Originally Posted by
Wasatch Phantom
Sailing,
I'm headed out the door in a few minutes for a four-day trip. So I don't really have time to properly address your post.
With that said, my recollection is the 757 came out in roughly 1982. The A-320 about five years later and the 737 10 years after that.
Have you ever flown the 737 NG?
When the 757 came out it had electronic circuitry that automatically put the generators on line when the engines were started. Fifteen years later the NG still requires the generators be manually selected. Granted that's one example, but there are plenty.
As I mentioned in my earlier post the 777 came out roughly the same time as the NG. That was an evolutionary aircraft and what 12 or so years later the marketplace is not screaming for a clean-sheet design. They are however screaming (loudly) for a 737 replacement.
Instead of the 737 NG series, what if Boeing had come out with a scaled down 757? I think that would have been world class!
Finally, the 737 is the only aircraft that I can recall on which Delta has taken (several different times) income statement write offs to the tune of tens of millions of dollars to not take delivery of the aircraft.
So Delta would rather lose several million bucks per airplane than operate them. To me anyway, that says a lot.
Sorry I can't respond more thoroughly.
Yes, I have flown the 737NG. As far as income write offs Delta has taken delivery of most of their NG rather then cancel the orders. In fact in the last 2 years we have taken delivery of around 31 NG's. We sold 29 of them at a profit. Its rare to have a aircraft where demand is so strong that instead of canceling orders and paying the penalty you take them and resell them.
As far as aircraft Delta has canceled firm orders and had to pay to do so there have been a lot since I was hired. Off the top of my head the 737G, MD11, 767-400, 777, and MD-90. We might have taken delivery of the 8 777ER's that were canceled in the pay dispute and resold them like we have been doing with the 737.
As far as the overhead panel on the 737 USAIR and SWA pushed Boeing hard for a common type rating. It does not change the basic economics of the aircraft a bit. We just don't like it as pilots.