It will allow us to explore destinations that could hitherto only be reached with larger aircraft, and further provide greater choice and convenience to our customers."
The 737-700ER is a Boeing Business Jet-inspired airplane, designed for long-range commercial applications. The airplane features the fuselage of the commercial 737-700 and the wings and landing gear of the larger 737-800. The high-performance derivative can fly up to 2,145 nautical miles farther than the current 737-700. With up to nine optional auxiliary fuel tanks and optional Blended Winglets, the 737-700ER is capable of flying up to 5,510 nautical miles.
Sharing the same industry-leading reliability and low operating and maintenance costs of other models in the 737 family, the 737-700ER allows carriers to compete in relatively new markets such as the long-range all-premium class market, or is particularly well suited for low-cost carriers seeking to operate on longer routes. The Next-Generation 737s are 10 years newer and fly higher, faster, farther, and more quietly than competing models. To date, 95 airlines have placed orders for more than 2,960 Next-Generation 737s. More than 1,130 737s are on order, worth about $69 billion at current list prices.
30 Jan 2006 - Boeing Offers Efficiency Enhancing Feature for Next-Generation 737
SEATTLE, Jan. 30, 2006 -- Boeing today announced a new carbon brake option that will reduce airframe weight and lower operating costs for Next-Generation 737 operators around the world.
The no-charge option will save up to 700 pounds in airplane weight and increase the wear life up to twice the number of landings. The reduction in weight and increased durability will lower maintenance and operating costs overall.
"Carbon brakes offer the same stopping performance as steel brakes but with the added benefit of a significant weight savings, which ultimately increases fuel efficiency," said Mike Delaney, 737 chief project engineer. "Next-Generation 737s are already lighter than competing Airbus models. This structural efficiency is a fundamental reason why Next-Generation 737s fly farther, higher and with better fuel efficiency than the competition."
"This new feature demonstrates our continued commitment to offer technology that brings value to our customers and continues to make the 737 the most capable airplane in the world's single-aisle market," added Delaney.
The carbon brakes, which will be supplied by Goodrich and Messier-Bugatti, will be available for deliveries starting in early 2008, following a two-month flight test program. The option also will be available for retrofit on all Next-Generation 737s.
Known for their industry-leading reliability and low operating costs, the Next-Generation 737s are part of the best-selling 737 family. Overall, operators around the world have ordered more than 6,000 models. To date, 95 operators have placed orders for more than 2,960 Next-Generation 737s; the program has a backlog of 1,133 units with a value of about $69 billion at current list prices.
26 Jan 2006 - Boeing Introduces New 737 Signals Intelligence Aircraft
Variant of Navy's 737-MMA Boeing announced Wednesday plans for a new 737 signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft to be used for airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and also advanced network centric communications. The new SIGINT aircraft concept is a variant of Boeing's 737-based P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft, which is currently being developed for the US Navy.
"We think this affordable variant not only provides the US Defense Department with options for current and future airborne ISR requirements, but also is adaptable to any International SIGINT mission sets," said Tony Parasida, Boeing vice president for Maritime Systems.
The Boeing 737 SIGINT variant will have increased mission capability, operational readiness and combat radius relative to legacy aircraft. The design also has built-in growth capacity so payload capacity can easily be increased or upgraded to accommodate future customer requirements.
"A key advantage of this new program is that the 737 SIGINT aircraft will leverage the P-8A's advanced mission system architecture, mature design, and contractor logistics support and training systems approach. For customers that means reduced operating and maintenance costs over the entire life cycle of the system."
Boeing's Maritime Systems Industry team, currently working on the P-8A program, will be involved with the 737 SIGINT variant as well. Additional partners likely will be added to the team to help address future customer requirements.
P-8A team members include Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Smiths Aerospace and CFM International. The P-8A -- a military derivative of the 737-800 aircraft -- is the Navy's replacement platform for the P-3C. Its primary mission is to provide what the company terms "persistent" anti-submarine warfare.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses.
13 Nov 2005 - Bellview CVR & FDR still not found.
LAGOS, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Investigators have been unable to find the flight data and voice recorders from the site of a plane crash in Nigeria that killed 117 people in October, the head of the investigating team said on Sunday.
Angus Ozoka said the failure to locate the "black boxes" meant it would take longer to determine what caused the Boeing 737, operated by Nigerian airline Bellview, to crash shortly after take-off from Lagos on Oct. 22, killing everyone on board.
"We were not able to recover the black boxes -- flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder -- although we found some strips of the casing," Ozoka told a news conference at Lagos airport.
The wreckage recovered from the 4-metre (13-feet) deep crater near the village of Lissa, about 30 km (20 miles) from Lagos in Ogun state, has been taken to an air force base for further examination.
Ozoka said the investigation would continue in Nigeria and in the United States. A U.S. team has been helping the inquiry.
The aircraft took off from Lagos for the capital Abuja during an intense electrical storm and experts have said evidence so far points to a lightning strike as the possible cause for the crash, though there has been no official confirmation.
Bellview, popular with government officials and expatriates, had previously had a clean safety record. The 24-year-old Boeing had received a clean bill of health from inspectors in February, the airline has said.
17 Oct 2005 - Boeing 737 Trials In-Flight Phone Systems
Connexion by Boeing says that it has recently concluded a week of demonstration flights in Europe that showed travellers how mobile telephony in flight can be provided safely and conveniently for passengers in flight.
During flights aboard a Boeing 737-400 test and demonstration airplane, Connexion One, guests sampled not only the Connexion by Boeing high-speed, real-time Internet service, which now includes four channels of live TV, but also used roaming-enabled mobile phones to make and receive phone calls.
"Enabling people to make and receive phone calls during flight demonstrated the flexibility of a high-speed connectivity system like ours," said Chris Petersen, program manager for voice and cellular service at Connexion by Boeing. "We allowed our guests to make calls to the ground while we flew over international waters, and almost everyone's first call was to their boss. Both callers and call recipients were equally excited and impressed by the voice quality and the reliability of the connection."
The system supports both GSM and CDMA - so presumably, you could end up in the future, being able to make CDMA phone calls while travelling over Europe.
Photo: Boeing
01 Sep 2005 - Boeing Completes First Airborne Test of Wedgetail Aircraft’s Radar
Boeing successfully conducted the first in-flight test of the Northrop Grumman Multi-mode Electronically Scanned Array radar aboard a 737 airborne early warning and control aircraft for Australia’s Project Wedgetail.
“The mission was flawless,” said Jack DeLange, 737 AEW&C integration and test manager. “All of the first radar flight test objectives were achieved.”
The six-hour flight test over Washington state followed completion of three weeks of ground testing of the radar in Victorville, Calif. The ground testing verified the compatibility of the radar with other aircraft systems while operating and scanning through 360 degrees.
The initial flight test aboard Wedgetail aircraft No. 1 collected data used to calibrate the radar for the effects of both the aircraft and the ground environment.
Flight testing of the radar, integrated with the airborne mission system aboard Wedgetail aircraft No. 2, is scheduled to begin later this year. This follows several years of extensive stand-alone ground testing by Northrop Grumman’s Electronic Systems Division in Baltimore, Md.
The Multi-mode Electronically Scanned Array radar is designed to provide optimal performance in range, tracking, and accuracy. It is able to track airborne and maritime targets simultaneously and can help the mission crew direct the control of high-performance fighter aircraft while continuously scanning the operational area.
Photo: Brian Lockett Goleta Air & Space Museum
18 Jul 2005 - 737-900ER Launched
The Boeing Company today officially launched the 737-900ER (Extended Range) -- the newest member of the world's best-selling Next-Generation 737 family -- following the completion of a sales agreement for up to 60 of the airplanes from Lion Air.
The 737-900ER, formerly known as the 737-900X, will carry more passengers and fly farther, increasing the capability of the Next-Generation 737 airplane family.
Lion Air, Indonesia's first low-cost carrier, originally announced its intent to order up to 60 737s earlier this year. Today's firm order is for 30 of the new derivative airplane, with purchase rights for 30 additional models. The order is worth $3.9 billion at list prices.
The first 737-900ER is scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2007.
"The Next-Generation 737 is the most efficient single-aisle airplane family today, and we are thrilled to have Lion Air as the launch customer to increase the 737 family's capability with the additional range and seating of the 737-900ER," said Alan Mulally, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "In addition to the unprecedented economic advantages, the 737-900ER shares the same industry-leading reliability of the world's most successful airplane family."
The 737-900ER is the same size as today's 737-900, but, with the addition of a pair of exit doors and a flat rear pressure bulkhead, will carry 26 additional passengers, raising the maximum capacity from 189 to 215 in a single-class layout.
Aerodynamic and structural design changes, including strengthened wings, a two-position tailskid, enhancements to the leading and trailing edge flap systems, and optional Blended Winglets and auxiliary fuel tanks, will allow the 737-900ER to accommodate higher takeoff weights and increase its range to 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km), making it comparable to the 737-800's range.
"We are delighted to be the launch customer for the 737-900ER," said President Director Rusdi Kirana of Lion Air. "We are confident that the outstanding economics and reliability of the aircraft will contribute to the expansion and modernization of our fleet."
Powered by the CFM International CFM56-7B turbofan engines, the new derivative will have substantial economic advantages over competing models including 9 percent lower operating costs per trip and 7 percent lower operating costs per seat than the A321, which is more than 10,000 pounds (4,536 kg) heavier than the 737-900ER.
The Next-Generation 737s are 10 years newer and fly higher, faster, farther and more quietly than competing models. To date, 86 airlines have placed orders for more than 2,700 Next-Generation 737s.
12 May 2005 - 737NG Certified for Cat I GLS approaches
The Boeing Company today delivered a 737 equipped with an advanced landing system that will guide the airplane to runways with unprecedented accuracy.
Unlike current technology, which relies solely on information from ground stations, the Global Positioning Landing System (GLS) integrates data from the global navigation satellite system, ground stations and a multi-mode receiver on the airplane to provide pinpoint accuracy of the airplane's position relative to the runway and surrounding terrain.
"Boeing is committed to a safe and effective global air transportation system. This precision approach and landing information will enhance safety by significantly improving takeoff and landing capability at airports around the world," said Captain Ray Craig, 737 Chief Pilot. "GLS increases the Next-Generation 737's lead as the most technologically advanced airplane in its class, and enhances the revenue-generating capability for airlines."
The FAA certified the GLS system following an extensive three-year testing program, during which the system proved to be a reliable and flawless navigation system suitable for automatic landings and low visibility takeoffs. JAA certification is expected soon.
Initially, GLS is certified to support Category I operations, which allow airplanes to operate in low visibility conditions. In the future, as GLS ground stations become available worldwide, the system will be able to support Category III operations, which allow airplanes to operate in very low or near zero visibility conditions.
The 737-800 is the first and only large commercial airplane certified and equipped with this sophisticated technology.
GLS was one of nine new leading-edge technologies successfully tested and demonstrated on the 737 Technology Demonstrator airplane during 2002. Of the nine emerging technology features, six have now been certified and delivered on the 737.
19 Apr 2005 - Global ePoint Aviation Division Receives FAA STC for its 737 Cockpit Door Surveillance System.
CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2005--Global ePoint, Inc. (Nasdaq: GEPT), an innovative developer and manufacturer of homeland security solutions for aviation and law enforcement as well as financial, retail and industrial applications, today announced the AirWorks Division has received a new FAA Supplemental Type Certificate for its Cockpit Door Surveillance System (CDSS), which now spans the entire family of Boeing 737 aircraft (737-200 through 737-900) with two configurations.
Aviation Speed News states there are some 4,597 Boeing family 737's flying in the world - spanning the 737-200 through 737-900 - which represents 48 percent of total Boeing aircraft flying today. It also noted 1,571 of these 737's are operating within U.S. airlines
The original AirWorks Cockpit Door Surveillance System previously offered on 737-300 and 737-500's consisted of two 6.4-inch touch-sensitive monitors, a system controller and one camera mounted directly outside the cockpit door - with two more cameras located in the forward galley (and up to 16 cameras throughout the aircraft overall). Cockpit monitors were located to the side and just forward of the pilots seated positions. This standard system configuration is currently installed and flying on over 100 Boeing 737 aircraft.
AirWorks has designed and introduced a new optional "single-monitor" 5-inch touch-sensitive system that installs in the overhead panel directly between the two pilots. The new condensed configuration allows either pilot to utilize the same monitor or to control the camera from either pilot position - and utilizes the same System Controller and cameras as in previously delivered 737 systems..
"Our continual investment in the CDSS Cockpit Door Surveillance System and its flexibility, and now, in these multiple applications as well, provides AirWorks the ability to meet any requirement for any model aircraft built by the Boeing or Airbus companies," said Ricky Frick, President of Global ePoint's Aviation Division. "It allows us to immediately move forward with a customer without the barrier of new designs for installation or certification requirements."
"We have made this commitment to ensure that any mandate or requirement - by any regulatory agency anywhere in the world - can immediately be satisfied with our product and certification."
About Global ePoint's Aviation Division
The Company's Aviation division contains Global AirWorks, whose primary communications and security products include the Cockpit Door Surveillance System (CDSS), a digital electronic "flight bag" of all flight and on-board manuals and records for pilots and a Laptop Computer Power System for passengers and flight crews. AirWorks customers include airline major OEMs, such as AT&T Aviation, BAE Systems, In-flight Phone, L3 Communications, and Rockwell Collins; all major U.S. airlines; and all major international carriers, including ATA, Air China, Bombardier, Finnair, Varig, KLM, Lufthansa, and Cathay Pacific. AirWorks holds more than 40 supplemental type certificates (STC) certifying AirWorks as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved manufacturer and installer for a range of interior equipment and systems for a variety of commercial aircraft flying worldwide.
19 Apr 2005 - Boeing Talks of 737 Replacement
Buoyed by the early success of its 787, and with Airbus finally on the defensive, The Boeing Co. is talking with some of its key suppliers about what's likely to be its next new jet - a 737 replacement based on the technology of its coming super-efficient twin-aisle jetliner.
The aim of the preliminary talks, according to industry sources, is to better gauge how soon a new single-aisle jet could, or should, be brought to market. If possible, Boeing would like to move forward the development of a 737 replacement, the sources said.
Although such a plane would not be available until at least early in the next decade, industry analysts say Boeing has an opportunity to keep Airbus off balance and on the run by leveraging the technology on the 787 Dreamliner -- the industry's first commercial jetliner with a composite wing and fuselage.
"Boeing needs to strike while the iron is hot," said Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst with the Teal Group, an industry consulting firm.
The development of an all-new jet rather than a derivative gives Boeing the upper hand over Airbus in using that 787 technology later for a 737 replacement.
Boeing has not said when it envisions a new single-aisle jet, but knowledgeable industry observers have put an entry-into-service date around 2013.
Speculation that Boeing might move forward development of a 737 replacement has been fuelled partly by recent public comments from engine makers looking to develop a next-generation engine that would be needed for a 737 replacement.
That Boeing is talking with suppliers, principally those likely to provide the technology for a 737 replacement, suggests Boeing's product development people are further along this road than previously believed.
Byron Callan, a Merrill Lynch analyst who closely follows Boeing, said he was recently told by one Boeing supplier that the company has completed an internal new study of a 737 replacement.
Boeing won't comment, other than to say it is focused on winning many more orders for its hot-selling 737, and that the only new plane that has its attention is the 787, which will enter service in 2008.
"The 737 is doing very well in the marketplace," Scott Carson, head of Boeing jetliner sales business, said when asked if there is pressure to move up development of a replacement plane. "There are a lot of legs left with the 737 family of aircraft and the market response this year certainly demonstrates that."
Boeing has won several key 737 orders so far this year, with more likely. Formerly known as the 7E7, the 787 represents a significant and unprecedented leap for Boeing. Smaller business and military jets have made extensive use of composites, but what Boeing is doing with the 787 has not been attempted before with a plane this big. The twin-engine 787, which is a little bigger than the 767 that it replaces, will carry about 225 passengers in a three-class configuration. In addition to the widespread use of composites, the 787 will be much more of an electric airplane than current jets, which use air bled from the engines to power some onboard systems. And the 787 will have new engines that are more fuel efficient and quiet than anything today.
A 737 replacement would take these advances, and advantages, even further.
As important as the technology is to the 787's success, so too is a new Boeing production system. Large composite fuselage sections, already stuffed by suppliers with the wiring and systems, will arrive at Boeing's Everett plant on modified 747 freighters for final assembly with the composite wings. These sections will be snapped together in as little as three days.
A 737 replacement would use this same production method, but likely refine it even further.
The eventual end of the 737 program also means the likely close of Boeing's operations in Renton, with airplane production consolidated at the company's Everett plant, where the 787 will be assembled.
Boeing's current 737 backlog of nearly 800 planes, with more orders to come, is enough to keep production going in Renton until well after 2010.
But before Boeing can move on with the development of its next jet, it must get the 787 into service with airlines and find out if the plane performs as advertised.
"What we want to do is get some experience with the new airplane both in terms of its performance and manufacturing technologies and learn from that," said Carson, Boeing's sales chief.
"After we have learned the right lessons, then we can worry about a replacement airplane (for the 737)."
And the engine makers will have to come up with a new engine for a single-aisle jet that would offer the kind of performance improvements that the 787 will enjoy over today's planes.
"To build a 737 replacement without a next-generation engine would be a dreadful mistake for us to make," Carson said.
Boeing has said the 787 will be about 20 percent more fuel efficient than current jets that size.
While Boeing is focused now on the development of the 787, Airbus has its own all-new plane, the 555-passenger A380 superjumbo that will enter service in mid-2006 and supplant Boeing's 747 as the world's biggest commercial jetliner.
With the development effort for the A380 program winding down as production begins, Airbus has only recently turned its attention to the A350 and the challenge from the 787.
But in offering customers an A330 derivative rather than an all-new jet, Airbus is taking the less-expensive approach, much as Boeing has done in the past in response to Airbus threats.
It was not that long ago that some in the industry were calling Boeing "Derivatives 'R' Us."
If Airbus were to change strategy and develop an all-new jet to match the 787, it would give Boeing a huge advantage.
"If Airbus has to start again with a clean sheet of paper and an all-new A350 rather than a derivative, that gives Boeing at least a couple extra years to have the 787 alone in that market and it gives Boeing a strong advantage in leveraging that technology for its next plane to replace the 737," Aboulafia said.
"What you are seeing," he added, "is possibly the biggest reversal of fortunes in aviation history, with Boeing taking back lost market share from Airbus. ... This represents one of the biggest opportunities that any U.S. manufacturing company has ever enjoyed."
04 Apr 2005 - First Kitty Hawk Boeing 737-300SF Aircraft Arrives at DFW; Kitty Hawk is the North American Launch Customer for 737-300SF Freighter Aircraft
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 4, 2005--Kitty Hawk, Inc. (AMEX:KHK) subsidiary, Kitty Hawk Aircargo, Inc., has taken delivery of its first new Boeing 737-300SF aircraft. The new freighter arrived Saturday, April 2, 2005 at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), where Kitty Hawk is headquartered.
Kitty Hawk is the North American launch customer for the 737-300SF conversion by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), Bedek Aviation Group. IAI is one of the premier passenger-to-cargo aircraft conversion and aircraft maintenance companies in the world. Kitty Hawk has also entered into a long-term strategic partnership with IAI for maintenance and support of the aircraft engines, components and landing gear.
