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BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT 7July, 2007:
If things work out well as US aircraft maker
Boeing envisages, its Dreamliner 787’s components
could make sweeping changes in the aviation
industry. The formal rollout of the Dreamliner
787 takes place on Sunday, July 8. Boeing’s
optimism on this front stems from the fact that
composite plastics make up around 50% of the
Dreamliner 787. Though many experts have raised
concerns about the use of composites, Boeing’s
says it is unaware of any drawbacks. Boeing said
the firm has used composites in its long-distance
777 for about 13 years. These were still in
perfect condition, the aircraftmaker said. This
is the first time that the state–of-the-art Carbon
fiber, which is lighter than aluminium and has
better fire-resistance properties, is being used
in the fuselage of a commercial passenger plane.
Carbon fiber is stronger than conventional
materials. Carbon fibres would enable the
Dreamliner to have windows up to 65% bigger than
normal size. Moreover, the cabin can be
pressurised at an altitude of 2,000 metres, while
the standard is 2,700 metres. Boeing is betting
on the fact that the light weight of components
would make it possible to have huge savings on
fuel. Boeing says the Dreamliner will need 20%
less fuel than plans of similar size. Analysts
said with the aviation industry accounting for
around 4% of the global total of fossil fuels, the
fuel-efficient property itself could make
Dreamliner a sure bet for global airlines.
Airlines that opt for Dreamliner could making
significant inroads in cutting operating costs,
they say. The reduced weight also would result
in lesser landing fee for Dreamliners apart from
lesser maintenance costs due to its durability.
Landing fee is calculated according to tonnage.
Experts say that while Aluminium can corrode,
composites don’t. Normally, passenger planes
have a life span of 20-30 years. Boeing has not
come out with a forecast on the lifespan of the
Dreamliner, but the firm said it expects the
Dreamliner 787 to have a better lifespan than the
normal planes. But even while betting big on
composites as components, Boeing does not foresee
an all-composite aircraft. The aircraft maker
said metal components would still be used for many
parts like landing gear. The new materials will
also allow the cabin to be pressurised at an
altitude of 2,000 metres compared to the standard
2,700 metres of other planes.
For passengers, the carbon fibers mean that
humidity levels in the Dreamliner 787 would be
15%, while at present, aircraft humidity level is
zero. This would be a respite from travel related
uneasiness and headaches. The medium-to-long
range Dreamliner 787 can have up to 330 seats. BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
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