GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES
Uncertain market conditions make June launch of 747 derivative impossible "unless there's a miracle"
Boeing is preparing to renegotiate 747-400XQLR engine development agreements with General Electric and Pratt & Whitney as it faces the prospect of delaying the quiet long-range variant's launch.
The company had hoped to start development by the end of June, but slow market conditions and uncertainty over noise guarantees for the heaviest variant appear to have made this impossible. "The desire was to launch in June, but unless there's some miracle that's probably not going to happen," says 747-400XQLR programme manager, Corky Townsend. Boeing is protecting a June 2004 service entry target with the present launch plan, but "will probably come out with a different [service entry] date," says Townsend, who adds that entry into service is normally 30 months after launch.
Engine agreements also expire at the end of June. Talks are under way to extend the GE deal while modifying the agreement with P&W. GE is offering a CF6-80C2 variant - the B9F - for the 397,250kg (875,000lb) take off weight version and the -B10F for the 418,130kg model. P&W, which offered only the unmodified PW4062, is now renegotiating around a revised PW4000 with a quieter nacelle.
Boeing is unable to guarantee London's QC2 noise limit performance for the higher gross weight model, but denies that this damages the business case for operators of services to the UK. "A lot of airlines have a desire to meet QC2, but not necessarily at the high gross weight. There is no route, as far as we understand it, for the high gross weight where QC2 is a must have," says Townsend. "There is a lot of uncertainty associated with noise testing," she adds. How close Boeing will get to guaranteed QC2 levels with the heavier aircraft will not be known "until we get to certification tests", Townsend says.
The 397,250kg variant, as configured, will improve fuel consumption by 2% and range by 460km (250nm) compared to the standard -400, while the heavier model will offer almost 1,480km more range. This could rise by another 1,110km in a 250-seat configuration rather than the standard 416-passenger load in three-class layout.
Source: Flight International