Kitty Hawk has a contract to lease seven Boeing 737-300SF aircraft from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). The aircraft will be delivered throughout 2005. The 737-300SF is the freighter version of one of the best-selling and most popular commercial passenger aircraft of all time. The two pilot, twin-engine aircraft are powered by CFM-56 jet engines.
"Bedek Aviation Group is delighted to have worked with Kitty Hawk for the first B737-300SF conversion in North America. The technologies designed into this conversion are state-of-the-art and offer major competitive advantages," said David Arzi, Bedek's general manager and corporate vice president.
"We are also honored that Kitty Hawk recognized the quality of our work by entering into a 10-year contract with us for maintenance and support of the aircraft. These services will be provided by our wholly-owned subsidiary, Aviation Services International LLC (ASI), which specializes in totally integrated maintenance packages," said Arzi. "In the future, it is envisioned that the program will also cover airframe maintenance at Empire Air Center located in Rome, New York, another subsidiary of IAI's Bedek Aviation Group."
For the present time, Kitty Hawk will continue to operate approximately 20 Boeing 727-200F aircraft, though some of those aircraft are planned for retirement in the future.
"The arrival of this first 737-300SF is a significant step that will enhance Kitty Hawk's fleet and further prepare our company for the future," said Robert W. Zoller, Kitty Hawk's president and CEO. "The Boeing 737-300SF is a tremendous addition - it is a very fuel efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly aircraft, capable of achieving proposed federal Stage 4 noise regulations."
The 737-300SF possesses a modern digital technology flightdeck and expected lower operating and maintenance costs. The new aircraft will allow Kitty Hawk Aircargo to conserve fuel, possibly open additional new markets, and begin to transition the company toward a more up-to-date, scalable aircraft platform.
In addition, Kitty Hawk will install FAA-approved FuelMizer modification kits from AvAero on each of its new 737-300SF aircraft. Kitty Hawk will be the all-cargo launch customer for the FuelMizer modification. Kitty Hawk expects to realize as much as an additional four percent fuel savings from the FuelMizer system.
12 Mar 2005 - Wedgetail Update
Daniel Cotterill, AUSTRALIA'S new fleet of six Airborne early warning and control aircraft will be a fantastic capability so far as regional air superiority is concerned, but there is a significant technology transfer bonus as well. Four of the six aircraft, known as Wedgetails, are to be converted from airliners to military radar aircraft in Australia via a process that will break new ground for local industry.
The aircraft used for conversion is a Boeing Business Jet - a 737-700 with increased gross weight fitted with wings and undercarriage from the 800 series.
The new aircraft will be flown to Brisbane, where they will be stripped down to begin the modification program.
"Stripping" includes removing the tail and engines while the entire inside of the aircraft is gutted, including the cockpit and all its flight instruments. Then, to facilitate fitting of the radar antennae, Section 46 is removed.
"Section 46" sounds fairly innocuous, perhaps the sort of minor part one might rip off the aircraft before morning tea on a good day, but its removal and the refitting of the new radar antennae support section is a serious task requiring extremely precise engineering.
Section 46 extends from the over-wing exits to the rear doors from the floor up, and to remove it all the rivets are drilled out and the various seals cracked prior to it being lifted out of place. Great care must be taken not to stress components when the pressurisation seals are breached and the aircraft must be held securely in place on a jig. It must not move or twist, even slightly - not even by a millimetre. Any movement will mean that the new section will not fit into place.
Over 500 man-years of work will be expended in converting the four Wedgetail aircraft in Australia.
Few parts of the aircraft escape modification in some shape or form. New wingtips and nose and tail cones house a range of antennae and sensors for electronic surveillance measures. The new tail cone and ventral fins are built locally by Hawker de Haviland, and the tail cone in particular is a very complex composite construction. Conversion of an ordinary 737 into a Wedgetail is not easy, but undertaking that task locally will provide Australia with much more than just a challenging work package. The transfer of skills and advanced aerospace technology necessary for the task will see local industry well positioned for other opportunities.
The 737 is a paperless aircraft, and to allow the Wedgetail conversion to take place in Australia terabytes of digital plans will be transferred here along with the necessary modelling and simulation software for complex aircraft modification.
The size and complexity of the Wedgetail program has more in common with an initial manufacturing activity than a modification and upgrade program. It is four to five times larger on a time spent per airframe basis than anything previously undertaken in Australia.
Boeing Australia will end up with a tremendous working knowledge of 737 aircraft and how to modify them. This capability will be very important for through-life support, and if any further modifications to the Wedgetails are required to cater for future communications or other systems.
The first Wedgetail to be modified locally will be handed over in November this year and the conversion program will run in Australia for three and a half years
10 Mar 2005 - Retirements lead Boeing to shuffle executives
Carolyn Corvi, who has been running Boeing's 737 and 757 programs in Renton, was named vice president and general manager of airplane production.
Mark Jenkins will replace Corvi in Renton as vice president and general manager of the 737 program. He most recently led supply management and procurement. He has worked in finance and commercial aviation services for Boeing and has more than 30 years with the company.
02 Mar 2005 - 737 to be replaced "in the next decade".
Boeing plans to overhaul its 737 family of single-aisle aircraft in the next 10 years, applying the advanced technologies of its 787 aircraft, a senior Boeing executive said Tuesday.
"One of our options we look at is to take all the learning and all the technologies involved in the 787 ... and apply all those to the single-aisle categories," Randy Baseler, vice president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group, said at a news conference.
The new 787 Dreamliner long-haul aircraft, aimed at achieving high fuel effeciency, is Boeing's latest project. It is expected to enter service in 2008. Baseler said the technology developed for the 787 would more than likely be applied next "in the single-aisle area", for an overhauled version of the 737 short-haul aircraft.
Asked about a possible launch date for the new-look 737, he replied: "The market dictates timing. Probably it's somewhere in the next decade," he said, adding that the aircraft would probably have a different name.
Referring to the planned update of the 737, a short-to-medium-range aircraft, Baseler said: "We have not defined what that airplane will actually look like," adding that studies were under way.
"Right now, all that we are saying is we don't have a firm date yet, because part of that is the market dynamic - when will the customer really want it, when will Airbus do something," he said, referring to Boeing's arch-rival Airbus of Europe.
"I suspect that what it will be is not a continuation of the 737 family," he added.
The latest version of the 737, a model popular with low-cost airlines and in direct competition with the Airbus 320, dates from 1993.
Boeing estimates it will sell 14,715 units of the 737 aircraft in the next 20 years.
26 Jan 2005 - First 737 rolled out without eyebrow windows
Boeing this week rolled out its first 737 without eyebrow windows, the four small windows above the front windshield. In the past the eyebrow windows helped provide better crew visibility, but today's advanced navigation systems have made those windows obsolete. The design change reduces airplane weight by 20 pounds and eliminates approximately 300 hours of periodic inspections per airplane. Retrofit kits to cover eyebrow windows will be available mid-2006 for the in-service 737 fleet.
The first eyebrowless aircraft was 737-700, N201LV, L/N 1650, first flown on 3 Feb 2005 and was delivered to Southwest 16 Feb 2005.
04 Jan 2005 - 737-200F collapses on runway at Banda Aceh after hitting Cows.
A 737-200F operated by TRI-MG has blocked the runway at Banda Aceh airport this morning after hitting cows on the runway. The military says the engine and landing gear are badly damaged and without heavy lifting equipment, the airport remains closed to fixed-wing aircraft.
The Republic of Singapore Air Force has been called in to use their Chinooks to "float" the aircraft off the runway using airbags.
28 Dec 2004 - Future of 737 Looks Strong
In June, Boeing won a stunning victory over Lockheed Martin and gave Renton a new lease on life. The U.S. Navy awarded Boeing a contract to develop an anti-submarine ocean prowler based on the 737 airframe.
On other military programs, commercial jets are typically modified at defense-oriented plants outside Washington state. But the Navy's 737s will be modified on a new, dedicated assembly line in Renton. Boeing will produce seven test aircraft under the initial development contract, worth $3.9 billion. If that's successful, the program is potentially worth more than $40 billion in sales to U.S. and overseas military.
The upshot: The Boeing plant at the southern edge of Lake Washington, previously scheduled to wind down perhaps as early as 2012, will be pumping out 737s for perhaps another 25 years. In addition to securing the 737 production jobs, already the Navy program has added almost 450 high-tech engineering jobs in Renton.
On the commercial side, even though U.S. jet sales remain badly depressed — with several carriers including Delta, United and US Airways in serious financial trouble — the worldwide market has finally recovered. For the first time in four years, Boeing's orders are up over the previous year. Internal documents show Boeing plans to increase the monthly 737 production rate from 17 to 21, the 777 rate from three to four and the 747 rate from one to 1-½. By 2006, as many as 28 of the 737s could be rolling out per month. Boeing declined to comment on the internal numbers.
12 Nov 2004 - RAAF Wedgetail AEW&C project sets records.
By Steve Creedy, the Australian.
ONE of Australia's most complex aircraft modification programs is on track to move to Queensland's Amberley RAAF base late next year after a promising run with the first two planes.
The RAAF's Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system is making a name for itself as one of the rare military projects to run on time, or ahead, of schedule.
The world's first Boeing 737-based AEW&C aircraft has broken records at the US aerospace giant for flight testing since it took to the air in May with about double the per day sortie rate of similar programs.
A second plane is undergoing an extensive refit at a hangar at Boeing Field in Seattle with installation of mission equipment due to start this week and testing to get under way next month.
"The plane has performed extremely well during all that time," says Boeing 737 AEW&C programs vice-president Patrick Gill. "And even better than that, we haven't had any nasty surprises with the aerodynamic characteristics that we predicted out of both the wind tunnel and the computational fluid dynamics."
The good news from Seattle means modification of the final four aircraft at Amberley in Queensland, expected to create 150 to 170 jobs, is expected to begin on time in December next year.
The federal Government in June this year made what is generally regarded by defence experts as the sensible decision to buy two more options for about $180 million. That decision paved the way for the extensive 20-month modification program being undertaken on the first two planes in the US to be done in Australia.
The modifications essentially gut a 737-700 commercial airframe, replacing and reinforcing an entire section so it can support the aircraft's distinctive multi-role electronically scanned array (MESA) radar, designed to track airborne and maritime targets simultaneously to help the crew direct fighter aircraft.
The modifications involve rewiring the entire plane, adding defensive measures, shoring it up against electromagnetic radiation, installing more than 60 new antennae and adding extra fuel tanks that give the aircraft a range of 3500 nautical miles.
As the launch customer for 737-based AEW&C aircraft, Australians are already playing a key role in shaping the project's future.
Defence Materiel Organisation deputy chief executive Norm Gray has a team of more than 40 Australians in Seattle working closely with Boeing.
Australia has already asked for modifications which include a fuel jettison system which have been taken up by the program's other buyer, Turkey. The system allows fuel to be dumped in the case of an aborted take-off, avoiding the problems of a heavy landing, and has been deemed an enhancement that would also benefit potential future customers such as South Korea, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Spain.
"It's actually a change that will benefit the Commonwealth in terms of some increased Australian industry involvement over the life of the program," says Boeing's Mr Gill, referring to contract terms that allow Australia to benefit from changes it specifies and are subsequently marketed to other customers.
Air Vice Marshal Gray sees Wedgetail as bringing a huge amount of capability, not just to air defence but to support ground forces and the maritime fleet. "Of course it was a risky program when we went into it and that drove a number of the decisions we made early," he says.
Among those criteria was the need for a prime contractor with experience with airborne warning and control aircraft with whom Australian defence experts could partner.
According to Air Vice Marshall Gray, the decision to work closely with Boeing as a partner has seen differences between the parties resolved more quickly and meant Australian personnel gain valuable experience before the aircraft go into service.
12 Oct 2004 - Boeing Electronic Flight Bag Available for Retrofit on BBJ
Boeing is making its industry-leading Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag available for retrofit on Boeing Business Jets, giving BBJ operators the chance to make unsurpassed gains in safety, security and efficiency.
The Boeing EFB contains the documentation and forms that pilots carry – Jeppesen charts, manuals for fault reporting and operations, minimum equipment lists and logbooks – in digital format, and puts them at the crew's fingertips. It is the only fully integrated, FAA-certified EFB available on the market today.
EFB includes an on-board performance tool that allows the pilot to instantly calculate the ideal speed and engine setting for an aircraft, in any weather, on any runway – or any runway section – with any payload.
In addition, the EFB includes the award-winning Jeppesen Airport Moving Map application, which combines high-fidelity, geo-referenced airport taxi charts and precise navigational signals to show flight crews exactly where they are on the surface of an airport. It also gives flight crews a viewer for cabin surveillance systems, helping meet new and anticipated regulatory requirements.
Boeing is offering an avionics-installed "Class 3" version of the EFB comprising Jeppesen software and data, and electronics and display hardware from Astronautics Corp. of America . Boeing Commercial Aviation Services will design the installation on BBJ and handle all certification issues.
Boeing received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification for its Class 3 EFB in October 2003, when the first commercial unit was delivered to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines on the carrier's first 777.
Installation of an EFB will give BBJ operators a first step into the future of the e-enabled air transport system. Boeing is offering content, applications, and services that connect all the data generated by an entire flight operation – in the air, on the ground and in the hangar – meaningful to all users: pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, operations departments and airport users – and other potential customers.
14 Sep 2004 - Algeria air crash due to human, technical error
ALGIERS, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Human and technical error caused an Air Algerie Boeing 737 to crash in the Sahara desert last year killing 102 people, an official inquiry into Algeria's worst air disaster showed on Tuesday.
The state-owned plane had been heading for Algiers on the Mediterranean coast when it crashed near Tamanrasset, 1,920 km (1,200 miles) from the capital in the far south of the country last March. Some French nationals were among the dead.
"There are three key reasons behind the crash - losing the engine during takeoff, failure of the wheels to fold in, and the pilot being unaware of engine problems (before takeoff)," Hasane Afane, head of the government commission, told a news conference.
He gave no explanation as to why the left engine fell off, nor why the wheels did not fold back into the Boeing body, but Afane said the pilot failed to check the engines prior to departure.
The commission called for more training for Algerian pilots, particularly on emergency situations. It said French and U.S. experts were also involved in the investigation.
Initially, the commission believed the crash was due to an engine glitch.
13 Sep 2004 - Boeing Hikes 737 Prices
Boeing Co. has raised catalogue prices on its aircraft by 7% to reflect inflation. The list prices, last updated in 2002, are a guide for industry analysts, the media, and the public to use as estimates for order values. Airlines usually don't pay list prices. The new price for Chicago-based Boeing's 737, its most popular plane, is $44-$74 million; depending on maximum range and number of seats, up from $41-$68.5 million in 2002. "The increase was just producer price inflation, and it's consistent with what others in the industry have done," says spokesman Todd Blecher. The new prices have been posted on the company's Web site.
18 Jul 2004 - SilkAir 737 PCU Servo Valve Found
THERE'S nothing left of the SilkAir Boeing 737 that went down in Indonesia in 1997, except for one little piece.
All 600kg of the salvaged parts, save the servo valve, were destroyed by Indonesian Customs last August. They had been sitting in a warehouse since 1998.
And it was by a stroke of luck that aeronautical engineering expert Frederic Wilken found the valve, a component in the Boeing 737's power control unit that controls the rudder's movements.
Defects found in the cylindrical shaft - 2cm in diameter and about 30cm long - helped the Los Angeles law firm Lipscomb, Engstrom and Lack convince a Californian jury that the valve maker Parker Hannifin was responsible for the crash.
The law firm engaged Mr Wilken to find the valve because 'no one would tell us where it went after it was inspected in May 1998,' said lawyer Walter Lack.
The four-month search that began last November was the 'most frustrating' he's taken on, said Mr Wilken, 57, who has investigated more than 700 aircraft accidents in the last 30 years.
Before he touched down in Jakarta, he was confident he knew where it was.
From calls he had made, he learnt that the wreckage was in a warehouse for goods that did not get through Customs.
The warehouse was searched, but the crates weren't there.
Mr Wilken was six weeks into the search when he learnt that they had all been destroyed months earlier.
'That was one of my low points,' he told The Sunday Times from Jakarta, where he is investigating two more plane crashes.
His only hope rested in the Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) investigators who handled the probe back in 1998.
Two weeks went by before he received a phone call that saved the day.
'An NTSC investigator who was helping me was yelling and laughing. He said another investigator who was involved in the probe seven years back had actually locked the servo valve in a safe in the NTSC office.
'He felt it was too important to leave it with the rest of the plane's remains!'
Mr Wilken then met twice with the NTSC to persuade its officials to let him take the valve to the US where experts could run tests on it.
They agreed only a day before he was due to leave for home. He scrambled to get air tickets for the two Indonesian officials appointed to carry the valve to the US.
But hours before the plane was to leave for Singapore en route to Boston, one of the two said he couldn't go, because a meeting had come up suddenly.
'By this time, I'd given up. I left the next day and told the investigator that if he gets there, call me,' he recalled.
Three days and many cancelled and delayed flights later, the Indonesian investigator finally arrived in the US, carrying the valve in a sealed cardboard box.
The next day, experts concluded that it did indeed have 'chip-outs' and numerous burrs that could have interfered with the smooth operation of the valve.
Mr Wilken's job was done. He then took a two-week vacation in the Caribbean.
Till today, he hasn't laid eyes on the servo valve.
'Not once! I just hoped it was there and that it was the right piece.
'Thank goodness it was!'
13 Jul 2004 - Anti AG missile system tested on IAI ELTA 737-200
Flight Guard, the airborne system designed to protect civilian aircraft from surface-to-air missiles, was successfully tested Monday and Tuesday over Palmachim Air Force base, Israel Aircraft Industries said Tuesday.
Its developers at IAI, Elta, and TAAS-Israel Industries are now hoping US officials will license the platform, allowing not only Israel's airliners to carry the system, but enabling Elta and its partners to market it worldwide.
Using an IAI Boeing 737-200 as the test aircraft, air force personnel launched a "virtual" SA-7 Strela (shoulder-fired) missile at the plane, which was immediately tracked and destroyed by the Flight Guard system.
"The test was a huge success and we were more than pleased with the results," Elta Systems president Israel Livnat told The Jerusalem Post. "We now await Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) licensing, and from there the FAA is expected to approve and license the system," added Livnat.
Designed originally as a protective system for combat planes, helicopters, transports, and VIP aircraft, Elta adapted the successful military version that has been installed in over 150 aircraft and been on the market for 10 years – even before a near-disaster took place over African skies.
On November 28, 2002, al-Qaida-related terrorists fired two SA-7 Strela anti-aircraft missiles at an Arkia Israeli Airlines jet as it took off from Mombasa, Kenya, narrowly missing the Boeing 757, which carried 261 Israeli passengers.
Immediately following the attack, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the Defense Ministry to assist the state-owned aeronautics concern in completing all phases of the system's testing, and its successful installation in all Israeli airliners.
Under Flight Guard's current platform, the system's radar detects approaching heat-seeking missiles, automatically deploying tiny, powerful flares in all directions from the plane's rear or sides that divert the missiles away from the plane.
However in order to garner the precious FAA license, Flight Guard's developers had to abandon the use of lit flares, opting for invisible ones designed by TAAS.
"We understood the psychological affect on passengers seeing brightly lit flares from their windows fired in all direction from the fuselage, so using TAAS's technology the flares will be invisible," Livnat noted.
Officials in Washington had presented concerns over the possibility of lit flares landing in populated areas or airport surroundings, endangering the lives of people on the ground.
"We do not expect to encounter any problems in the FAA certification process," he said. The certification will allow Israeli carriers to fly in and out of US airports using the Flight Guard system. Industry analysts expect the first El Al plane to be fitted with the system by year's end.
