Airline industry news, aviation jobs & airline recruitment - Flight International, UK

Airline industry news, aviation jobs & airline recruitment - Flight International, UK: "Part of the reason for Virgin choosing the -600 was the anticipated commonality benefits with the -300, but in practice some of these have failed to materialise. Livings says that the -600 was 'sold to us as a derivative aircraft, but it is not � there are lots of new systems and suppliers'.
Changes were partly driven by the fact that the new aircraft's introduction came almost a decade after that of the original A340, and because it is 25% larger than its predecessor."

Airliners.net Civil Aviation: A350 Cabin Configuration Options

Airliners.net Civil Aviation: A350 Cabin Configuration Options: "The foot and shoulder room increase is more important for window pax on these planes, and the new interior panels look to increase those two figures by more than 3 inches, as the 330/340 have a very MD80 feel by the window in econ due to the higher floor (relative to the cylinder) in these planes than in B wide-bodies. This allowed them to get more cargo downstairs and have less wasted crown space, which of course B is now using in other ways.

in the original A widebody design, they made the most of their interior volume, but now B's engineering is coming back to take advantage of wasted space in the 747, 777, and even designed in 'wasted' space into the 787 based on the solutions they found in the 777."

Airliners.net Civil Aviation: France Would Trade Subsidies For Tanker Deal

Airliners.net Civil Aviation: France Would Trade Subsidies For Tanker Deal: "The KC-330, on the other hand is a much larger airplane in many ways. Comparing the version of each plane to be used, the weight difference is almost 100,000 pounds greater on an empty A332 vs an empty 762. The A332 is about 34 feet longer and has about 41 feet more wingspan than the 762. With the 767, nearly all current hangars work and would only require a higher tail door since the tail is higher up, with 41 feet greater wingspan, the KC-330 would require new hangars - the 767 already pushes it (but in most hangars it fits) since even it has 26 feet more of wingspan than the KC-135. Most everything else remains the same, nothing else major required. Extra weight is not always good for a tanker. Sure it can carry more, but it also consumes more fuel due to its heavier weight. When the whole purpose for existence is transfer fuel, this is not always a good thing. It's not so simple, there are trade offs and they do want this tanker, like the KC-10, to have a lot of cargo capacity so the 330 wins there. At one time the 747 was studied as a tanker, it can carry massive amounts of fuel and cargo vs. a KC-135, but it was deemed too big to be a tanker. My point being, as you say, the bigger the tanker does not always mean the better the tanker."

Boeing confidence in 787 soars

Boeing confidence in 787 soars: "The A350 will be from 20 to 30 tons heavier than the 787, Bair said, and it would require a 'rewrite of physics' for the Airbus plane to beat the 787 in the kinds of comparisons mentioned by Leahy."

Politics Stalling Tanker Joint Bid

Politics Stalling Tanker Joint Bid: "The Airbus A330 is a bigger plane with more range and fuel capacity than the Boeing 767, but it can't take off and land on unimproved and narrow runways like the 767, which could be an Air Force requirement. And EADS is trying to develop the technology necessary to refuel certain U.S. military planes while airborne."
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-northrop13jun13,1,7357373.story?coll=la-headlines-business

Airliners.net Civil Aviation: Was 747 Delayed Too?

Airliners.net Civil Aviation: Was 747 Delayed Too?: "Boeing signed the first 747 contract in 4/1966 with Pan Am.
Its first flight was 2/1969.
It entered into service in 1/1970.
So, it took them 3 years 9 months from first order, and 11 months from first flight.

Airbus signed the first 380 contract in 7/2000 with Emirates.
Its first flight was 4/2005.
It will enter into service no earlier than 10/2006.
So, it will take them at least 6 years 3 months from first order, and 18 months from first flight.

If Airbus fans are trying to find some consolations in 747's early day woes, I think you guys will need to look somewhere else. "