Boeing rolled out the new 787 yesterday. Production is sold out through 2015

[A HERETIC I AM]

They picked up 35 of those orders on Saturday:

To date, Boeing has won 677 orders for the 787, selling out delivery positions through 2015, two years after Airbus SAS expects to roll out its competing A350 XWB. Thirty-five of those orders came Saturday, with Air Berlin ordering 25 and a Kuwaiti company taking 10 for Kuwait Airways.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/07/08/boeing.787.ap/index.html

I have read articles that indicate up to 50% of the international air transport fleet will need replacing in the next 15 years.
This is good news for the economy of the Puget Sound. Boeing stock (ticker BA) closed on Friday at $98.88. Expect to see a surge in price this morning.

[Bluebear]

1. Composites make it much lighter than normal jet, much more fuel-efficient.

(before people pile on to diss the Dreamliner :)

20% more fuel-efficient than a similarly-sized jet, 27% more efficient than the A-340. Fuel burn and carbon emissions reduced, noise pollution reduced 60%.

[marmar]

2. At least this country still makes at least one thing the rest of the world wants....

n/t

[unhappycamper]

3. Maybe Boeing can get off the MIC teat.

I suspect not, but one can always hope.

[marmar]

4. I wouldn't bet the farm on it.....

not considering how much milk the Bush Administration cow is producing for them.

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. I was right...Boeing up $1.80 so far today (10:25AM) n/t

[Javaman]

6. It will be amusing to watch as these things turn into condos in about 20 years. nt

[cobalt1999]

7. Airbus was the best kick in the pants Boeing ever got.

They did seem complacent before then. They mostly caught up with the 777, but the 787 is a great leap ahead. I'm curious to see what Airbus does in the next 7-10 years to try and regain the lead.

[Tesha]

8. Not to rain on your parade...

Not to rain on your parade, but it will be interesting to
see what the lifetime performance of the all-composite
787 turns out to be. Right now, the jury's still out
on how much safety margin really exists in our existing
fleet of partially-composite aircraft. For example,
techniques are just now being perfected that can detect
layer-to-layer delamination before it causes the loss
of an aircraft (as was likely in that Airbus crash
near NYC, attributed (last I knew) to failure of the
composite tail structure).

I'm not saying it will necessarily or even likely
turn out bad, but this is the first big commercial
roll-out of a relatively new technology, and such
roll-outs have been known to produce interesting
events before, and may again.

Having said that, I look forward to my first flight
on a 787 Dreamliner ;) ...

Tesha

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. It's not my parade. It is the parade of thousands of aerospace workers in Seattle and elsewhere...

but your point is well taken.

The only reason i posted this story is because i am an aviation enthusiast and am interested in all things winged.

As a side note, Boeing has 544 total orders for the current year which includes 239 orders for the venerable 737. I think the company should be applauded for making a product the world wants to buy, be it a brand new airframe or one that has been around for 40 years (1st 737 rolled out in 1967) Having a full order book means good, high paying jobs will remain in place for the workers in Everett, Seattle and Renton for quite a while.

http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/index.cfm

[leeroysphitz]

10. "This is good news for the economy of the Puget Sound."

I thought Boeing was part of the outsourcing crowd...

[A HERETIC I AM]

11. They do have suppliers worldwide but the assembly operations are in the Seattle area. n/t