8 Jul 2004 - Hydraulic firm loses $44 million in verdict
Parker Hannifin, the world's largest maker of hydraulic equipment, was told by a Los Angeles jury to pay $43.6 million to the families of three people killed in a 1997 crash of a SilkAir plane in Indonesia. The Los Angeles Superior Court jury determined that defects in a rudder-control system caused the Boeing 737 to plunge from 35,000 feet, killing all 104 people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that there were no mechanical defects and the pilot intentionally caused the crash.
"We are incredulous," said Lorrie Paul Crum, a spokeswoman for Cleveland-based Parker Hannifin, who said the company will appeal. The jury assigned the entire responsibility for the crash to Parker Hannifin, rejecting the option of apportioning any fault to Silk Air or Boeing, which manufactured the 10-month-old 737.
15 Jun 2004 - 737 MMA Wins 109 aircraft US Navy Order
The Boeing Co. beat Lockheed Martin Corp. for a multi-billion dollar contract to replace the Navy's aging fleet of P-3C Orion submarine-hunters. Boeing will build up to 109 multi-mission maritime aircraft for the Navy, a contract potentially worth $15 billion over the 10-year production run, the company said.
The company won an initial $3.9 billion Monday to design the planes. The Navy chose Boeing's 737s to replace the existing four-engine turboprop planes made by Lockheed. For its bid, Lockheed had proposed a next-generation P-3.
The new aircraft will have enhanced surveillance and attack capabilities, expanding its role beyond anti-submarine warfare, said John Young, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, in a statement.
The Navy's existing fleet of 223 P-3s is more than 30 years old and is operating in Iraq and Afghanistan. Boeing's new field office in Norfolk served as a liaison between the military and corporate headquarters during the bidding process.
Now, the local office will serve as Boeing's link to the commander of Patrol and Reconnaissance Force Atlantic, based in Norfolk, which will oversee the fleet of aircraft.
The company will produce seven test planes before the Navy places its order. Led by Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems unit, the winning team also includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Smiths Aerospace.
08 Jun 2004 - NASA Tests Aviation Turbulence Detection System
A NASA developed technology that can automatically alert pilots of potentially dangerous turbulence will make its first evaluation flights on a commercial airliner.
The idea behind NASA's Turbulence Prediction and Warning System (TPAWS) airborne radar is to give flight crews enough advance warning, so they can avoid turbulence or advise flight attendants and passengers to sit down and buckle up to avoid injury.
Researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center (LaRC), Hampton, Va., developed TPAWS to detect turbulence associated with thunderstorms as part of the NASA Aviation Safety and Security Program. NASA teamed with Delta Air Lines, Atlanta; AeroTech Research, Hampton, Va.; and Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the in-service evaluation of a production-prototype airborne radar unit with turbulence hazard prediction capabilities.
Delta will install the TPAWS/Rockwell Collins radar unit on a Boeing 737-800 this summer. Delta flight crews will use and evaluate the technology during regularly scheduled flights in the U.S. and South America. The prototype is expected to fly for six to nine months.
Researchers from NASA, the companies involved and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will evaluate interim and final results of the turbulence prediction radar system. If the evaluation is successful, the technology may be adopted for new and existing aircraft.
"The TPAWS technology is an enhanced turbulence detection radar system that detects atmospheric turbulence by measuring the motions of the moisture in the air," said NASA's TPAWS project manager Jim Watson. "It is a software signal processing upgrade to existing predictive Doppler wind shear systems that are already on airplanes," he added.
"Delta Air Lines is always interested in evaluating new technologies that offer the potential for improved ride quality and safety for our customers and flight crews," said Ira Pearl, Delta flight operations technical support director.
Researchers have already tested TPAWS on a NASA Boeing 757 research aircraft. The TPAWS equipped plane searched for turbulence activity around thunderstorms for eight weeks. The aircraft flew within a safe distance of storms, so researchers could experience the turbulence and compare the radar prediction to how the plane responded to the encounters. After one severe patch of turbulence, a NASA research pilot said his confidence in the enhanced radar had "gone up dramatically," since the plane's weather radar did not show anything, while the same time the TPAWS display showed rough skies ahead.
Atmospheric turbulence encounters are the leading cause of injuries to passengers and flight crews in non-fatal airline accidents. FAA statistics show an average of 58 airline passengers are annually injured in U.S. turbulence incidents. Ninety eight percent of those injuries happen, because people don't have their seat belts fastened. Turbulence encounters are hazardous; they cost airlines money and time, in the form of re-routing flights, late arrivals, additional inspections and maintenance for aircraft.
The NASA Aviation Safety and Security Program is a partnership with the FAA, aircraft manufacturers, airlines and the Department of Homeland Security to reduce the fatal aircraft accident rate, protect air travelers and the public from security threats. Researchers at four NASA centers are working to develop advanced, affordable technologies to make flying safer and more secure. NASA's LaRC; Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.; Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.; and Glenn Research Center, Cleveland are working on the program.
21 May 2004 - Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft makes its first flight
A new era in Australian airborne surveillance was launched today with the first flight of the Royal Australian Air Force's new "Wedgetail" Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft.
Defence Minister Robert Hill said the first flight conducted at Boeing Field in Seattle in the United States was a significant milestone in the $3.4 billion AEW&C project.
During the flight, tests were made on the Wedgetail's systems and structures. The pilots were in constant contact with test engineers monitoring the flight. After touchdown, the aircraft was greeted by Air Vice Marshal Norm Gray, head of the AEW&C program.
"The Wedgetail program is a hugely complicated undertaking, incorporating leading edge software technologies," Senator Hill said.
"To have it progressing ahead of time and on budget and with all of our capability requirements met so far is a dream come true.
"My congratulations to the Defence Materiel Organisation project team led by Air Vice Marshal Norm Gray, and to Boeing, BAE Systems and all the subcontractors who have achieved a great deal in such a short time."
Senator Hill said that the Government's high confidence in the Wedgetail project was demonstrated last week with the announcement that we would purchase an additional two aircraft, equipping Australia with a fleet of six.
Senator Hill said the aircraft would enhance Australia's combat capability through leading-edge air and maritime surveillance.
"The Wedgetail is based on Boeing's next generation 737 aircraft, which is being modified to accommodate an advanced phased-array radar and various other sophisticated mission systems ," Senator Hill said.
"The aircraft will have far more flexibility and capability than other similar platforms in service today." The RAAF's re-formed No 2 Squadron based at Williamtown near Newcastle will fly the AEW&C Wedgetail when it becomes operational. Delivery of the first two aircraft is scheduled for 2006.
14 May 2004 - Boeing Makes History with 1,500th Next-Generation 737 Delivery
Boeing made history today with its Next-Generation 737 family reaching 1,500 airplanes delivered sooner than any other commercial airplane model.
The milestone delivery -- a 737-800 to Indianapolis-based ATA Airlines, Inc. -- occurred six years after Southwest Airlines received the first Next-Generation 737. The Next-Generation 737 family bested by four years the previous record holder, Boeing's family of Classic 737-300s, -400s and -500s.
"This is a testament to the Next-Generation 737's efficiency and reliability; the confidence and trust the world's airlines have in it; and the efforts of our employees who design, build and support the 737 every day," said Carolyn Corvi, Boeing 737/757 programs vice president and general manager.
Vice President, Marketing, Randy Baseler, added, "We know better than any other airplane company what airlines and passengers want. That's why the 737 is history's best-selling passenger airplane and why the 7E7 will set a whole new standard for passenger comfort and airplane efficiency."
The Boeing 727 and Airbus A320 models are the only others to have delivered at least 1,500 airplanes. The A320 family, the 737 competitor, reached that mark in 13 years while the 727 did so in 16 years.
Reliability, low operating and maintenance costs, and advanced technologies such as Head-Up and Vertical Situation displays not available on competing models, are hallmarks of the Next-Generation 737 family.
Overall, Boeing has received orders for more than 5,390 737s. That's more than Airbus has for all its models. At any given time, more than 1,200 737s are flying, and a 737 takes off or lands somewhere in the world every 5.3 seconds.
The Next-Generation 737 family includes the 737-600, -700, -800 and -900 airplanes. The 737-100 through 737-500 airplanes are no longer produced.
5 May 2004 - Defects In Aging Passenger Jets Exposed
SEATTLE -- KIRO Team 7 Investigators discover cracks, corrosion and weakened metal hidden inside a growing number of Boeing passenger jets.
The problems lie along structural seams called lap joints. A fuselage is designed with overlapping sheets of metal riveted together. We uncovered at least 28 different warnings regarding flaws or defects. In 2002, a China Airlines jet plummeted into the water, killing 225 passengers. Fourteen years earlier, an Aloha Airlines 737 opened up like a sardine can, killing one person and injuring eight more.
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne discovers a big new problem for Boeing, centered on "lap-joint metal fatigue". The problem is called "scoring". During assembly, workers lay a bead of sealant along this lap joint. It makes the jet more aerodynamic. A year or two flying you around and many jets have to get repainted. Powerful chemical strippers melt the sealant, so some maintenance crews have been putting on caulk then, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, have been cutting away the excess with a box cutter. That can ruin the integrity of the metal along the entire aircraft lap joint. The FAA recently grounded three passenger jets due to "scribe marks" and has identified 32 more Boeing planes with damaging box cutter-type cuts along the lap joint. "When we found this, we jumped on it right away," said FAA spokesperson Mike Fergus. Fergus says they have no idea yet how many more jets are affected by scoring. "With the contraction and expansion of thousands of flight hours, the scratch has the potential, not a guarantee, the potential of turning into a crack. That in turn may have safety factor. That's our issue. If it's safety, we're interested," Fergus said.
Scoring of some lap joints is just the latest chapter in Boeing's long battle with the design and maintenance of its riveted seams. "With that type of structure, whatever is occurring between the two sheets is not readily visible," said Earl Brown, a certified jet engine and airframe mechanic. Brown says the FAA has been warning airlines to inspect -- and re-inspect often -- the lap joints of thousands of still-operating older model Boeing jets. "If we can catch a problem when it's still just a crack and fix it, then we don't have to worry about something coming apart, breaking. The potential for breaking is there if a crack develops. It's pretty much inherent in the design of the airplane and the materials used," Brown said. The scoring issue has been kept quiet until now, but other huge maintenance nightmares include hundreds of previously "patched" or repaired planes.
An Airworthiness Directive says new inspections are necessary to find "premature cracking of certain lap joints, which could result in rapid decompression." Spotting fatigue in the lap joints on the outside of an aircraft, through the paint, is nearly impossible. So here's what the airlines have to do: They have to bring the jet into a hanger and gut the interior. That can cost more than $1 million.
The super-high cost of that "D-check" inspection is hardly an incentive for airlines to look really hard for trouble spots. For example, KIRO Team 7 Investigators uncovered an Aviation Safety Report filed by a mechanic last year. He reported his company ignored a potentially deadly safety problem saying, "A B737-200 had water leaking on passengers and inspectors found all fuselage lap joints leaking excessively." Despite that, the mechanic says the supervisor "told me to get off the ACFT and not to check any laps. This ACFT had to go."
Independent aviation robotics engineer Henry Seemann doesn't look at a Boeing 737 like the rest of us. We view them as a whole. He sees them in tiny parts, up close, one rivet at a time. And what he sees should make all of us a little nervous: cascading metal cracks, loose shear clips, corroded lap joints and tiny cuts in the metal. Halsne: "Are there times when you walk up to a plane and think, 'I don't know about this one?'" Seemann: "Yes, I've had my moments of certain airplanes when I've looked at them and actually booked a different flight." Seemann invented a machine, currently used by Boeing itself, that automatically inspects lap joints. The robot could save the industry billions in early maintenance because it takes just a few days to computer map and analyze lap joint flaws. Current methods take a month.
Despite the potential cost savings some airlines are telling Henry don't get that thing near our passenger jets. "There's a requirement that if you know something is wrong with your airplane, you're supposed to fix it. It's a moral thing," Seemann said. "Some are afraid of that -- that their fleet is kind of old and we're going to inspect their planes and we're going to put a big red "x" on them." The Federal Aviation Administration confirms this robot design is in the final stages of approval. It could revolutionize the way we spot catastrophic metal failures - before a serious accident.
Boeing refused our repeated requests for an on-camera interview about "scoring" and other lap joint issues, but did provide us with some background on how it's working hard to fix the problems. We called Boeing again this week for a statement. While they still won't comment on past metal fatigue issues, they did say design improvements on their new line of 7E7's should take care of future problems.
5 May 2004 - Boeing denies report of 737 replacement due in nine years
By Dominic Gates
Seattle Times aerospace reporter
A respected trade publication says Boeing has targeted 2013 for launch of a new commercial jet that would replace the narrowbody 737 and likely end production at the company's Renton plant. Aviation-industry magazine Flight International reports in its latest issue that a Boeing preliminary study to replace the 737 — dubbed the Y-1 program — is gaining momentum and that the new candidate airplane could enter service nine years from now.
If so, that would be the likely schedule for the end of aircraft production in Renton, where the 737 is assembled.
A 737 replacement jet would likely be close in design, structure and production to the all-composite 7E7 and would be assembled in Everett.
While Boeing concedes long-term studies exist, it denies any firm plan to replace the 737.
"We're always studying a variety of product strategies," said Boeing spokeswoman Sandy Angers, "There aren't any plans. We're always doing studies."
Boeing has in the past studied the eventual replacement of its entire jet family with a new product line that would have common cockpits, systems and manufacturing processes. Some insiders see the 7E7 as the first of what would eventually be three different size categories, with a 737 replacement next up.
But Angers said the market is too dynamic to predict when the time will be right to end production of what is currentlyBoeing's best-selling jet.
Boeing will deliver its 1,500th next-generation 737 next week, a milestone achieved in a record time of just six years since the revamped 737 was launched.
The schedule for launching a 737 replacement mentioned in the trade magazine does resonate with what is known of Boeing's plans in Renton.
City leaders have long been aware that once the 737 line closes, the great gray box on the south end of Lake Washington will be surplused, and Boeing will be gone.
A 2003 internal strategic-planning document obtained by The Seattle Times revealed Boeing's intention to sell its commercial operations in Wichita, Kan., and showed that the planned "future state" of Boeing's Renton facility is to sell it all — though the document mentions no time frame.
The city, in conjunction with Boeing, already has developed a detailed plan to replace the 280-acre Boeing plant with a lakeside project of mixed office, retail and residential space.
In November, the City Council approved sweeping zoning changes, clearing the way for Boeing to eventually redevelop the property.
In the meantime, Boeing has been rapidly shrinking the site toward the lake and has invested in relocating office space beside its 737 production line.
Yesterday, Boeing announced it will begin marketing an additional 46 acres of vacated land at the site, a parcel named Lakeshore Landing.
A Boeing directive obtained by The Times and dated January 2004 also authorizes vacating adjoining land on Renton Field by the end of this year.
When might Boeing leave the site entirely?
Announcing the closure of the 757 line in October, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Chief Executive Alan Mulally said Boeing would be in Renton "as long as the world wants 737s."
Last year, Carolyn Corvi, the head of the Renton factory, offered assurances that Boeing would stay in the city for "seven to 10 years," but insisted that she could not predict beyond that.
Adam Pilarski, an industry analyst with Avitas, said airplane manufacturers are always conducting advance engineering studies of possible future products and that the obvious next step after the 7E7 would be a 737 replacement.
Pilarski said it is not in Boeing's interest to announce early a firm intention to introduce a new jet. Such an announcement could hit the stock as investors fear the expense of development costs and an adverse impact on sales of the current jet.
"As long as you are selling the 737 Next Generation, there is no reason for you to go there," said Pilarski.
"Will it eventually happen? Obviously."
26 Apr 2004 - Pemco Inks $24M Deal with Chinese Airline
Birmingham-based Pemco Aviation Group Inc. will modify up to 10 Boeing 737 passenger aircraft for cargo duty under a new $24 million contract with China's Hainan Airlines.
"Air cargo traffic, and the resulting demand for freighter aircraft, is showing strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region," says Pemco president and CEO Ron Aramini. "Hainan is a successful company that is benefiting from this growth and an airline with which we are proud to conduct business."
Pemco, the only company approved by the Chinese government to perform such conversions, began work April 15 on the first aircraft.
18 Apr 2004 - Boeing sees Altered 737 as Sub Spy
BY ALAN BJERGA AND MOLLY MCMILLIN. The Wichita Eagle
WASHINGTON - It's a modification of a commercial plane for military use. It has a fierce competitor. It could put hundreds of people to work at Boeing Wichita. But it's not the 767 tanker. It's the 737 multimission Marine aircraft, a proposed Boeing modification of another of its popular commercial models. And it is competing for a Navy contract that would bring Boeing billions of dollars. The 737 MMA would primarily be a submarine-hunter, flying low over water to find and attack enemy subs.
For Wichita, it would primarily be a job-preserver -- if the local plant lands the work. Boeing hasn't decided where to place the project, but with 75 percent of the 737 fuselage already built at Boeing Wichita, prototype and modification work could logically take place here. If Boeing Wichita did get the work, it would mean hundreds of jobs. With enough international business, the 737's impact could even surpass the 1,000 or so jobs promised by the tanker program, which is on hold under a cloud of scandal.
The Navy is expected to award a contract by early June to either Boeing or Lockheed Martin, which made the Navy's current sub-hunting fleet. The contract could mean about 150 planes for the U.S. military, and up to that many more for foreign militaries. Neither company would comment on the size of the contract or how much money the program would cost. Boeing MMA program director Tim Norgart said he thinks Boeing is in a good position to win the contract. "I think we've offered the Navy a great offer that gives them the ability to grow and expand," he said. But some defense experts say Boeing is the dark horse; they question whether the 737 is the right plane for the job. "I don't think they've convinced the Navy" that the 737 design works as a sub-hunter, said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute, an Arlington, Va., think tank that deals with national security issues.
The MMA is the latest Boeing attempt to wed commercial plane technology to military needs. The concept is simple. Take an existing plane and adapt it to military use, saving development costs and giving a proven product a new use. The lean manufacturing processes and established track record of the 737 at Boeing Wichita and in other places create "tremendous value" for the Navy, Norgart said. The 737 MMA takes a commercial 737 and gives it sensors, disposable listening devices and other special sound technology. It flies slow and low -- within 200 feet of water and at 200 mph. And it uses jet technology, a change from the fleet of turboprops used by the Navy. The 737 MMA is "a pretty quantum leap technology wise in the primary mission of this platform, which is anti-submarine warfare," Norgart said.
The winner of the contract would replace Lockheed Martin's P3 Orion, which has served the Navy for more than 30 years. The newest P3s were built in the 1980s. Lockheed has its own plans to replace the plane: a new aircraft, the Orion 21, that would have the P3 Orion's airframe and completely revamped inside parts. Norgart said that makes Lockheed's replacement candidate an untried new plane, in comparison with the tried-and-true 737. Lockheed spokesman Peter Simmons said that's not the case. "The P3 design used in the Orion 21 is a well-proven platform for this particular mission," he said. Because the plane's airframe doesn't change, the Navy's infrastructure costs will be less than for a new plane, Simmons said. And while turboprops might not seem as advanced as jets, they're the right approach for sub-hunting. "Turboprops are preferred for these sorts of uses," he said. "If turboprops are old technology, why are people trying to design new turboprop engines?"
