Originally Posted by
rickair7777
BCA top management recently said that they have no timelne for a new NB design, the technology doesn't exist, and they'll look at it for the next decade.
Bingo! There are no plans for Boeing to do a clean sheet design, because airlines don't wan't to spend the money training their people on a new type rating. Also they don't want to take a chance with innovation because it's risky. They want proven technology. And Boeing doesn't want to incur that level of risk either.
Originally Posted by
rickair7777
they may be afraid to commit to a clean-sheet design ($$$) at this moment while there's a real looming possibility that carbon hysteria will drive a need for drastic changes to current operations, which could include radical technology and designs. It would suck to make the multi- $B R&D investment now only to have the new design outlawed and have to repeat the whole process in ten or fewer years.
Excellent point I hadn't considered. Although it does factor into the risk of a new design. But yeah... government...
Originally Posted by
2StgTurbine
You originally implied that AIRLINES didn't want to pay for a new narrow body. They do. The C series/A-220 for one.
That's a different animal. As the problems with the bs governmental protectionism were already pointed out, they had to practically give them away to get proven. Baltic Air flew them first for almost a year before anyone else did. And as pointed out it nearly bankrupted Bombardier. Not to mention, let's be honest, the C-Series is basically a souped up regional jet. Boeing doesn't want to build aircraft that small apparently. At least that's how it appears.
Originally Posted by
2StgTurbine
Boeing is the one who doesn't want to spend the money on designing and certifying a new airplane. Boeing outsourced so much of its operation that it can no longer efficiently develop a new airplane. New airplanes always take a long time to reach an ROI and the board for Boeing doesn't have the stomach to wait a decade before they can see a profit. Much better to kick the can down the road and let future investors deal with the problem.
And yes that is part of it too.
Originally Posted by
2StgTurbine
The fact that such a small company can do the hard part of designing an all-new aircraft proves it can be done. Boeing doesn't have an excuse. They know that you take a bath on the first hundred or so planes to fill the order book up and then you can start charging airliners more. It's the designing and certification that Boeing struggles with.
And that their cost per unit is probably not worth it to them.