for the of the past showDesign evolutions FUTURE BY KAREN CRABTREEhow Boeing engineersdefine the shape ofplanes to come T number is stamped on the tail, but this small airplane model,he paint covering the fuselage is cracked with age and afine layer of dust covers the base. A Boeing 7-series jetliner lined up with so many others on a Boeing basement storage shelf, doesn’t look like any airplane parked at an airport gate or flying today. But these models, some with unusual shapes and shelved away like so many discarded toys, have been essential to Boeing and its airplane designers of the past and offer lessons into designs of the future. As Boeing engineers today give shape to the airplanes that will enter service later this decade—a bigger variant of the 787 family known as the 787-10X and a larger, improved 777 referred to as 777X—the sheer number of the tiny models that preceded each new Boeing airplane speaks volumes about what’s happening within Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Coming to a launch decision for an all-new airplane or derivative of an existing plane is never easy. Airplanes are manufactured and fly for decades. There’s a lot on the line in each decision, not the least of which is the huge investment 200 configurations of the 767 were studied before the program that can affect the company’s future. was launched in 1978. So today’s design decisions have to be right, said Jeff VerWey, A quick scan of models preceding launch of the two-engine 767 director of product strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes reveals numerous designs, including not only differing locations of Business Development and Strategic Integration. the engines but even whether it should have four engines. “It is a thorough process to bring the right airplane to market The final version of the 767 proved to be the most efficient at the right time with the right technology and delivering the right jet in its class at the time. It was the first twin-aisle airplane to economics,” VerWey said. receive regulatory approval for flights more than 120 minutes Hundreds of studies and configurations provide vast amounts from an airport, and it became the most popular airplane for of data before a design concept is final, let alone before the crossing the Atlantic—a distinction it still holds nearly 30 years launch plan is presented to the company’s board of directors. after it was introduced. And then it’s years before the first new airplane or derivative rolls By the late 1980s, when airlines began looking for larger aircraft, out of the factory, he noted. Boeing teams deliberated on building a larger 767, dubbed the 767X. Without disclosing sensitive information into that process, It included designs with an aft-section double deck, descriptively two development programs of the past—the 767 and 777— offer insight into the kind of design decisions evolving now that will shape Boeing’s newest airplanes, according to VerWey. PHOTOS: (Left) Models reflect the development process for The 767 was delivered to its first customer in 1982. It began Boeing jetliners. (Above) Boeing historian Mike Lombardi, left, discusses airplane models from Boeing development studies as the 7X7 program, with memos dating back to 1971 describing with Dennis Morden, center, holding a 767X model, and an airplane with the 767’s range and size. In all, more than Rhodri Thomas. MARIAN LOCKHART/BOEING BOEING FRONTIERS / NOVEMBER 2012 35
Frontiers November 2012 Issue
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