Should Boeing get the contract, the first delivery of the 737 MMA would be in 2009, with initial Navy deployment in 2012. The Navy, as is customary, is tight-lipped about the front-runner. Thompson said Boeing faces an uphill climb in getting the contract. Boeing's basic concept of modifying commercial planes for military use "is laudable," he said. But he doubts the 737 is the plane for this particular job. Originally, the 737 "wasn't designed to fly slow and low," he said. "I don't know how expensive it will be to meet (Navy) requirements" for a plane that performs much differently than a commercial jetliner, he said.
Norgart said the 737 meets all the Navy's flight requirements, as proven by flight tests. Thompson said a better example of a commercial plane adapted to military needs is the 767 tanker. But that plane has its own problems, mainly federal probes related to negotiations between the Air Force and Boeing over the $23.5 billion deal. Thompson said a bright side for Boeing is that he doubts the well-publicized tanker woes will affect the Navy competition, which is being conducted through traditional procurement rules. The tanker program first ran into trouble because of a highly controversial leasing arrangement between the Air Force and Boeing that critics said unnecessarily added billions of dollars to the cost. "I don't see any overlap between the tanker lease and MMA," Thompson said.
Boeing, meanwhile, continues to make its case, working with the Navy until a final judgment comes. "We have been following step-by-step with the Navy through this competitive process," Norgart said.
20 March 2004 - Boeing Unveils Project Wedgetail
SEATTLE - More than a thousand Boeing workers and their families crowded into a hangar at Boeing Field Saturday to see their company's newest high flying defense system.
The first two planes from Project Wedgetail go to Australia.
The Aussie government has been working closely with Boeing for several years to develop the Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C). The next generation Boeing 737-700's carry state of the art electronically scanning radar. The Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) is a steerable beam, L-band electronically scanned array able to track airborne and surface targets at the same time. Boeing's other early warning radar planes, like the AWACS technology on the Boeing 767 platform, use a mechanically scanning radar disc.
Boeing expects the 737 AEW&C to give a number of countries a low cost, high-tech solution to early warning radar needs for national defense.
"Australia is the size of continental United States," said Wedgetail Team Leader John Grubb from Australia. "This is a capability we need to enhance our air defense network. It will improve our command and control, our air capability, our combat capability and our strike capability."
Australia may buy as many as six of the planes. Boeing also has a contract with the government of Turkey and is in discussions with South Korea and Italy.
The plane unveiled Saturday will now go through a 6-month air worthiness program before it and a second plane can be delivered to Australia.
Trivia - On Sept 30, 1990, Mr R. Letchemanah used his hair to pull a 32.5-tonne Boeing 737 over 16.9m at the Sultan Aziz Shah Airport in Selangor, Malaysia. This is a world record.
19 Feb 2004 - Ryanair Gives New Meaning to 'no-frills' Experience
The no-frills experience will soon deepen even further for Ryanair passengers who already have to walk up to 15 minutes from air terminals to their aircraft because the budget airline does not provide buses. Window seats will no longer come with shades, and passengers will also not be able to recline their seats during flights as these will be non-adjustable. Those who want to put newspapers or passports in the back pockets of seats can no longer do so as there will be no pockets.
White headrests on seats will be replaced by those that carry advertisements for things such as soft drinks, coffee, sweets and car rental companies. Ryanair, which has just become the biggest cut-price airline in Europe, will save millions of pounds with its new penny-pinching ideas.
Most of the 150 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft that the airline is buying between now and 2010 will be delivered without non-essentials such as window shades, reclining seats and seat pockets.
The absence of seat pockets will not only mean savings of about £100,000 (US$318,800) on the cost of each aircraft, Ryanair will also save on cleaning the pockets after each flight. Currently, up to 50 reclining seats have to be repaired by Ryanair on each of its aircraft every year. By using non-adjustable seats, it hopes to save £1.5 million a year, as well as pay less for aircraft.
As it is, the cost of each aircraft will be reduced by about £200,000 for not having window shades. White cotton headrests also cost the company about £100,000 a year. The company hopes that this amount and much more will be recouped by using seats with advertising.
16 Feb 2004 - Meggitt Safety Systems Receives FAA Certification for Its Silicon Dioxide Engine Cables for Boeing 737NG Fleet
SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Meggitt Safety Systems Inc. (MSSI) announced today that it has received Federal Aviation Administration certification of its engine fire warning system Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) engine cables for use on the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) family of commercial airplanes.
The Meggitt cables will replace the originally installed organic wire harnesses. Initial shipments of the state-of-the-art product has begun by MSSI for installation into the hot sections of the CFM56-7 engines by the launch customer. This new cable eliminates the need for frequent maintenance required to replace the organic cabling and offers extensive life cycle cost savings. These SiO2 cables have replaced standard engine wire harnesses on MD-11 aircraft, as well as several 747-400 aircraft.
Kevin Faughnan, General Manager of Meggitt Safety Systems, said: "State-of-the-art designs, manufacturing technologies and the unique silicon dioxide dielectric make Meggitt's cable systems the ultimate in hermetically sealed, inconel jacketed cable assemblies. And because we pioneered silicon dioxide cable systems in the early 1960's and hold the basic patent, our comprehensive experience is solving numerous unique application challenges."
MSSI, a unit of Meggitt Aerospace Equipment Group, based in Simi Valley, CA., is a leading provider of Silicon Dioxide solutions for a wide variety of commercial and military aircraft. The aircraft utilization of the MSSI product represents a new application for a problem that has plagued ageing aircraft -- frequent engine wire harness failures in extreme environments.
Meggitt's cables offer numerous advantages over organic engine wire harnesses, including light weight, tight bend radius, smaller diameter, and superior mechanical durability and high-quality performance under high hazard conditions. The company has supplied more of this type of cable system than all other cable suppliers in the world combined.
MSSI has further exploited the highly reliable SiO2 cable for applications that require truly fire-proof and robust performance. These applications include, but are not limited to, nuclear safety related coaxial and multi-wire instrumentation, control and power cable systems, Appendix R fire zone cables in nuclear installations, and high temperature engine vibration monitoring systems.
The company's cables and connectors cover a wide frequency range of 0.1 to 40 GHz, and operate reliably when exposed to extremely low and high temperatures (cryogenic to +2400 degrees F), gamma radiation and high power RF conditions. The SiO2 cable will withstand vibration to 45gs on earth and 110gs in space.
Meggitt Safety Systems has supplied aerospace OEMs, including Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier, with a variety of products since 1963. Pneumatic fire and overheat detection systems are used on virtually all Boeing aircraft models. Smoke detectors and high performance engine cables are used on several Boeing commercial aircraft types. The company also produces fire and overheat and bleed air leak detection systems for many Boeing military aircraft including the F/A-18, F-15E and the AH-64 helicopter.
Meggitt Safety Systems is a unit of Meggitt PLC (MGGT.L). Meggitt PLC, headquartered in the United Kingdom, is the parent company for an international group of companies operating in North America, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe and the Far East. Recognized for its specialized engineering skills, Meggitt is a world leader in the aerospace, defense and electronics industries.
12 Feb 2004 - Australia Decides Whether to Convert their 2 AEW&C Options.
Bargains are rare in the defence business. Over the next few months the Government has a chance to snap one up, thanks to an uncharacteristic gamble by the Prime Minister, John Howard, which is paying off. The decision rests with Howard to reap the benefits of that gamble. He must move fast.
Somewhere in Seattle, a Boeing 737 is being taken apart and rebuilt to carry a 2-tonne radar antenna, and enough computing power to run a fair-sized trading bank. It is the first of Australia's four new Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, and it's due to fly in May. Before the end of June Australia needs to decide whether to buy another two of the same.
Until mid-year, these two extra aircraft are available under a contract option at one-seventh of the unit price we are paying for the first four. We are paying $3.6 billion for the four aircraft on order - $900 million each. We can get two more for $240 million - $120 million each. Or to put it another way, an extra 7 per cent investment will yield a 50 per cent increase in capability, from four to six aircraft.
With numbers like that, it is hard to see how the Government could decide not to buy the extra two aircraft. But last week's revision of the Defence Capability Plan makes no provision for the money needed. Odd.
Of course, there must be a story behind a bargain like this. The story goes back to 2000, when Defence asked Howard and his colleagues to sign a contract with Boeing for six or seven AEW&C. This was not just the biggest defence contract this Government has considered, it was also the most risky. It is full of new, cutting-edge technologies.
Ministers feared they were looking at another Collins submarine project - an overambitious embarrassment waiting to pounce. But they also recognised that, for once, there were good reasons why Australia should take the risk of developing a new high-technology capability, because the capability was critical to maintaining our fighting edge in the air. So the ever-cautious Howard hedged his bets. Yes, we would sign the contract, but he cut the order down to four, with an option to get two more once the project was far enough along to judge if it was working.
Now Howard has every reason to be pleased. For once, in the problem-plagued world of defence acquisition, something is going right. Lessons from the Collins have been learnt and applied in the management of the project which is on track to deliver a first-rate capability.
The two additional AEW&C are so cheap because all we need to pay for is the aircraft themselves, and the cost of fitting the systems to them. We are already buying and paying for six "mission systems" - the radars and other equipment that the aircraft carry to do their job.
Of course, no matter how cheap they are, two extra aircraft are not a bargain unless we need them. But the arguments for buying six (or even more) are very strong. They will provide the eyes and ears for our fighters in air combat, support strike aircraft on bombing missions, provide coverage for naval ships at sea, and support land forces as well.
Australia's AEW&C will also be in high demand from the US and other coalition partners as a contribution to operations beyond our shores.
Four aircraft will not be enough to do more than one of these roles at a time. An extra two aircraft would make all the difference.
At $240 million we are still talking a lot of money. But Defence can find it within its budget. Compared with the cost increases in some other projects in the new Defence Capability Plan, this is small beer. Does it make sense, for example, to allow the cost of an extra 12 trooplift helicopters to blow out from $400 million to more than $750 million, and yet not find $240 million for two more AEW&C?
Howard should be asking Defence that question, soon.
Hugh White is director of ASPI, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. These are his personal views.
22 Jan 2004 - Boeing Selects Palomar Digital Intercommunications System For 737 AEW&C Peace Eagle
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Palomar Products, Inc. announced today that they have been awarded a contract by The Boeing Company for the Mission Intercommunications Systems (ICS) for the 737 AEW&C Peace Eagle program.
The new ICS is a derivative of the system being delivered to Boeing for the Australian Defense Force 737 AEW&C Project Wedgetail. The Peace Eagle Program is for the Republic of Turkey. The program includes the acquisition and development of a new AEW&C system, which includes four 737 AEW&C aircraft and ground equipment. Delivery of the first aircraft is expected in 2007. Palomar Products has been supplying secure Intercommunications systems to Boeing since the 1970s, when the Palomar organization was part of Hughes Aircraft Company. In anticipation of the increasing demand requiring sophisticated digital communications capabilities, Palomar Products has developed a state-of-the-art audio / data distribution system -- using the latest digital signal processing and networking technology. Val Policky, Palomar Products' President, stated: "We are very pleased with this award. Palomar's forecasted production orders for this platform are significant in future years and it is gratifying to know that after three decades of being an award winning supplier to Boeing, that we will be able to continue in the decades ahead."
"Palomar's analog ICS, long recognized as an industry standard, complemented by our digital system allows me to offer customers throughout the world a fully compliant solution meeting their operational needs," states Bob Lawson, Marketing Director of Palomar Products, Inc.
Palomar Products, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of secure audio and data distribution systems for military airborne and ground-based applications. Located in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, Palomar has provided TEMPEST qualified systems to customers throughout the world for over 30 years.
The Boeing Company is the world's largest manufacturer of satellites, commercial jetliners and military aircraft. In terms of sales, Boeing is the largest exporter in the United States. Total company revenues for 2002 were $54 billion.
20 Jan 2004 - 737-200 to be Sunk off Vancouver Island, Canada
Divers are planning to sink a 33m-long, stripped-down, ex Air Canada Boeing 737 at Vancouver Island to provide a new dive site.
Comox Valley Dive Association and the Artificial Reef Society are hoping their application for permission to sink the commercial airliner in 26m of water off Vancouver Island will win the approval of Environment Canada.
If given the go-ahead, the airliner will become the seventh artificial reef sunk in Canadian waters - the previous six were ships.
The Boeing 737 currently belongs to Air Canada and is kept at Vancouver International Airport. It has already been stripped to a shell and cleaned of pollutants.
A previous application to sink the airliner at Sechelt Inlet was turned down by the local authorities who were unconvinced that it would attract the levels of interest and increased business revenue that the organisers were claiming.
16 Jan 2004 - Fresh New Look Debuts in Boeing Next-Generation 737 Lavatories
SEATTLE, Jan. 16, 2004 - Boeing is introducing a redesigned lavatory for its Next-Generation 737 commercial airplanes that is more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing for passengers and easier for airlines to maintain.
A 737-700 delivered to China Southern Airlines today is the first to carry the new lavatory. Aspects of the redesigned lavatory reflect suggestions from passengers and airline operators around the world.
"We're committed to offering technical or aesthetic innovation that enhances the value of the 737 as well as the comfort and flying experience for the passenger," said Carolyn Corvi, Boeing 737 vice president and general manager. "The redesigned lavatory accomplishes both."
The new lavatory features:
- A seat and lid damper also used on the Boeing 777, which slows the closure of the seat and lid and prevents slamming.
- A gently-curved composite countertop that holds a larger stainless steel sink.
- An adjustable temperature-controlled faucet that can be operated with one hand and automatically shuts off.
- A larger soap dispenser conveniently located over the sink rather than on the countertop.
- Brighter lighting that incorporates lightweight and efficient LED lighting technology.
- A re-vamped venting system that produces a quieter lavatory interior.
Airline maintenance technicians will find that the restyled lavatory panels provide easier and faster access to plumbing, while improved anti-corrosion materials will lower maintenance costs. There is also a larger waste container and bigger stowage compartments for supplies.
The new lavatory complements an already passenger-pleasing cabin that provides more head room and larger overhead stowage bins. The Next-Generation 737s are the newest and most technologically advanced in their class, and continue to be Boeing's best selling commercial airplane.
12 Jan 2004 - Boeing 737-NG's Remain the Company's Best Seller in 2003
The Boeing 737 in 2003 remained the company's best-selling commercial airplane, propelled by strong demand from the world's low-cost airlines.
The Next-Generation 737 models (737-600/-700/-800/-900) accounted for 86 percent of the 239 Boeing commercial airplanes ordered last year. The Next-Generation 737s have annually been Boeing's best seller since entering service in 1998. Demand from low-cost airlines such as Southwest Airlines, Ryanair, WestJet and Virgin Blue underpins the 737's popularity. The Next-Generation 737s have received 56 percent of orders from that market segment during the past five years, nineteen of the 24 low-cost airlines operate only 737s, and 92 percent of airplanes flown by low-cost carriers are Boeing 737s.
"The 737 aircraft produced the best results for Virgin Blue and more importantly our guests," said Brett Godfrey, chief executive officer of Brisbane-based Virgin Blue. "The 737 is the proven leader for low-cost airlines around the world, and it has been a key factor to the success of Virgin Blue."
The Next-Generation 737s are the newest and most technologically advanced in their class, offering new flight-deck technologies such as Head-Up and Vertical Situation displays that aren't available on competing Airbus models. In addition, the modern 737s provide exceptional economics through lower fuel burn and maintenance costs.
"The 737's design, reliability, fuel economy, and quick turn-around times, all of which contribute to low operating costs, make it the low-cost airlines' airplane of choice," said Carolyn Corvi, Boeing 737 vice president and general manager. "It allows those carriers to provide cost-conscious travelers with the value they want."
Since 1998 air carriers have ordered more than 2,240 Next-Generation 737s. Overall the 737 family is the best-selling in history. About 5,400 Boeing 737s have been ordered, more than the total for all Airbus models combined.
3 Oct 2003 - FAA Is Testing Cameras Inside Planes
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The federal government is looking into putting video cameras on commercial flights so people on the ground could monitor pilots and passengers and get an early warning of hijackings or other trouble on board. The Boeing Co. demonstrated a satellite system to Federal Aviation Administration officials in two test flights early this year, showing how images could be sent from a plane to the ground, said John Loynes, an FAA program manager in Washington. A Boeing 737, equipped with seven cameras, transmitted images of the cockpit and cabin.
Pilots have fiercely opposed efforts to put cameras in cockpits as an infringement of their authority. Passenger advocates have supported cameras as a way to prevent terrorist acts.
FAA officials stressed that the tests, conducted in January and February, were preliminary. There will be further tests and the agency is far from deciding whether or how to use the technology, said Marcia Adams, an agency spokeswoman.
About 20 federal and Boeing workers, most of them engineers, were on board the round-trip flights from Seattle. Federal air marshals also tested Boeing technology that allows the use of hand-held devices to transmit video and to speak with and send data from the air to workers on the ground, Loynes said.
One camera showed the pilots from behind, one was in first class and the others showed the rest of the passenger area. Workers on the ground, at Boeing offices in Seattle and in McLean, Va., could choose which camera view to look at by touching a computer screen, said Joseph J. Tedino, a Boeing spokesman.
Loynes described the tests as successful, with a few glitches in which video images were briefly garbled.
"There were no insurmountable problems,'' he said.
The tests were part of Boeing's 2002 contract with the FAA to test various security technologies.
Boeing officials discussed the technology at a recent security conference in New Orleans. The city of Denver uses a similar video system to monitor part of its public transit system.
For more than a decade, the FAA has considered various plans to put video cameras in airplanes. In 2000, National Transportation Safety Board officials pushed a plan for cockpit cameras, saying they aid air crash investigators.
The proposal was dropped after stiff opposition from pilots, who were concerned that cameras could lead to a dilution of pilots' control over decisions made during flights. Pilots said workers on the ground could misinterpret video images and give orders based on incomplete information.
But advocates for air passengers say cameras would make air travel safer by preventing terrorism and hijackings.
David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, said cameras would allow officials to assess the seriousness of a disturbance in the cabin. Officials on the ground could then talk about the problem with the flight crew members, who could learn about the situation without having to leave the cockpit.
"In the old days, one of the flight crew could come out and check things out, but they can't do that anymore,'' Stempler said. "These days, we want to keep the cockpit impenetrable to terrorists or hijackers.''
27 Aug 2003 - AEW&C Mission Simulator to be Used in Australian Exercise
AIR Force officers will get an early look at their new eye in the sky next week, with a computer simulation allowing the yet-to-be-built Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability to be put through its paces at an exercise.
Next week's Armchair Warrior exercise in Adelaide will run Boeing's 737 AEW&C aircraft through realistic Australian-scenario missions using locally-developed simulation technology. The technology will allow Defence to try out the 737 ahead of the expected delivery of four of the high-tech aircraft in 2007-2008 as part of its Wedgetail AEW&C capability.
Developed jointly by Melbourne software firm Kesem International and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, the BattleModel Wedgetail Capability Modelling Environment (WCME) allows crews to get a hands-on view of the new aircraft.
"They will know how to use the capability when it's delivered," said Kesem technical director Gil Tidhar. "The same simulation environment is designed to support all three stages of the project."
The BattleModel software is already turning heads in the US, Europe and Asia following its use in the selection and implementation of the Wedgetail project. Used to select the successful technology and currently in use to trial the technology in real-life scenarios, the simulator will eventually be used to simulate maintenance and upgrade work on the aircraft. Mr Tidhar said the WCME had already attracted interest overseas.
"We have looked at it for export overseas, and there has been a lot of defence-related interest from the US, Europe and Asia," he said. "The technology can also be applied to other areas, like the P3C Orion." The WCME runs on Windows and Linux.
