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Home | Update | LATEST ISSUE | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 8/98 BOEING ROLLS OUT THE 757-300 by Heiko Reuter Slim and graceful - Boeing's latest narrowbody has what it takes to be the airliner beauty queen. However, the 757-300 is not a sales hit yet. Ron Woodard, President of Boeing's Commercial Airplane Group is experiencing a lot of hassle at the moment. There are either problems arising from the delays in production, which also delay one hand over date after another, or compensation payments worth millions of dollars, which Boeing has to make to disgruntled airline customers. There is furthermore a lot of attention in the media, because the US aviation authority FAA is sending hundreds of Boeing planes back into the hangars for unscheduled safety checks. Additionally the much hated Airbus competition is gaining more and more customers. In Woodard's big realm there are hardly any corners, where there isn't a panic. But all this did not seem to bother him on 31 May. After all, a new Boeing baby, the 757-300, was celebrating its roll out that very Sunday. Thousands of guest and co-workers were celebrating. It was a very American affair: The first public showing of the new 250seater was accompanied by rock music from the 60s and 70s. Since the hangars were full with half-finished planes, the roll out choreographs had to think up something really special in the open air. Boeing employees dressed in white overalls pulled the aircraft on ropes with their arms into a right turn. It stood there very gracefully in the bright light of the afternoon sun, surrounded by scores of onlookers: a long, slim narrowbody _ the latest beauty queen amongst the airliners. It goes without saying that launching customer Condor had sent a delegation to Seattle for the ceremony. Dietmar Kirchner, Condor's technical MD, was obviously delighted about the new aircraft, when he addressed the Boeing staff with the customary words of thanks. The staff had not only lengthened the old 757-200 by 7.1 meters. BoeingÕs latest super model _ according to the manufacturer it is the worldÕs biggest narrowbody twin _ was equipped, amongst other things, with strengthened wing and engine struts, a re-enforced landing gear and newly designed cabin interior. The cockpit was also overhauled: It is now ready for the planned navigation concept FANS. However, the gravest design change took place at the tail. The -300 now has a tail skid, a device that will protect the aircraftÕs rear end from the much feared tail strikes on the run way during take off and landing. The new 757, (typical seating in two class configuration: 243 passengers) fills the gap between the 757-200 (201 passengers) and the widebodies 767-300 (269 passengers) and 767-400 (304 passengers) However, when compared with the basic model, it has lost about 800 km of range. With its maximum range of 6,454 km the -300 is no longer a true transatlantic aircraft. Despite this it will be a true money-maker. At least this is what its production manager Bruce Nicoletti says. When compared with the 710 cm shorter 757-200, it is able to transport 20 percent more passengers and even 48 percent more freight. As a result the seat-mile costs would decrease by another 10 per cent when compared with the very efficiently operating -200. " The 757-300 is the world's most economical aircraft.", Nicoletti says. Ron Woodard shares this view. He says that Airbus is unable to counter the performance of that stretched narrowbodies. At a push maybe the widebody A310. The operating costs of this aircraft, however, are far higher than those of the _300. And even Airbus sources unofficially admit that the new 757 has a good economical performance. However, the -300 is not yet a bestseller in the market. Launching customer Condor ordered 13 aircraft (" for a really good price" according to Condor MD Kirchner). Icelandair ordered two aircraft, leasing company ILFC as well as Far Eastern Air Transport of Taiwan have not made a final decision so far. This concludes the official customer list. Not a single customer from the important US domestic market, none from Asia. Still, Ron Woodard hopes to be able to sell 500 to 600 aircraft over the next 20 years. The -300 is supposed to first fly in July. At print time of this issue the aircraft was still on the ground. Several hundred hours of flight testing involving three test aircraft will follow the very first take off. The first delivery to Condor is scheduled for January 1999. However, even Condor doubts that Boeing will be able to adhere to this date. Dietmar Kirchner: "We will be prepared for a February or March delivery". From page 22 of FLUG REVUE 8/98 Home | Update | LATEST ISSUE | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 8/98 Copyright 1998 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved. Last updated July 13, 1998 FLUG REVUE, Ubierstr. 83, 53173 Bonn, Germany