Originally Posted by
acl65pilot
ACL likes "Multi-quote"
What the two major aircraft makers have been saying for a 787/350 type of narrow body clean sheet design is a 20-25% (min) improvement over current models. The composite type barrel that is used on the wb jets needs to be improved on a little more for it to have the durability for a nb jet. (cycle life) If they can get there, they are looking at airframes that do not have corrosion issues, and well as a magnatiude of other benefits. The other components need to mature a little more as well. Boeing and Airbus say that the technology will mature enough to make a viable design in the 2015-2017 time frame with deliveries after 2020.
5-10% (min) improvements may not seem like a lot, but remember that these are all guesses, and if they are better, no airline can afford to be wrong on them. Owning jets that miss this mark will require airlines to reinvest to keep up. The benefits of buying cheap will not be there when comparing the reworked 73N and the 320 compared to the clean sheet composites.
I do agree that the 320 will probably win out on a 73N Neo since the 73N requires some structural work to make the GTF work, whereas the 320 requires almost none.
There is no 757 replacement. Nothing comes close to payload/range
But as much as we might be fans of the 757 it's days in domestic service are numbered.
The ETOPS 757 on the other hand will remain in DALs fleet in niche transatlantic service for the next 10-15 years.
The 321neo is a gamechanger....
The 321 with sharklets already offers a
17%/seat fuel burn advantage over the existing 757-200; that's already massive.
The 320neo family will offer an additional 10-16% improvement over that with the
PTW1000 (GTF) or the
CFM LEAP-X.
The 321neo will offer a nearly 30% fuel burn advantage/seat over the existing 757, this is a no-brainer, there is no need to wait for a clean sheet design.
The 321neo with sharklets can do full payload trans-cons and Hawaii from the West coast, it is a game changer.
In addition the MRO expenses on the 321 are not much over the existing 320 family below the 757, offering additional savings.
Why should all this matter to us as a pilot group?
It's not about Boeing vs Airbus as much as it's about shifting a significant portion of the 7ER flying to the lower rungs of the payscale.
The 7ER category will shrink significantly with the introduction of the 321neo. I only bring this up because as a pilot group we need to be aware of this big shift that is coming our way.
I wouldn't hold my breath on the C-series, the fuselage is still aluminum and the wing composite, It's not that much different from existing designs and will be capital-intensive for the mission it serves, that's why DAL is getting MD90s...
Cheers
George