Kesem - which also provides simulation technology for doctors - is based in Melbourne and has offices in Adelaide and Israel.
11 Aug 2003 - Boeing to test fuel cell APU on 737.
Don't hold your breath but Boeing expects to start flight tests of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) APU in 2005. The SOFC uses jet fuel as the reformer in the proton exchange membrane to give a 440kW APU that is 75% efficient compared to the conventional 40-45% efficient APU's. This would give a typical fuel saving of 1,360t for a 737 over a year. It is actually a hybrid gas turbine / fuel cell due to the sudden surges in demand eg engine starts and gear retraction etc. The SOFC will use air from a compressor passed through a heat exchanger for its gas turbine section.
A potential drawback is that it has a 40min start-up time, so it would have to remain on for the whole day and depending upon its noise levels this could be a problem at airports which require the APU to be shutdown during the turnaround.
The technology for the SOFC APU to replace the current APU is not likely to be available until at least 2010.
31 Jul 2003 - Jack Steiner, co-designer and patent holder of the 737 dies aged 85.
John E. "Jack" Steiner, known as the "father of the 727" for his role in designing what was once Boeing's best-selling commercial jet, is dead at 85. Steiner, who also helped design the Boeing 737, which supplanted the three-engine 727 as the best-selling jetliner in aviation history Known for working such long hours that he had both a day secretary and a night secretary, Steiner helped design the PBB-1, a float bomber; the B-29 Superfortress, 707, 727,737 and 747.
A Seattle native, Steiner earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington and a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but that field was not his first choice. "His first love was boats. He wanted to design boats," Boeing Co. historian and archivist Michael Lombardi said. "The airplane business was booming, and there was a lot more work for airplane engineers."
Believing Boeing needed a smaller model than the 727, he and Joseph Sutter designed the two-engine 737 to which he held the patent. Steiner didn't care much for being called the "father of the 727" because he viewed airplane building as a team effort, but Sutter said the term was apt. "He was really the engineering spark plug behind the 727," said Sutter, who went on to become chief designer of the 747, "not only to develop the airplane but to work with the management to get it offered out to the airlines and inspire them to buy it.
"He was really the main guy on developing the airplane and pretty much the same thing on the 737. Especially on the 727, he was the guy that gave it the push and made sure everything happened." Years later, though, when Boeing was considering a three-engine version of the 777 and airlines showed little interest, Steiner was quoted as saying, "Three engines? That's the optimum worst!"
He retired in the mid-1980s as corporate vice president and chairman of the aeronautical policy review committee.
For a description of Jacks design work on the 737 see History & Variants page.
13 Jun 2003 - Boeing Next-Generation 737 Fleet Reaches 10 Million Flight Hours in Record Time
The worldwide fleet of Boeing [NYSE: BA] Next-Generation 737s this week surpassed 10 million flight hours, a feat equal to one airplane flying more than 1,141 years nonstop. The world’s fastest-selling airplane family is the first and only commercial jetliner to reach this milestone in record time -- five short years.
The newer 737 family, which includes the 737-600, 737-700, 737-800 and 737-900, entered service in 1998. Since then, it has logged almost half the hours accumulated by its aging competitor, the 16-year-old A320.
"This milestone is a tremendous achievement for the newest 737s," said Carolyn Corvi, 737/757 vice president and general manager. "It underscores the durable and efficient design of the 737, and the value the airplane brings to our airline customers."
Although the current and earlier 737 models (737-100 through –500) share the same name, there are key distinctions between the two families. The 737-600/-700/-800/-900 models incorporate an advanced wing design and blended winglet technologies that help increase fuel capacity, efficiency and range.
The new 737s also offer leading-edge display and flight-management software that reduces flight delays and enhances safety and flight-crew efficiency. Examples of these technologies include Head-Up Display, which provides pilots with "eye-level" flight and safety information, and the recently certified Vertical Situation Display, which shows the current and predicted flight path of the airplane and indicates potential conflicts with terrain.
Powered by new CFM56-7 engines produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma of France and General Electric Company, the newer 737s meet community noise restrictions well below current Stage 3 limits and below expected Stage 4 limits. The engines also provide lower fuel burn, lower maintenance costs and lower overall cost of ownership compared to the CFM56 engines powering the 737-300/-400/-500 series.
"The success of this program has been overwhelming," said Pierre Fabre, president and CEO of CFM International. "We are honored that Boeing and the airlines made us such an integral part of this team, continuing to put their confidence in our people and our product. Through the Working Together Team, we’ve been able to develop and refine an airplane/engine combination that provides exceptional reliability and operating economics for our customers."
More than 1,300 Next-Generation 737s are in service today. As of April 2003, the newer 737s have won orders for 2,080 airplanes.
6 May 2003 - Boeing Business Jets Names Lufthansa Technik An Authorized Service Center and Warranty Repair Facility
Boeing Business Jets today signed an agreement with Lufthansa Technik that designates the company as an authorized warranty repair facility and service center, providing Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) operators another service option in Europe.
The contract allows Lufthansa Technik to perform warranty work on the BBJ on behalf of Boeing. In addition, the Hamburg, Germany-based company will provide other maintenance, repair and overhaul services as required.
The agreement was announced ahead of the third annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva. A BBJ is on display at the show, which runs May 7-9 at the Palexpo convention center adjacent to the Geneva International Airport.
"With extensive experience both inside and outside the cabin, Lufthansa Technik can provide BBJ operators with nose-to-tail service," said Lee Monson, president of Boeing Business Jets. "We’ve worked with Lufthansa Technik for a number of years and are pleased to further that partnership."
Lufthansa Technik, a skilled VIP interior completion center, has wide-ranging experience maintaining Boeing Next-Generation 737 airplanes – the model that the BBJ is based on – for operators around the world. The company has installed interiors on 10 BBJs, including a number of the NetJets BBJs, and two BBJ 2s. One BBJ and two
BBJ 2s are currently in work at Lufthansa Technik‘s 172,000-square-foot (16,000- square-meter) Hamburg facility.
August Henningsen, chairman of the executive board at Lufthansa Technik AG, said the agreement with Boeing Business Jets is another example of the working relationship between the two companies.
"That relationship has led to establishing new milestones in BBJ interior completions, and we anticipate the same result in this latest agreement," Henningsen said. "As an authorized service facility we further expand our portfolio of services for BBJ operators."
With the addition of Lufthansa Technik, BBJ operators can chose from three locations in Europe and two locations in the United States for authorized service and warranty work. Those include: Associated Air in Dallas, Tex.; DeCrane Aircraft Systems Integration Group (PATS) in Georgetown, Del.; and Jet Aviation in Basel and Geneva, Switzerland.
Boeing Business Jets is a joint venture with General Electric launched in July 1996 to respond to market demand for a larger, more capable business airplane that can fly more than 6,000 nautical miles. The versatility of the BBJ, a version of the Boeing 737-700, allows owners to create a unique environment tailored to their specific needs and seating requirements – whether it’s for eight or 100 passengers – for private, corporate, or charter use or for government transport. There are more than 60 BBJs in service worldwide.
25 Feb 2003 - Boeing talking with airlines about new 737-900X
SEATTLE (AP) -- Boeing Co. is talking with several airlines in Europe and Asia, looking for a launch customer so it can bring out a new version of the 737-900 jet.
The proposed plane, known as the 737-900X, could carry as many as 220 passengers and would target competitor Airbus' A321 jet. Airbus' jet can carry that many passengers and has been popular with European tour operators. "This plane will bring us into direct competition with the Airbus A321," Kenneth Hiebert, regional director of product marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "It will give us head-to-head competition."
Design changes -- including adding two emergency exit doors just behind the wings -- are key to helping the plane carry more passengers. Safety regulations limit the current 737-900 jet to no more than 189 passengers.
Boeing has long been talking with airlines about a 737-900 that could carry more passengers and travel as far as 2,770 nautical miles.
"We are talking to customers who are very interested in the plane," Hiebert said. "I can't say if something is imminent or not, but our hope is sooner rather than later."
28 Jan 2003 - Boeing Delivers New Leading-Edge Technologies for the 737
Boeing today delivered leading-edge display and flight-management software for the 737, the world's best-selling airplane, that promise to reduce flight delays and enhance flight-crew efficiency.
The new flight-deck technologies are the Vertical Situation Display (VSD), Navigation Performance Scales (NPS) and Integrated Approach Navigation (IAN).
The Vertical Situation Display shows the current and predicted flight path of the airplane and indicates potential conflicts with terrain.
The Navigation Performance Scales minimizes flight delays and increases airspace capacity by allowing the airplane to navigate through a narrower flight path with higher accuracy. NPS uses vertical and horizontal indicators to provide precise position awareness on the primary flight displays.
The Integrated Approach Navigation enhances current airplane landing approach capability by simplifying pilot procedures and potentially reducing the number of approach procedures pilots have learned in training.
"These new features enable Boeing to continue its leadership role in offering technology that brings value to our customers and makes the 737 the most capable airplane in the world's single-aisle market," said Carolyn Brandsema, 737 chief engineer.
The three features were part of a suite of new and emerging flight-deck technologies unveiled last year on the 737-900 Technology Demonstrator airplane. One of the features, NPS, was certified on a Malev Hungarian Airlines 737-700, which is due to begin operating tomorrow.
Boeing is committed to providing the capabilities across its product line. Timing will be dependent on both market interest and airplane model development plans. In addition, Boeing Commercial Aviation Services offers after-market solutions for these features on the newer 737s only.
The 737 family alone has won more orders than exists in the entire product line of its biggest competitor. As of December 2002, Boeing had orders for 5,177 737s and had delivered to 214 operators in more than 100 countries around the world.
18 Nov 2002
The Connexion by Boeing service for commercial airlines is now less than three months away following stringent review by government agencies in each country that has the responsibility for allocating radio frequencies. To support those efforts, Connexion by Boeing has used a dedicated Boeing 737 aircraft for research, testing, validation and demonstrations to ensure the service can operate within its allocated spectrum without causing radio interference with other spectrum users. In a parallel effort, the Connexion by Boeing regulatory team has worked extensively with countries that are members of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for the
global spectrum allocation.
1 Nov 2002 - First 737 Wedgetail Rolls Out of Boeing
The first Australian Wedgetail aircraft was rolled out Oct. 31 during a ceremony at the Boeing plant in Renton, Wash. The 737-700 will be transformed into a platform for an Airborne Early Warning & Control System, or AEW&C. Modifications to the aircraft begin in 2003. Project Wedgetail is named after Australia’s native eagle.
The Australian Minister for Defence, members of the Royal Australian Air Force, The Boeing Company and its industry partners celebrated today as the first Project Wedgetail aircraft, a Next Generation 737–700, rolled off the factory line during a ceremony in Renton, Wash.
The plane is one of four that will be transformed into an Airborne Early Warning & Control, or AEW&C, system for the Commonwealth of Australia under a program called Wedgetail in honor of Australia’s native eagle. Both Australia and Turkey have signed billion-dollar contracts with Boeing Integrated Defense Systems to develop AEW&C systems. AEW&C is part of Boeing’s vision for an integrated battlespace where real-time information is quickly and simultaneously accessible to aircraft and forces and commanders on the ground, at sea and in the air.
Patrick Gill, Boeing vice president of 737 AEW&C programs, said, “The rollout is the latest in a series of major Wedgetail milestones achieved on schedule. They include design reviews of the state-of-the-art Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array radar, the airborne mission system, identification friend or foe, electronic support measures, electronic warfare self protection, navigation and communication systems.
“Boeing looks forward to continuing this progress as we move toward modifications of the aircraft and flight testing next year. Our thanks to Boeing Commercial Airplanes for building this state-of-the-art aircraft while keeping to its quality, cost and schedule commitments for Project Wedgetail.”
Air Vice Marshal Norm Gray, head of Australia’s Airborne Surveillance and Control Division, said, “Production of aircraft number one ahead of the contracted schedule reflects well upon the work of the combined Boeing and Commonwealth team. Australia looks forward to employing the versatile Wedgetail system as a key element of its upgraded surveillance system.”
Following the completion of delivery and flight test activities, the plane will fly to Delaware in January for installation of auxiliary fuel tanks, which should take approximately eight weeks. It will then fly back to the Northwest where crews will modify the plane at the Boeing Military Flight Center in Seattle. The modifications include installation of a reinforced fuselage section that will hold the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array radar. Provisions for the mission system equipment also will be installed. All of this is part of preparations for FAA Airworthiness Certification. Flight testing is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2003. Delivery of the first two 737 AEW&C aircraft is expected in 2006.
9 Sep 2002 - Boeing Business Jets Offers Customers New Cabin Altitude for Improved Passenger Comfort
Boeing Business Jets today announced the availability of a lower cabin altitude modification for Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) operators. The new feature will offer 6,500-foot cabin altitude instead of the standard 8,000-foot cabin, providing passengers with an improved level of comfort.
The lower cabin altitude feature, available in early 2003 from Boeing Commercial Aviation Airplanes Technical Servicesand Modifications in early 2003, will be sold as a kit that can be installed after delivery of a green airplane or as a retrofit on in-service BBJs.
"It's all about passenger comfort," said Lee Monson, president of Boeing Business Jets, at a media briefing during the 55th annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Annual Meeting and Convention in Orlando, Fla. "A 6,500-foot cabin means less cabin pressure change on climb and descent, as well as more oxygen in the cabin during cruise. The lower cabin altitude, combined with 807 square feet (75 square meters) of cabin area, results in the most comfortable business jet available."
The retrofit kit will include new cabin pressure controller boxes with revised software, a new cabin altitude indicator and two pressure-relief valves. Revised operations and service manuals will show new parts and the structural maintenance program. The kit can be installed by certified maintenance personnel, completion centers or Boeing. No structural changes will be necessary and no increase in maintenance will be required until the airplane surpasses 30,000 flights. The average BBJ flies approximately 225 flights per year.
A BBJ currently is on static display at Orlando Executive Airport for the NBAA show, which runs September Sept. 10-12. Boeing Business Jets also has an exhibit in the Orange County Convention Center.
Fifty-two Boeing Business Jets now are fully completed and in service, including the first BBJ in Latin America. The fleet has generated more than 38,000 flight hours to date and 16,000 flights, with 99.9 percent dispatch reliability and no major technical issues reported.
Boeing Business Jets was launched in 1996 as a joint venture between Boeing and General Electric. Designed for corporate and VIP applications, the Boeing Business Jet is a high-performance derivative of the Next-Generation 737-700. The BBJ 2, announced in October 1999, is based on the 737-800 and has 25 percent more cabin space and twice the cargo space of the BBJ. Both provide unsurpassed levels of space, comfort and utility and are backed by a global support program with dedicated field service representatives.
26 Jun 2002 - Boeing Business Jet Introduces New Era for Australian Leaders
SYDNEY, Australia, June 27, 2002 - The first Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), shown publicly in Australia for the first time today, introduces a new era of capability for long-distance international travel.
The Canberra-based Air Force 34 Squadron will operate two BBJs under a lease managed by Qantas Defence Services. Able to fly nearly anywhere in the world from Australia with only one stop, the two BBJs, in slightly varying configurations, will be used by
Australian government leaders and senior executives traveling on official business. The Australian BBJs, outfitted with a VIP cabin and business class style seating for 36 passengers, were completed by Ozark Aircraft Systems in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Approximately 200 government transport and head-of-state airplanes are in operation worldwide. More than half are large airframes - the size of a Boeing 737 or larger - and 80 percent are Boeing products. Many governments are finding the BBJ platform a valuable tool for international transport. In addition to the Australian government, the government of South Africa will begin operating a BBJ later this year. The U.S. Air Force will put its first C-40B, based on the BBJ, into service this fall. And the U.S. Navy operates a C-40A, which is based on the same platform as the BBJ, a Boeing 737-700.
The BBJ is a version of the popular Boeing 737, similar to those already in service in the South Pacific region with Qantas Airways, Virgin Blue, Air Pacific and Polynesian Airlines. The Australian Air Force's Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) airplanes, currently under development, also are sister platforms to the BBJ.
"We're honored that the Commonwealth of Australia has chosen the BBJ for its VIP transportation needs. It is also great to see the first Boeing Business Jet based in the South Pacific region," said Lee Monson, president of Boeing Business Jets. "The capabilities of this airplane make it ideal to meet the long distances facing any traveler from Australia. And because it is based on the best- selling jetliner of all time, the BBJ brings unparalleled reliability and cost-effectiveness."
The BBJ continues to meet market demand for an executive airplane that can fly passengers more than 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 kilometers) in a comfortable, spacious cabin. Fifty BBJs now are fully completed and in service. The BBJ platform is flexible enough that operators - such as private individuals, governments, corporations and fractional programs - can have a passenger seating area as well as an executive lounge, a private suite and a bedroom, if required.
Boeing Business Jets was launched in 1996 as a joint venture between Boeing and General Electric. Designed for corporate and
VIP applications, the BBJ is a high-performance derivative of the Next-Generation 737-700. The BBJ 2, announced in October 1999, is based on the 737-800 and has 25 percent more cabin space and twice the cargo space of the BBJ. Both provide unsurpassed levels of space, comfort and utility and are backed by a global support program with dedicated field service representatives.
10 Jun 2002 - Boeing checking why part was left off wing on 737
Seattle PI -- The Boeing Co. is investigating an embarrassing lapse in its quality-control procedures that allowed a new 737 to be delivered to a Chinese airline without a part that helps move the wing flaps. The plane was delivered to China-based Xinjiang Airlines in August and had been flown, but it was not until last month that the airline discovered the part, known as a push rod, was missing.
5 Jun 2002 - Boeing sells Turkey specialized 737s
By JAMES WALLACE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Some strange-looking airplanes have taken flight from Boeing Field over the years, and by this time next year, a 737 with a "Top Hat" could be ready to take its place among them.
The plane is a militarized version of the most popular commercial jetliner. It is designed for foreign countries that can't afford or don't need the capability of the much bigger 767 Airborne Warning and Control System planes that Boeing built for Japan a few years ago, or the 707 AWACS planes operated since the 1970s by the United States and later by NATO.
After about 18 months of tough negotiations, Boeing signed a deal with Turkey on Tuesday for four of the 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control planes, plus options for two more. The deal is worth about $1 billion without the options.
"This is a strong vote of confidence in our platform," a tired but happy Patrick Gill, Boeing's vice president of the 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control program, said in a telephone interview from his hotel room in Ankara, Turkey.
In its business plans, Boeing has forecast an international market for as many as 50 of the 737 jets, which will be built on the same Renton assembly line as the commercial version of the plane. South Korea and Italy could be the next international customers.
The Australian military was the program's launch customer. Like Turkey, it ordered four jets with options for two more.
Gill noted that the engineering work will remain in Seattle, as will the modification work on the four Australian planes. The first of the four 737s for Turkey will be modified in Seattle, at Boeing Field. The remaining three will be modified in Turkey as part of offset agreements worth about half the value of the Turkey contract, Gill said.
The Boeing agreement with Turkey must now be approved by the State Department and by Congress.
The first of the four planes would be delivered to Turkey from 42 to 48 months after the contract is approved by the U.S. government, Gill said. The first of the Australian 737s will begin rolling down the Renton assembly line later this year, with modification work to begin in January. First flight is expected by mid-2003.
The base plane is essentially a Boeing Business Jet, which has the 737-700 fuselage with the stronger 737-800 wing to support its extra weight. The design takes advantage of technological advances that allow an airborne early-warning and control system to be mounted on a jet the size of the twin-engine 737.
The original airborne early-warning system developed by Boeing was a modified 707. In the late 1990s, Boeing built four 767 AWACS planes for Japan.
Those bigger 707 and 767 jets were needed to support a heavy rotordome that turns mechanically on top of the fuselage.
The 737 will use what's known as a phased-array radar "Top Hat" sensor developed by Northrop Grumman and mounted in a small, dorsal-like fin on top of the 737. The radar does not turn.
Boeing started looking for a smaller and cheaper airborne early-warning system about 10 years ago and decided the 737 was the right plane for international markets to keep the cost down.
A 737 airborne early warning plane costs from $150 million to $190 million, compared with about $400 million for the 767 AWACS.
Turkey picked Boeing in November 2000 to enter negotiations to supply its military with six of the specially designed 737s. Boeing and Northrop beat a proposal by Raytheon, which was offering its airborne early-warning system on an Airbus A310.
"A contract like this typically runs many thousands of pages," Gill said, explaining why it took about 18 months to complete the deal. "It takes a lot longer than people might expect. It's not like going in and buying a car from your local dealer."
One complicating factor was a financial crisis in Turkey. A number of defense procurement programs in the country were suspended. Defense funds for the 737s will come primarily from a national lottery and gambling, as well as taxes on alcoholic beverages, tobacco and gasoline.
28 May 2002 - Milestone for Boeing Business Jets: 50 BBJs now in service
GENEVA, May 28, 2002 -- The Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) continues to meet market demand for an airplane that can fly passengers more than 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 kilometers) in a comfortable, spacious cabin. Fifty Boeing Business Jets now are fully completed and in-service, including the first BBJ in Latin America. The fleet has generated more than 31,400 flight hours to date and 13,800 flights, with 99.9 percent reliability and no major technical issues reported.
"We continue to see a wide range of applications for the BBJ," said Lee Monson, president of Boeing Business Jets, at the second annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva. "The versatility of the airplane allows owners to create a unique environment tailored to their specific needs and seating requirements, whether it's for eight or 100 passengers; for private use, corporate, charter or even government transport."
The BBJ platform is flexible enough that customers can have a passenger seating area as well as an executive lounge, a private suite and a bedroom, if required. The spacious interior makes it possible for passengers to be fully productive during travel. When people spend as many as 14 hours on one leg of a flight and are expected to be ready to work on arrival, it is important that onboard facilities allow them to be productive en route, and refreshed and ready to work when they arrive.
The following are examples that highlight the many applications for the BBJ:
- A BBJ designed for medical evacuations and charter operations recently flew the farthest distance yet for a BBJ: 6,854 nautical miles (12,694 kilometers).
- An all-business class 48-seat PrivatAir BBJ will soon begin operating as a scheduled Lufthansa flight from Duesseldorf, Germany, to Newark, N.J., in the United States.
- An intercontinental VIP transport BBJ will begin to be used by South African Air Force starting later this year.
- A BBJ 2 soon will be available for charter operations through Multiflight Ltd. in the United Kingdom, the first BBJ 2 to be based in Europe.
Boeing Business Jets was launched in 1996 as a joint venture between Boeing and General Electric. Designed for corporate and VIP applications, the Boeing Business Jet is a high-performance derivative of the Next-Generation 737-700. The BBJ 2, announced in October 1999, is based on the 737-800 and has 25 percent more cabin space and twice the cargo space of the BBJ. Both provide unsurpassed levels of space, comfort and utility and are backed by a global support program with dedicated
field service representatives.
14 May 2002 - Pemco Aviation Group Starts New 737-300 Conversion Program
Tuesday May 14, 10:02 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: Pemco Aviation Group Inc.
Pemco Aviation Group Starts New 737-300 Conversion Program
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 14, 2002--Pemco Aviation Group announced today that it has inducted its first aircraft for the new 737-300 cargo conversion program at its Dothan, Alabama facility following the recent certification of its 737-300 Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) by the Federal Aviation Administration. Bluebird Cargo, based in Iceland and lead by Chairman Einar Olafsson, has signed a contract with Pemco to be the first customer under the new certification. Bluebird is a former customer of Pemco's conversion program, having the company modify an aircraft last year as part of the STC development process.
Frank Tucci, President of Pemco World Air Services, Inc., Pemco's Dothan facility, states, "Pemco has always been a leader in the cargo conversion industry and we are very pleased to be able to carry on the tradition as we hold the only FAA-approved STC for 737-300 conversions. We are working with several potential customers and look forward to expanding our capacity to meet the needs of today's market."
Ron Aramini, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pemco Aviation Group said, "Now that we have accomplished our first goal of upgrading the 737-300 conversion program, we will be focusing on new modification opportunities such as the BAe 146 and B-757. The market is wide open for those aircraft conversions and we intend to pursue them vigorously."
13 May 2002 - Boeing 737 may be Enlisted as a Warplane
Seattle PI -- Flying off the Washington state coast recently, a Boeing 737 suddenly swooped low above the dark waters of the Pacific. When the jet was just a couple hundred feet above the waves and banking sharply, power was cut to one of the two jet engines - a maneuver that no commercial pilot would deliberately make with a planeload of passengers. But this was no commercial flight. It was a demonstration for the U.S. Navy. Boeing wants the Navy to select the world's most frequently flown commercial jetliner as a replacement for the aging fleet of Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and the EP-3C planes that gather intelligence.
29 Apr 2002 - 717 & 737 to Lose Their Eyebrows
Seattle PI -- The Boeing Co.'s 717 jetliner is about to get a face lift. And the 737 could be next. Nobody's trying to improve the look of either jetliners, which in the case of the 717 is not all that old. Rather, the issue is reducing costs, for both Boeing and the airlines. And one way to do that, Boeing has determined, is to get rid of the so-called "eyebrow" windows just above the cockpit windshield -- a feature that has been on some models made by Boeing and McDonnell Douglas since the dawn of the jet age.
20 Apr 2002 - F.A.A. Investigating 737-800 Emergency Landing
NYTimes -- WASHINGTON, April 20 - The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into an emergency landing on Thursday by an American Airlines plane. The plane developed vibrations in its tail, which had been repaired right before the flight.
Botched repairs that require emergency landings are rare, but the tail was de-iced just before takeoff, which the agency recently discovered is linked to severe vibration. The agency said Friday that it ordered that planes of the type involved in the incident fly slower on takeoff if they have been de-iced.
On Thursday, the flight bound from Reno to Chicago, was delayed two hours for repairs to the stabilizer, the horizontal part of the tail. The tail problem was discovered in an overnight inspection.
Because snow was falling at the airport, the plane was also delayed for de-icing. Shortly after takeoff, at 12,000 feet, the pilot declared an emergency because of the vibration and landed at Sacramento, which has a long runway and no high terrain in the area.
The plane, carrying 99 passengers and a crew of 6, is a Boeing 737-800. At the factory, a spokeswoman, said that some late-model 737 models had had tail vibrations because a part was not stiff enough. The company will begin installing a redesigned part this summer, she said.
24 March 2002 - Boeing Unveils Safer 737 Cyber Cockpit
The company recently unveiled the new 737-900 jetliner with cutting-edge cockpit technology during a two-hour demonstration flight over Washington state.
One of the new technologies on the aircraft, which is still considered experimental, allows pilots to see the terrain below them, even if surrounding clouds totally obstruct the view. Boeing test pilot Ray Craig demonstrated the vertical situation display (VSD) feature by steering the plane toward the side of Mount Rainier. "I can put the airplane where I want to put it," said co-pilot Mike Carriker, showing how the high tech cabin maximizes his ability to safely navigate through the skies.
Extra Eyes for Flight Crew
Boeing packed the flying machine full of features designed to detect and predict almost any hazard found in the not-always-friendly-skies.
"We can see hills off to the left and right that are above our altitude right now," Craig said during the demo, pointing out areas otherwise invisible to the pilot and information usually not found on a standard instrument panel.
The vertical situation display continued to work on the ground in zero visibility. "It's not very new technology," Carriker said. "It's been around for quite a while but nobody's been able to put it all together into one airplane, especially one that people are familiar with."
Some of the navigational and safety features onboard include:
- Vertical situation display (VSD) indicates the presence of terrain in a flight path.
- Global positioning landing system (GLS), is a new satellite-based landing system.
- Head-up display (HUD) enhances safety by providing conformal flight path information to crews.
- Enhanced vision system (EVS) gives pilots an accurate and clear view of all obstacles, traffic, and potential incursions at night or with reduced visibility.
- Synthetic vision system (SVS) provides a computer-generated view of the outside world during takeoff, landing, and on the runway.
"We get the rap that we are low, you're not with the program. This dispels that myth completely," said Ken Hiebert, of Boeing product marketing. "We are jumping out ahead, the tip of the arrow." Headed For Your Flight Soon?
Hiebert predicts the technology highlighted on the experimental 737 will be standard issue on future aircraft.
"[In] three to five years, these features are going to be embedded in Boeing technology. It's that short," Hiebert said.
The Federal Aviation Administration still considers the 737 experimental because some of the onboard systems have yet to be certified. FAA representatives will soon board the plane to see the new equipment working both in flight and on the ground.
But Boeing did not design every feature just for safety's sake.
One advance that will have homeowners that live near airports smiling is a system that senses when the plane approaches noise-restricted zones. If it detects a noise-sensitive area, the plane automatically cuts back on engine power during landing and takeoff.
Copyright 2002 TechTV, Inc. All rights reserved.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/TechTV/techtv_saferplanetech020321.html
31 October 2001 - USAF Orders Aeromedical 737
Seattle Post -- The House Appropriations Committee yesterday earmarked $85 million for the purchase of a specialized Boeing 737, to be used by the Air Force for aeromedical evacuation. The provision was part of a $317.5 billion defense-spending bill that was approved unanimously by the committee.
17 October 2001 - Raisbeck Engineering's Hardened Cockpit Security System finds first home with Alaska Airline's 737 fleet
Raisbeck Engineering and Alaska Airlines today announced the installation of the first of 70 Raisbeck-designed hardened cockpit security systems for Alaska’s fleet of Boeing 737s. The system called The RAISBECK ARMOURED COCKPIT SECURITY SYSTEM, developed over the last twelve months, meets all current FAA requirements, as well as those envisioned to be implemented by April 2003. Patents are pending.
Alaska’s 737 fleet of 70 aircraft, are scheduled to be completely hardened by November 15th of this year. According to John Kelly, CEO and Chairman of Alaska Airlines, "The security and safety of our crews and our customers is paramount. After reviewing all options, we chose Raisbeck Engineering’s system because of its availability, cost, simplicity, and the fact that it meets all safety certification regulations including rapid decompression and pilot emergency egress. It is unique, elegant, and simple."
Current FAA regulations with which this system complies are:
–FAR 25.365 Pressurized Compartment Loads
–FAR 25.807 Emergency Exit
–FAR 25.809 Emergency Exit Arrangement
–FAR 25.831 Ventilation
–FAR 25.853 Compartment Interiors
–FAR 25.772 Pilot Compartment Doors
–FAR 121.587 Closing and Locking Flight Compartment Door
Additional FAA requirements will be incorporated in the next 18 months. They are already a part of the Raisbeck System and include a bullet-proof cockpit environment which meets NIJ-III (National Institute of Justice) standards, as well as increased cabin awareness for the flight-deck crew. The latter is initially satisfied by the incorporation of two 1-1/4" thick bullet-proof glass windows in the hardened cockpit door, and can be augmented by an available video system. The bulletproof cockpit door locking/unlocking mechanism is remotely operated by the flight crew from their center pedestal.
Raisbeck Engineering’s CEO, James D. Raisbeck added: "We had a head start on our system, since we realized over a year ago the day would come when an immediate need for such a cockpit hardening and crew protection would be necessary. We are gratified to be able to be making such an important contribution to airline safety. It is only sad that it had to come about as a result of the national WTC tragedy."
With the first of its Raisbeck-Equipped 737s ready for full passenger service, Alaska Airlines becomes the first United States carrier to meet the long-range Phase II cockpit-hardening regulations, currently scheduled to be required by the FAA deadline in 18 months. Raisbeck Engineering is producing 737 kits at the rate of 100 per month. It expects to be able to meet the Phase II demands of the other major airlines for its system, after completion of the Alaska Airlines fleet.
7 Aug 2001 - Ryanair swoops on weak market with ad to buy 737s
LONDON, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Irish no-frills airline Ryanair Holdings Plc swooped on the weak market for airliners on Monday with an advertisement to buy up to 50 used Boeing 737s. The airline, which has hoarded cash to exploit exactly the sort of aircraft glut that global aviation is now experiencing, said it needed no financing. With used 737s typically valued between $13 million and $40 million Ryanair's acquisition campaign is worth something like $1 billion.
Following the formula of successful Southwest Airlines of the United States, Ryanair operates only 737s.
9 July 2001 - Singapore Airline Sues Boeing
SINGAPORE (AP) - Singapore's regional airline SilkAir is suing Boeing Co. and other aircraft parts manufacturers over the 1997 crash of a SilkAir passenger jet, a report said Sunday. A SilkAir Boeing 737 crashed into an Indonesian river on Dec. 19, 1997, killing all 104 people on board. The cause has not been determined. In the suit, SilkAir's insurer Singapore Aviation and General Insurance Company or SAGI claimed Boeing and other companies supplied a "defective" and "dangerous" commercial airplane.
7 June 2001 - Boeing Investigates Wire Sabotage at 737 Plant.
RENTON, Wash. (CNN) - Boeing Co. inspectors have discovered intentional wire damage on at least seven Boeing 737s at a company assembly plant in Renton, Wash., the company confirmed to CNN Thursday. The damage was found during routine service testing over the past two weeks. Boeing says it notified the FAA of the sabotage Tuesday. The company also said an additional three aircraft also may have had sabotaged wiring, but evidence is not conclusive.
A 737 jet is assembled at the Boeing plant in Renton, Wash. The company is investigating sabotage of wiring on 7 jets under construction there.
There are no suspects at this time.
"No airplane is delivered until it has met rigorous testing starting with Boeing, the FAA, and the airlines," spokesman Sandy Angers told CNN. "The fact that we found the damaged wires proves our quality system works."
The Federal Aviation Administration said it is looking into the matter, but could not elaborate on details.
Boeing employs about 12,000 people at the Renton plant, where the narrow-body 737 jet is assembled along with the 757, another narrow-body jet, and the Boeing business jet.
The world's largest aircraft manufacturer announced in March that some of the 757 assembly work now done in the Renton plant would be shifted to its plant in Wichita, Kan., although the fuselages of the planes will still be shipped by rail from Wichita back to Renton for final assembly.
About 500 workers at the Renton plant are affected by the shift of work, which is to take place over the next two to three years, although the company said all the employees would be shifted to other jobs with the company and there would be no layoffs as a result of the shift.
The company is cutting jobs in the area, though, as it shifts its corporate headquarters to Chicago this summer. About half of the 1,000-person corporate staff will be cut in the move, with the other half relocating. That move shook the Seattle area, which has been associated with the company since its founding.
Last year the company saw a surprisingly bitter strike by the engineering and technical workers who inspect aircraft during and at the end of the assembly process. The strike, the first by the union to last more than a day, won support of many employees who performed the same jobs but did not belong to the union.
5 June 2001 - FAA wants old Boeing 737s inspected
SEATTLE (AP) - More than 1,000 older Boeing 737s should be inspected for potential damage from excessive vibration reported by some carriers in a backup tail control mechanism, the Federal Aviation Administration says. In one case, the vibration caused a piece of the elevator tab mechanism to break off in flight and damaged the plane, FAA officials said. The tab assembly is a backup hydraulic system that is used to move the elevators, control flaps on the horizontal stabilizer that change the up-and-down angle of the aircraft. The stabilizer resembles a small wing at the rear of the plane. A pilot would resort to the tab assembly only if the primary and secondary hydraulic systems failed, Boeing officials said. The proposal covers older 737 models that are out of production and is not intended to become mandatory for several months. Airlines have until July 16 to comment before the FAA issues an air worthiness directive that makes inspections mandatory. An FAA inspection order would directly cover about 1,080 commercial jets in the United States. Civil aviation authorities in other countries typically follow the FAA's lead in such cases, potentially affecting another 1,690 older 737s. Boeing issued a service bulletin in January 2000 recommending such inspections and follow-up checks from time to time. The FAA estimated the cost at about $1,100 per plane for the first inspection and $540 to $840 for succeeding checks. A similar problem on newer 737-600s, -700s and -800s was the subject of an FAA emergency air worthiness directive earlier this year. The problem was more critical and thus needed quicker action on the newer models because of design differences, officials said. The problem apparently is the result of parts wearing out faster than expected. ``The wear takes longer for the older (737) models, but it is still sooner than what we expect,'' Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter said. An FAA statement said the agency had received several reports ``indicating high-frequency airframe vibrations of the elevator tab'' on older 737s in flight. ``In one incident, a portion of the elevator tab separated from the airplane, causing damage to the elevator tab, elevator, and horizontal stabilizer. ``In another incident there was severe damage to the airplane's elevator and elevator tab assembly. Several incidents resulted in severe structural damage to the elevator tab assembly,'' the statement added. No dates, airlines or other details of the incidents were given in the statements. No crashes or injuries linked to the problem were reported.
21 May 2001 - Boeing 737 Advanced-Technology Winglets Make World Debut
Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 advanced-technology winglets made their world debut in revenue service last week with German carrier Hapag-Lloyd Flug.
The new winglets on the Boeing 737-800 curve out and up from the wingtip, reducing aerodynamic drag and boosting performance. They add about 5 feet (1.5 meters) to the airplane's total wingspan and allow the airplane to fly up to 130 nautical miles (240 kilometers) further.
16 May 2001 - Alaska Airlines Receives First Boeing 737-900
During a festive celebration in Seattle, The Boeing Company delivered the first 737-900 to launch customer Alaska Airlines. The new airplane, posing at right with another 737-900 destined for Alaska, is the first of 11 such airplanes Alaska will receive between May and April 2003 and the first of three the airline will receive this month.
At 138 feet 2 inches, the 737-900 is the longest of the four Next-Generation 737 models and seats the most passengers. As configured by Alaska, the airplane carries 172 passengers in a two-class configuration, 52 more passengers than their 737-700s and 34 more than their 737-400s and MD-80s.
10 Mar 2001 - BOEING 737-900 IN FLIGHT TESTS
By Sebastian Steinke After 260 flying hours, Boeing's 737-900 programme manager, Jon Robinson, and his director of flight testing, John Corrigan, are extremely pleased. Flight trials of the 737-900, whose fuselage has been stretched to an impressive 42.1m, are proceeding as hoped, and despite the significantly longer fuselage as of half-way through the test programme there had been no unpleasant surprises, as the two Boeing experts explained in an exclusive interview with FLUG REVUE.
"The aircraft rotates a little more slowly than an -800, pretty much like a -400, but it flies completely smoothly and also achieves all the expected performance data," enthuses flight test director Corrigan. Fears of tailstrikes, i.e. where the tail comes into contact with the runway on take-off or landing due to the unusually long fuselage, have proved unfounded in practice. "As a precaution we have strengthened the tail skid somewhat, but up to now tailstrikes have not been a problem," explains Corrigan. "The changes in flying behaviour tend to be more subtle," he explains. "We did have a problem with vibration during trimming of the elevators, which meant we had to change the trim tab. But we have already successfully modified a component on the prototype aircraft, which will now need to be certificated for the series."
"As the fourth member of the family of Next Generation 737s, the 737-900 is already like an old friend to us," says programme manager Robinson. "The overwhelming majority of the certification data it has been possible to calculate, and during flight testing we are just finding those calculations confirmed." For this reason Boeing is using only a single prototype, with the second test aircraft already earmarked for delivery to a customer later on.
Following the maiden flight on 3 August 2000, the prototype and its production mate are required to spend a total of 438 hours in the air plus another 120 hours undergoing ground tests before joint FAA/JAA certification can be achieved as planned by the middle of March. Since January the second test aircraft, with full cabin furnishings, has therefore been supporting the flight programme for a month. In particular, it has been used for smoke alarm tests, cargo tests and to check other cabin systems.
The prototype on the other hand, crammed full of test equipment, spends most of its time attended by between 12 and 20 flight test engineers, often operating out of Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave desert of California. "For flight trials with higher levels of risk, as a precaution we often take only a basic team of eight engineers on board," explains Corrigan, adding, "while on some other flights, for example to LAX [the international airport of Los Angeles - Ed.], even customer airline crew were allowed to control and land the -900."
The extra length on the 737-900 is not the only record likely to be achieved on this programme, but, according to Boeing, the expected savings should also be of record proportions. The manufacturer is hoping that its latest offering will not only undercut the seat mile costs of the other Next Generation 737s the 737-600, -700 and -800 but also those of the A320 family of arch-rival Airbus. If it succeeds, then the -900 will be the most economical short- and medium-range jet around. Boeing's latest "baby jet" is almost 11m (35.7ft) longer than the 31.2m (102.5ft) "short" 737-600, and can accommodate 177 passengers in a typical two-class configuration, rising to a maximum of 189 seats. With a maximum cruising altitude of 41,000ft or 12,500m, the 737-900 outdoes all its older predecessors, the 737-300, -400 and -500, as in fact all the Next Generation 737s do, in the present case by 4,000ft. And even the sophisticated A320 family cannot climb higher than Flight Level 390.
With a maximum number of passengers of 189, Boeing has reached the final upper limit for the 737, whose basic design dates from the 1960s. In those days a 737-100 carried only 103 to 115 passengers.
The 189 passengers permitted today is the maximum number able to pass quickly enough through the doors and evacuate the relatively narrow emergency exits over the wings. All Next Generation 737s are already routinely fitted with improved, automatically outwardly opening escape hatches over the wings to enable today's larger passenger complements to exit the aircraft rapidly in the event of an emergency. From the certification viewpoint, 189 seats are actually already permitted in the 737-800, which is only moderately stretched However, only in the larger -900 can they be transported in real comfort. The new aircraft offers 9% more cabin floor space, 18% more cargo space and 15 seats more than a normally configured -800.
"Even if from the structural viewpoint it were feasible to consider yet another stretch, a 737-1000, the evacuation requirements rule this out," explains Jon Robinson, adding, "Instead, we are already thinking about a possible ERX version of the -900 with a particularly long range. The -900 can be supplied today with blended winglets, if a customer so wishes. And of course we are playing theoretically with all the possible variants, for example, variants with increased take-off weights or a -900 business jet, in fact with all the growth options that are possible." However, according to Robinson, there are currently no plans to use the alluringly large fuselage for a pure freighter, although it would appear naturally suited to that role.
The main decks of the 48 aircraft which have been ordered to date will thus be carrying passengers. And their customers are certainly intent on filling 177 to 189 seats right away with fare-paying passengers. The first airline customers, Alaska Airlines, Continental, Korean Airlines and KLM, are all looking primarily to increase their short- and medium-range fleet capacity economically with their "giant babies", for all members of the Next Generation 737 family have the same cockpit, the same engines, the same wings and the same systems. They can therefore be flown by pilots with a common type rating. This means savings in training and personnel and increases the flexibility of 737 operators in the event of fluctuations in demand. Maintenance is also simplified, and already in the Boeing factory all 737 family members, in their mixed colours, roll out off a single final assembly line in Seattle. Even the -900 prototype is a product of that line.
Apart from its length, the -900 does actually have a few other differences: the cockpit is the first 737NG flightdeck to have state-of-the-art flat panel displays rather than CRTs. The screens are programmable, so that they can be made to look exactly like previous 737NG screens, which is important as far as the pilots' common type rating is concerned, or, alternatively, as in the Boeing 777, they can be easily adjusted so as to display additional information and alter the presentation. The design of the passenger cabin has also undergone a major revamp and reminds one strongly of the design of Boeing's giant twin, the 777.
Meanwhile prototype "N-737X" is flying test runs between Washington State and California. This includes at present flying different speed ranges, calculating the minimum speed on take-off and landing and ground clearance, plus flight stability tests. The next item on the test programme agenda will then be fine tuning of the autopilot, especially for range optimisation, automatic thrust control and various cruise profiles.
If certification is plain sailing as expected and all the indications are that this will be the case Jon Robinson and John Corrigan plan to then deliver their giant baby to its launch customer, Alaska Airlines, in April.
From page 24 of FLUG REVUE 3/2001
18 Apr 2001 - 737-900 gets FAA approval
BOEING CO. on Tuesday said its next-generation 737-900 received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is expected to earn validation from Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) by April 20. The certification indicates the airplane has passed the FAA's and JAA's stringent design and testing requirements, clearing the way for passenger service. The certification clears the way for the first 737-900 to be delivered to launch customer Seattle-based Alaska Airlines in mid-May. Three other airlines, Continental, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Korean Airlines, also have placed orders for the airplane. (Reuters)
20 Feb 2001 - U.S. Air Force orders C-40B jet from Boeing
The U.S. Air Force said late on Tuesday it had ordered one C-40B jet from BOEING CO. and taken options on six others in a deal that could be worth $800 million, including a 10-year support contract. In a release the Air Force said it had allocated $59 million for the single C-40B, a military version of Seattle-based Boeing's 737-700, a commercial jetliner which seats up to 149 passengers. The C-40B will carry high-ranking military and government officials "to deploy immediately on matters of national security," the Air Force said.(Reuters 06:51 PM ET 02/20/2001)
3 Jan 2001 - Navy Orders 6th Boeing Airlifter
Wednesday January 3 6:20 PM ET
Navy Orders 6th Boeing Airlifter
SEATTLE (AP) - The U.S. Navy has ordered a sixth Boeing 737-700C jetliner for use as a cargo and passenger plane, Boeing Co. said Wednesday. The Navy is buying the 121-passenger jets, which it designates as C-40A Clippers, to replace its fleet of C-9 airlifters. No value was given for the order, but Boeing's list price for a 737-700 is $43.5 million to $51.5 million, depending upon configuration.
The C-40A can be used as an all-passenger plane, all-cargo, or to carry a combination of cargo and people.
The U.S. Naval Reserve is the first customer for the aircraft. Four of the planes will be based at Naval Air Station Carswell Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas, with the first to be delivered in April. Two others will be based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
14 Dec 2000 - SilkAir crash probe yields no answers
SINGAPORE, Dec 14 (Reuters) - The investigation into the mysterious crash of a SilkAir passenger plane in Indonesia in 1997, which killed 104 people, has been unable to determine the cause of the disaster an official report said on Thursday. Flight MI 185, cruising at an altitude of 35,000 feet, was en route from Jakarta to Singapore when it plunged into the Musi River near Palembang in southern Sumatra. The report by Indonesia"s National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC)
released by the Singapore government, said the probe was hampered by extensive damage to the Boeing 737-300 when it crashed on December 19, 1997. "Due to the highly fragmented wreckage and the nearly total lack of useful data, information and evidence, the NTSC has to conclude that the technical investigation has yielded no evidence to explain the cause of the accident," the official report said.
Nov 2000 - Stowaway In Wheel-Well Causes Gear Retraction Problem
MUNICH, Germany (AP) - A stowaway was found hidden inside the wheel-well of a Boeing 737 that was forced to return to Munich after the pilot couldn't retract the landing gear, police said Thursday. The 27-year-old was unconscious and suffering from hypothermia when he was found Wednesday evening by a mechanic under the Berlin-bound aircraft operated by Deutsche BA. The Romanian is registered as a resident of Berlin and has been seeking asylum in Germany. It was unclear why he had stowed away in the plane. The man endured temperatures that dropped to below freezing for the 22
minutes before the plane landed again, but suffered no serious injuries. He was arrested after being examined. Prosecutors were considering charges of endangering air traffic, police spokesman Hans-Peter Kammerer said. He could also be charged with violating laws requiring asylum seekers to remain in the part of the country where they were granted asylum.
26 Sep 2000 First Boeing 737-800 Flies With Blended Winglets - Boeing
SEATTLE, Oct. 23, 2000 - German carrier Hapag-Lloyd Flug has earned another page in the aviation history books by being the first airline to fly the Boeing 737-800 with blended winglets. The test flight took place Sept. 26 in Seattle.
The flight is the latest of several significant events involving Hapag-Lloyd and the Boeing 737-800. The airline was the airplane's launch customer in 1998, with 16 orders, and it operates the largest 737-800 fleet in Europe, with 17 airplanes in service and nine more on order.
Hapag-Lloyd provided one of its 737-800s as a certification-test airplane for the blended winglet technology. This airplane is expected to go into service early next year, which will make Hapag-Lloyd the first airline to commercially fly a 737-800 with blended winglets. Additional winglets are being retrofitted on Hapag-Lloyd's current fleet of
737-800s through a contract with Aviation Partners Boeing, a joint venture that offers blended winglet technology for in-service Boeing commercial airplanes.
Unlike traditional winglets typically fitted at abrupt angles to the wing, this new advanced "blended" design gently curves out and up from the wing tip, reducing aerodynamic drag and boosting performance. Some of the performance improvements resulting from blended winglets on a 737-800 include:
- An extended flying range of more than 150 miles.
- Improved cruise fuel mileage of up to six-percent, resulting in nearly a five- percent reduction in gate-to-gate fuel consumption.
- A payload increase of up to 6,000 pounds.
- More efficient climbing while at the same time using less thrust - creating less noise and emissions, and providing lower engine maintenance costs through greater engine utilization.
- Improved take-off performance at high-altitude airports, in hot climate conditions and at obstacle-limited airports. (The 737-800 already is well below the current environmental standards for emissions and the winglets will even further enhance the airplane's environmental performance.)
Blended winglets are offered by Boeing on new 737-800s as an option and are installed during production. For Hapag-Lloyd and other customers electing to retrofit winglets, the procedure involves removing the 737-800's wingtip and performing minor structural modifications to the wing before attaching the winglet. The modifications take about two weeks.
Hapag-Lloyd Flug is one of the leading German charter airlines serving mainly destinations around the Mediterranean, in the Canary Islands and the Caribbean. The Hanover-based airline is part of Preussag AG, one of the world's leading travel groups.
5 Oct 2000 - FAA considers order to check fuel tank wiring - Seattle Post
Thursday, October 5, 2000
FAA considers order to check 737 wiring
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed asking operators of some Boeing 737 jets to inspect a portion of the fuel-quantity measuring system for a potentially dangerous electrical fault.
The FAA said in a notice placed in the Federal Register on Tuesday that it had received two reports of wires chafed down to the conductor in the fuel-measuring system in the right main fuel tanks of the 737s. The FAA said its proposed airworthiness directive, giving six months for the work to be done, would apply to about 800 U.S.-registered 737-300, -400, and -500 jets.
Boeing played down the safety hazard, saying there was not enough voltage in the line to pose an immediate risk. In response to 747 ignition concerns in 1997, Boeing maintained that aircraft was designed to eliminate all ignition sources from the fuel system and that even if a spark were created, the energy would not be enough to ignite a center wing tank.
4 Oct 2000 Boeing partners with BFGoodrich to convert 737 - Reuters
SEATTLE, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA - news) said on Wednesday it has agreed to form a partnership with BFGoodrich Co. (NYSE:GR - news) and InterContinental Aircraft Services to develop a passenger-to-freighter conversion programme for the 737 aircraft. The 737 ``is the best-selling jetliner of all time and is an ideal airplane to meet the needs of the feeder and niche freighter markets,'' said Joe Gullion, president of Boeing Airplane Services.
The worldwide fleet of freighter airplanes is expected to double during the next 20 years with more than 2,600 airplanes added, Boeing said. Nearly 70 percent of the additions will come from modified passenger and combination airplanes. Boeing expects this will include about 250 737s.
Both BFGoodrich Aerospace and InterContinental, an alliance of major Taiwanese companies -- including Air Asia, China Airlines , Evergreen Aviation Technologies, and Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. -- are members of Boeing Airplane Services' international network of modification and engineering facilities.
Representatives from the three companies are jointly developing the configuration and engineering statement of work for modifying both the 737-300 and -400 model airplanes. In addition, a ``quick change'' option is being evaluated, which allows airlines to convert from freighter to passenger operations in a short period of time.
3 Aug 2000 Boeing facing fine over failing to act quickly over cracks - Seattle Post
Boeing faces huge fine
$1.24 million urged for poor supplier oversight, failure to report bad parts Thursday, August 3, 2000
By JAMES WALLACE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
The Federal Aviation Administration yesterday proposed a record $1.24 million in fines against The Boeing Co. for inadequate supplier oversight and for failing to quickly report cracked parts on two older jetliners.
In one case, Boeing waited 415 days -- instead of the required 24 hours -- to report that an operator had found a crack in the aft pressure bulkhead of an older 737, the FAA said. Cracks in that area, if they grow, can cause rapid decompression of the flight deck and cabin. The FAA requires immediate reporting of such damage, in order to alert airlines of potential problems that might require inspection and repair.
All the incidents occurred two to three years ago, and the proposed fines are unrelated to a recently completed special FAA audit of Boeing's quality control and manufacturing processes.
A Boeing spokeswoman said the company has taken steps to fix the problems noted by the FAA and is in informal talks with the agency that could lead to a settlement.
"We are talking to them about closing this out," said Boeing's Liz Verdier. "Whether they reduce their fine is up to them."
Should the $1.24 million in fines stand -- and that is unlikely, based on past practices in such matters -- it would be the largest in Boeing's history. Larger penalties have been levied against airlines, however.
The FAA's biggest previous proposed fine against Boeing was $392,000 in July 1999. The FAA said then that Boeing had failed to report a manufacturing defect on its 757s within 24 hours, as required. Boeing waited more than a year to notify the agency, the FAA said. Verdier said Boeing and the FAA have not yet settled the 1999 case, and the proposed fine has not been paid.
In the latest case, the FAA proposed separate penalties of $500,000 and $741,000.
The smaller of the proposed fines is for failing to report cracks in critical airframe structures within 24 hours, as required by law.
In August 1997, the FAA said, Boeing was notified by the operator of a 737-100 that three cracks had been found in the horizontal stabilizer (the winglike structure on the tail). The cracks were 1.1 inches, 2.3 inches and 12 inches long, the FAA said.
The stabilizer is a critical flight control surface, and the cracks, in a worst-case scenario, could have posed a safety risk, the FAA said.
The 737-100 is the oldest of Boeing's 737 models and was built in the late 1960s. There are only a few still flying.
Boeing did not notify the FAA of the cracks until July 1998, nearly 300 days after first learning about them, the FAA said.
The FAA also said that in September 1997, Boeing was notified by the operator of a 737-200 (a 1970s model) that a 3.5-inch fatigue crack was found in the aft pressure bulkhead. Boeing waited until late November 1998 to notify the FAA.
There are more 737-200s flying than 737-100s, but few are still in operation in the United States.
In both cases, Verdier said, Boeing delayed making reports to the FAA because it had to wait to obtain the parts in question from the 737 operators so they could be tested.
"Our procedure is to make a report within 24 hours of determination of a potential problem," she said. "We could not make such a determination until we got the parts. . .. It took months."
She said Boeing has improved its reporting methods in response to the FAA's findings.
"We average about 100,000 messages a year from our operators," she said. "We try and make a determination so that the safety-related ones get passed to the FAA. That process has been tightened and improved."
The FAA noted Boeing's efforts.
"Since the time of the alleged events, Boeing has cooperated with the FAA in developing an improved reporting process that exceeds the requirements of the regulation," the agency said in a statement.
The FAA's proposed $741,000 penalty is related to Boeing's oversight of its suppliers and subcontractors. Boeing failed to assure that they adopted and adhered to the company's quality control policies and procedures, the FAA said.
The supplier actions occurred more than two years ago, the FAA said, and did not directly affect aircraft safety.
In four separate cases, the FAA said, suppliers did not follow Boeing's quality control practices.
"Failing to do so might have resulted in Boeing's use of non-conforming materials to build airplanes," the FAA said.
The violations came to light during FAA inspections of Boeing's suppliers in late 1997 and early 1998.
The contractors and suppliers are: Parker Control Systems of Ogden, Utah; Aerospace Technologies of Port Melbourne, Australia; Northrup Grumman's Grand Prairie, Texas, plant; and Kayaba Industries of Tokyo.
They were cited for a total of 17 different violations, including improperly heat-treating products, failing to periodically check tooling machines, failure to keep up with certification for quality control workers and failing to make corrections identified in past audits.
Boeing said no substandard parts ever made it onto aircraft from the contractors in question.
"Most of the violations were training and procedural issues," Verdier said.
She said Boeing continues to work with its suppliers to improve practices and to make sure the company's quality control procedures are followed.
Boeing has more than 3,500 suppliers worldwide.
The FAA and Boeing also continue to talk about the findings of the special audit that was started in December. The audit also found lax supplier oversight by Boeing.
It was sparked by a series of embarrassing production and quality control problems that resulted in defective parts being installed on Boeing airplanes.
Boeing and the FAA are currently developing an action plan to address problems discovered during the audit. The findings won't be made public until the action plan has been approved by the FAA.
An FAA spokeswoman said yesterday the proposed plan is under review at the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Since the audit, Boeing has increased scrutiny of its suppliers and added more people to a unit that works with suppliers and monitors the quality of parts.
21 Mar 2000 United 737 experiences aileron control system malfunction - NTSB
*** NTSB: United 737 experiences aileron control system malfunction
NTSB Identification: LAX00SA132
Scheduled 14 CFR 121 operation of UNITED AIRLINES, INC.
Incident occurred MAR-21-00 at LAS VEGAS, NV
Aircraft: Boeing 737-300, registration: N328UA
Injuries: 100 Uninjured.
On March 21, 2000, at 0836 hours Pacific standard time, United Airlines
flight 2701, a Boeing 737-300, N328UA, experienced an aileron control
system malfunction during the landing roll on runway 25L at the Las Vegas
Nevada, airport. The airplane was operated by United Airlines, Inc., as a
regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight under 14 CFR Part 121. The
airplane was not damaged. None of the 5 crewmembers or 95 passengers were
injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan
was filed. The flight originated from Denver, Colorado, at 0816 mountain
standard time as a nonstop flight to Las Vegas. The flight crew reported
that all aspects of the flight were normal until the landing roll. The crew
disconnected the autopilot about 3,000 feet agl and hand flew the approach
through touchdown due to turbulence. After touchdown, the captain was holding
about 30 degrees of right control wheel input for the existing crosswind
condition and as the airplane slowed below 100 knots, the wheel smoothly
moved to a full right aileron deflection. A detailed examination of the
lateral control system is in process.
19 Feb 2000 Winglets boost to Boeing 737--800 performance
SEATTLE, Feb. 18, 2000 - The Boeing Company announced today that it is offering Next-Generation 737-800 customers a new, advanced-technology winglet as a standard option.
The winglet will allow a new airplane that already flies farther, higher and more economically than competing products to extend its range, carry more payload, save on fuel and benefit the environment. The first Boeing 737-800 with winglets is expected to be delivered in the spring of 2001. All subsequent 737-800s will be equipped with structurally enhanced wings that will make it easier for owners of standard 737-800s to retrofit those jetliners with winglets.
"The key to product leadership is to create a superior product, then continually improve it in ways that add value to customers," said John Hayhurst, vice president and general manager, 737 programs. "With this new winglet, the Next-Generation 737 will remain the most advanced airplane family in its class for the 21st century, just as it was for the 20th."
A Next-Generation 737-800 equipped with the new winglet will be able to fly farther, burn 3 percent to 5 percent less fuel, or carry up to 6,000 pounds more payload. Other benefits include a reduction in noise near airports, lower engine-maintenance costs, and improved takeoff performance at high-altitude airports and in hot climate conditions.
The winglets weigh about 120 pounds each. They are made of high-tech carbon graphite, an advanced aluminum alloy and titanium. The winglet is eight feet long and tapers from its four-foot wide base to a width of two feet at the tip. Unlike traditional winglets typically fitted at abrupt angles to the wing, this new advanced "blended" design gently curves out and up from the wing tip, reducing aerodynamic drag and boosting performance.
The 737-800 winglet was developed initially for the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), which also features the state-of-the-art 737-800 wing. This winglet will be available initially as an option on the 162-passenger 737-800. Formal availability of the winglet will follow quickly on other models that feature the 737-800 wing, including the 737-700C and the 737-900. The applicability of the winglet to Next-Generation 737-600 and 737-700 models is being assessed.
The blended-winglet technology was developed by Aviation Partners Inc. of Seattle. In 1999, during the design of the BBJ winglet, Aviation Partners and The Boeing Company formed Aviation Partners Boeing (APB), a joint venture that completed and owns the design. APB is developing the capability to make the winglet available as a retrofit for airplanes already in service.
27 Jan 2000 Popular Boeing 737 Surpasses New Aviation Milestone - Boeing
SEATTLE, Jan. 27, 2000 --
The Boeing 737, the world's most widely used jetliner, has become the first jetliner in history to soar beyond 100 million flight hours - a testament to the jetliner's popularity and to The Boeing Company's continuing commitment to enhance the airplane's design, performance, comfort and value.
The Next-Generation family, which entered service in 1998 inaugurated the third generation of Boeing 737s. The Next Generation 737 family consists of the 110-passenger 737-600 the 128-passenger 737-700, the 162-passenger 737-800, and the 177-passenger 737-900. The Next-Generation airplanes feature a new wing - the most aerodynamically efficient in its class; new, more powerful yet quieter engines; a new, more spacious and comfortable interior and a state-of-the-art flight deck.
The overwhelming market success of the Boeing 737 is one of the ironies of aerospace history. When the program was launched in 1965, the 737's prospects looked questionable. Competitors were two years ahead of the 737, with 300 orders between them. The 737 had to compete for product-development budget and engineering talent with several other major programs in development - the 747, a "stretched" 727, the C5 transporter and the supersonic transport. But compete it did, leading to the most successful jetliner program of all time.
9 Dec 1999 - 'Classic' 737 line to close, ends era of Boeing lows, highs. - Seattle Times
Wednesday December 08 07:57 PM EST 'Classic' 737 line to close, ends era of Boeing lows, highs.
By Polly Lane
Seattle Times aerospace reporter
Boeing's final 737-400 will be rolled out of the Renton factory tomorrow, ending a 32-year era that produced the best-selling airplane model in aviation history.
The jet is to be delivered to CSA Czech Airlines in February.
With the rollout, Boeing will close out production of the last of five "classic" versions of the twin-engine airplane, the dominant jet of the hub-and-spoke system at U.S. airports.
Boeing will concentrate in the future on new 737 models - the -700, -800, -900 and a business jet that incorporates features of the -700 and -800. The 737-700 was launched by Southwest Airlines in 1994.
Production of the classic 737s surpassed that of the former top seller, the Boeing 727, in February 1990. Boeing delivered 1,831 727s in all. The 737 has continued to be the front-runner in sales ever since. Boeing has booked orders for 4,349 737s, including the new-generation models.
The last 737-300 will be delivered Monday to Air New Zealand, while the last 737-500 went to Air Nippon in July.
Like many airplane models, the 737 had a shaky start and faced oblivion a couple of times when orders dwindled. In 1972, during the famous Boeing Bust, only 14 were sold. But the company said 1,970 classic models remain in service today.
Boeing's 737 was two years behind the Douglas DC-9 in the marketplace in the mid-1960s. And after fierce debate by the company's board of directors, Boeing moved into production of the first 103-seat 737 with only one order, from Lufthansa German Airlines.
Boeing was confident United Airlines also would order the jet and it did, a few months later. But it wanted more seats so the 737-100 was stretched more than six feet and dubbed the -200. A more advanced -300 made its debut in 1981 when start-up Southwest Airlines decided to make the 126-seater its airplane of choice. The earlier two models were phased out.
The larger 147-passenger -400 followed in 1988, first ordered by Piedmont Airlines. Then Southwest launched a smaller 110-passenger -500 model in 1990.
The earliest 737 was alternately dubbed FLUF (Fat Little Ugly Fella) and Fat Albert because it was short and fat, almost square. Later, the 737 was renamed Little Giant because of its ability to land and take off on short runways, even unpaved strips, features that attracted customers from Africa, Australia, South America and Asia.
The earliest 737 had some problems, including thrust reversers that didn't work properly, and a shimmy in the landing gear, but it was a good airplane from the start, recalls Brien Wygle, its chief test pilot.
The 2 1/2-hour maiden flight was uneventful, he said. Wygle had worked with pilots and engineers on the plane for months before he and co-pilot Lew Wallick took it up the first time from Boeing Field on April 9, 1967.
It was the first Boeing airplane was designed for a two-man crew, rather than three. While that concept took a while to prove to pilots and safety experts, Wygle said he had no problems with only one assistant in the cockpit. The 737 had two engines under the wings instead of near the tail, as on the DC-9s. The 737's new Pratt & Whitney engines were designed to be quieter than the competitors'.
The 737 classic series has been a key player for growing airlines and for leasing companies, including Boullioun Aviation of Bellevue, which owns 35.
"Boullioun truly grew up with this aircraft," said John Willingham, chief operating officer. "It's been a very successful airplane for us."
He cited reliability, efficiency and ease of maintenance. Willingham said his company will be keeping the classic models in its fleet for some time because officials believe their value will hold up.
Peter Jacobs, aerospace analyst with Ragen MacKenzie in Seattle, agreed. Jacobs said the 737 classics "still are among the most widely flown aircraft and join the DC-3, the 707 and 727 as real workhorses."
At tomorrow's noon rollout, Boeing Chairman Phil Condit will recall his role in producing the first 737 while he headed the Renton division. Alan Mulally, the Boeing Commercial Airplanes president, and John Hayhurst, the 737 vice president and general manager, will discuss how the past shaped the 737's future.
It's a future in which the 737 must compete with a strong Airbus Industrie family of similar A320 airplanes that have attracted hundreds of orders this year. But competition is nothing new for the 737, considering it began in the shadow of a successful DC-9 and prevailed.
11 May 1998 Mandatory inspections reveal widespread damage in fuel tank wires on the Boeing 737 - Las Vegas Review Journal
By Glen Johnson
Associated Press
The government on Sunday grounded older models of the Boeing 737, the world's most popular jet, after mandatory inspections of some aircraft found extensive wear in power lines running through their wing fuel tanks.
The order affected 15 percent of the 737s operating domestically, causing scattered flight cancellations as the business week began. United Airlines alone canceled 54 flights.
But with a typical inspection taking about six hours, the effect on the flying public Sunday apparently was minimal.
A number of flights also were canceled at Philadelphia International Airport, but ticket clerks attributed most of them to the weather. The few passengers affected by inspection delays seem to take the developments in stride.
At Reagan National, just outside Washington, Doug Clowers said his United flight to Chicago was canceled, "but they made sure they didn't mess up my plans too much. They made sure I was on the next available flight."
The emergency inspections, the broadest FAA order for commercial aircraft since McDonnell-Douglas DC-10s were grounded in 1979, came three days after the Federal Aviation Administration gave airlines up to a week to inspect their oldest 737s for signs of wear in the wiring or the pipes that carry the wires through the fuel tanks.
A recent inspection of a Continental Airlines 737 found both exposed wires and holes in the piping believed to have been caused by electrical sparks. Officials feared the mixture of fuel, air and electricity could spark an explosion such as the one that downed TWA Flight 800.
By Saturday afternoon, 14 more aircraft had been inspected and mechanics found chafing in half of the bundles examined.
One wiring bundle in a United Airlines 737 showed signs of sparking in one spot and a second area where the wires had been worn bare, most likely from vibration over the plane's 50,000 hours in flight.
That prompted the FAA to revise its original order, ordering all Boeing 737-100 and -200 series aircraft immediately out of passenger service until they could be inspected and repaired.
The planes have cigar-shaped engines mounted directly under their wings. There are 179 such aircraft operated by U.S. carriers.
The FAA also ordered inspections over the next two weeks for 737s with between 40,000 and 50,000 flight hours, generally the newer generation Boeing 737-300, -400 and -500 aircraft.
Those models have oval-shaped engines mounted on pylons that extend in front of the wings. There are 118 such planes in the United States and 282 worldwide.
Based on the early inspections, the FAA also allowed airlines to discontinue inspections of another set of pipes and wires leading to the aircraft's center fuel tank.
In all, 14 aircraft inspected, there were no signs of chafing found in that wiring.
"While we are concerned about (the inspections) and the disruption it may have on the system, the No. 1 concern of the FAA is safety," said Thomas McSweeny, the FAA's director of aircraft certification.
Boeing supported the action, which followed its own service bulletin to aircraft owners on April 24.
"We're doing everything we can to minimize any schedule disruptions to affected 737 operators and we will continue working with the FAA to monitor the inspection results and take any other action that may be advisable," said Boeing spokesman Russ Young.
The manufacturer said it was rushing repair kits to the airlines.
Southwest Airlines, United and US Airways were most affected. Southwest has an all-737 fleet, though only about 35 of its aircraft were the type covered by the grounding.
The inspections took three-person teams about six hours for each plane, a spokeswoman said.
United had to cancel 54 flights on Sunday as its 18 older-model planes were inspected, but the airline said it would have all the planes back in the air by today.
"This is not impeding our operation anywhere near the level a severe weather condition would at Denver or O'Hare," said United spokeswoman Mary Jo Holland, referring to the airline's two major hub airports.
A US Airways spokesman said his airline had to pull four planes out of service.
Investigators still do not know what caused TWA Flight 800, a Boeing 747, to explode off Long Island in July 1996. They suspect fumes in the center fuel tank were ignited by electricity. Since then, they have been examining the wiring configurations on similar planes and ordering inspections.
Last week, the FAA ordered inspections for Boeing 747 and 767 aircraft to make sure they had the necessary protection around their fuel tank wiring. The airlines have 60 days to complete that work.
The agency is also considering inspections for McDonnell-Douglas and Lockheed aircraft. Planes made by Airbus Industries are not affected because they have a different wiring configuration.
There are 1,088 Boeing 737s in the United States and 2,716 registered worldwide, making it the most common passenger aircraft in use. While the FAA action does not apply to foreign aircraft, most countries follow its lead on safety matters.
The FAA grounded the DC-10 fleet in May 1979 after an American Airlines plane lost a wing-mounted engine at takeoff and crashed. All 273 aboard were killed. The planes were not allowed to fly until their engine mounts were inspected and repaired as needed.
11 Mar 1998 Germania Breaks Distance Record In Boeing 737-700 - Boeing
SEATTLE, March 11, 1998 --
German tour operator Germania Fluggesellschaft mbH today helped The Boeing Company’s newest jetliner -- the 737-700 -- set a new distance record, flying the single-aisle plane nonstop from Seattle to Berlin.
The 737-700, the first of the Next-Generation 737 family to enter service, weighed in at 62,248 kilograms before takeoff. The plane departed Seattle’s Boeing Field at 4:26 p.m. PST (0026 Universal Takeoff Time), Tuesday, March 10 and arrived in Berlin at 10:53 a.m. local time (1053 UTC) Wednesday, March 11. The 9 hour 27 minute flight spanned 4,511 nautical miles, breaking the international record in the 60,000-80,000-kg weight class. The previous record -- 3,385 nautical miles -- was set in 1993 by another Boeing jetliner, the MD-83.
The airplane, painted in TUI/Germania livery, was fully configured for passenger service, with 144 seats. Among those participating in the record-breaking flight were Germania Managing Director Peter Kiessling, team leader; Germania Director-Flight Operations/Chief Pilot Thomas Scheel along with accompanying crew and staff; representatives from Boeing; and engine maker CFMI. The official observer aboard the flight was Jack Sweeney, a board member of the National Aeronautical Association, USA.
Aviation authorities from the United States, Germany and France are expected to accept the flight as a new international record for its weight class.
"This record-breaking flight is a testament to the design and quality of the Next-Generation 737-700 -- and to the Boeing workers who make it," said Germania’s Kiessling. "In terms of range, new passenger-interior appearance, efficiency and reduced emissions, the -700 is perfect for us."
Germania’s delivery marks the first of 12 737-700s the airline has ordered. Its all-Boeing fleet also includes 13 737-300s.
"We have had a good relationship with Germania and are pleased they continue to choose Boeing airplanes," said Jack Gucker, vice president – 737/757 Derivative Programs. "We have a lot of confidence in the -700 and we’re happy to see it accomplish what we expect of it. Based on their needs, the 737-700 will serve them well."
The Next-Generation 737 family -- the 737-600/-700/-800/-900 models are designed to fly higher, faster, farther and quieter than previous models and continues to be the fastest-selling jetliner model in history. The Next-Generation 737 models are particularly popular among environmentally conscious carriers because of lower noise and emissions than competing aircraft.
The 737-700 is powered by new CFM56-7 engines produced by CFMI, a joint venture of General Electric of the U.S. and Snecma of France.
27 Jan 1998 Boeing rolls Out 3,000th 737 - Aerotech News
Journal of Aerospace and Defense Industry News
SEATTLE - Boeing Commercial Airplane Group Monday night achieved a significant manufacturing milestone when employees rolled the 3,000th Boeing 737 out of the manufacturing facility in Renton, Wash., where the popular twinjets have been manufactured since 1970.
The historic rollout occurs 31 years after Boeing rolled out the first 737-100 Jan. 17, 1967. That rollout took place at the company's Plant 2 facility in Seattle, the initial site of 737 production.
"Through three decades of hard work and commitment, Boeing employees have built an unmatched legacy of success with the 737," said Gary Scott, vice president and general manager of 737/757 Programs. "With roughly 900 more 737s currently on order, we can look forward to extending this legacy for future generations of employees."
The 3,000th 737 is a 146-passenger 737-400 model, scheduled for delivery to Alaska Airlines. Last November, the Seattle-based carrier became the launch customer for the 737-900 - the fourth model in the Next-Generation 737 family - when it announced an order for 10 737-900s, with 10 options. At the same time, the airline also announced orders for two 737-400s and three 737-700s.
15 Jun 1997 CFM56-3 Engine sets new World Record for time on-wing - CFMI
June 15, 1997
CFM97-11 LE BOURGET - A CFM56-3 engine powering a Boeing 737-500 with Braathens S.A.F.E. reached 19,855 cycles without a single shop visit, setting a new world's record for time on wing. The previous record of 19,841 cycles was held by a CFM56-3 engine in service with Southwest Airlines.
The CFM56-3 is produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma of France and General Electric of the United States and the world's largest supplier of commercial aircraft engines. The CFM56-3C1 engine, which entered Braathens' fleet in October 1991, was removed after nearly six years of service due to life-limited parts in the core. The airline may soon break its own record as there are six additional -3 engines in its fleet that have logged more than 18,000 cycles without a shop visit. The Norwegian flag-carrier currently operates 27 CFM56-3-powered Boeing 737-400s and -500s and will begin taking delivery of the first of 16 firm and option Next-Generation 737-700 aircraft, powered by the CFM56-7, in 1998.
A CFM56-3 engine in service with Germania Flug is poised to set yet another time-on-wing record by year's end. The engine has been in service with the German charter and regional carrier since 1988 and has logged more than 28,000 engine flight hours without a shop visit. If the engine stays on wing for 30,000 hours, Germania will have set a new world's record.
Germania operates a fleet of 13 CFM56-3-powered Boeing 737-300 aircraft, and three additional engines in this fleet have logged more than 16,000, 18,000, and 22,000 hours, respectively, without a shop visit. When it takes delivery of the first of 12 Next-Generation 737-700 aircraft later this year, Germania, along with Maersk Air, will be the first European carriers to place the CFM56-7 into revenue service.
Since entering service in 1984, the CFM56-3 has established itself as the standard against which all other engines are judged in terms of reliability, durability, and cost of ownership. The fleet of nearly 1,800 CFM56-3-powered 737s in service worldwide have logged more than 61 million hours and 44 million cycles while maintaining a 99.98 percent dispatch reliability rate (one flight delayed or canceled for engine-caused reasons per 5,000 departures), a .070 shop visit rate (one unscheduled shop visit per 14,286 flight hours), and an in-flight shutdown rate of .003 (one incident per 333,333 hours).
17 Nov 1995 Next Boeing 737 Program Sets Two-Year Order Record - Boeing
The next Boeing 737 program has set a new aviation record: More 737-600, -700 and -800 airplanes have been sold in the first two years that they have been offered than any other commercial jetliner.
Since the airplane program was launched two years ago today, 214 airplanes have been ordered by 11 different customers. "We knew when we launched this program that this airplane would be popular, but sales have exceeded our expectations," said Ron Woodard, president of Boeing Commercial Airplane Group. "We expect these airplanes to extend the 737's record as the best-selling jet in history," he added. As the program marks its second anniversary, the first of the three airplanes -- the 737-700 -- continues to meet its design and build milestones. "About 70 percent of the engineering drawings for the -700 have been released to the factory and that's right on schedule," said Jack Gucker, director of the 737-600/-700/-800 program. With the release of the drawings, more than 100,000 parts are being scheduled for fabrication.
All three models of the next 737 twinjet will be powered by the new CFM56-7 engine, which is being developed by CFM International, a joint venture of Snecma of France and General Electric of the United States. Design, assembly and testing of the engine also remain on schedule.
"We've released 93 percent of the drawings for the engine, the auxiliary power unit and their major related parts," said Gucker.
Boeing has designed and built engine struts and thrust reversers to support extensive engine ground and flight tests in France and the United States. The testing is aimed at validating the new engine's integrity as well as greater thrust capability and improved performance over the CFM56-3, which powers today's 737-300, -400 and -500 fleet. In January, the CFM56-7 engine is scheduled for first flight on a GE-owned Boeing 747 flying test bed.
Plans for supporting airline customers who will be flying the -700 also are on schedule. The first portion of a computer-based flight and maintenance training course that will be available on CD-ROM has just been completed and a general familiarization course on the 737-600, -700 and -800 program already is being taught to employees of airline customers who have purchased the airplanes. Development of maintenance manuals for the -700 and the engine also are well under way.
The first -700 is due to be delivered to Southwest Airlines of the United States in October 1997, the first - 800 is slated for initial delivery to Hapag Lloyd of Germany in early 1998 and the first -600 will go to SAS in late 1998. | 
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