Monday 16 September 2013

Aerospace 6 - It's Innovation!


It’s a plane!  It’s the CSeries!  It’s innovation!  Yes, it’s another example of Bombardier creativity.  Today, the first CSeries aircraft took off, like a whisper, from Mirabel Airport in Quebec.  It was a few months behind the original schedule but this compares quite favourably with the years of delay for Boeing’s B-787 ‘Dreamliner’, which continues to reveal problems.

The flight lasted for a few hours, and the test pilots enthusiastically reported a perfect flight.

Illustration by Bombardier Inc.
What happens next?  Well, in my opinion, many airlines who have been placing meaningless Letters of Intent with Airbus, Boeing, et al., will be reassessing their biased agendas and sending representatives to Montreal (If they are not already there).  After all, you are reminded of the old technology inherent in the Airbus and Boeing aircraft that will not become available until 2017 ... compared to the 20% more efficient CSeries becoming available next year (2014).

Look out, also, for news from Porter Airlines, who have already announced their conditional order of 12 CSeries aircraft (Conditional on a runway extension at the Billy Bishop airport) and, then, imagine the impact of WestJet trying to bring their new Q400’s into Billy Bishop.  It's going to be interesting.

Stay tuned (As they say).


Wednesday 4 September 2013

Aerospace 5 - WestJet Moves


Last month, WestJet Airlines Ltd. placed a letter of intent to purchase 65 B-737 aircraft from the Boeing Company, and delivery of the first aircraft will be in September 2017.  As a result, I was empowered to research this segment of the market concerning the future of both WestJet and Bombardier Aerospace.  What follows is a pocketbook guide to my (admittedly biassed) thoughts.
WestJet B-737 NG, Early Morning Approach into London, Ontario,

Boeing introduced the first B-737 in 1967 and it became the best-selling commercial jet in aviation history.  Over this period, many modifications were made to the aircraft to increase seating and range.  In 1997, when it became clear that the Airbus A-320 was a serious threat, Boeing introduced the Next Generation (NG) aircraft, the main differences could be seen in a new wing with blended winglets, a quieter engine, and modern avionics.  One interesting problem that happened with the B-737 NG was due to the larger engine which, if placed in its original position, was too close to the ground.  This problem was solved by positioning the engine further forward on the wing.  In 2010, Airbus announced the new engine option for the A-320 NEO, thus, increasing the competition with the B-737 NG.  In 2011, Boeing announced the B-737 MAX.  This version has another new engine and, because of closeness of the engine to the ground, has a greatly extended nose wheel  length.  

Delivery of the first aircraft is due to begin in 2017.  Meanwhile, Bombardier has been working quietly in the background on the design of a new 100-seater CSeries aircraft, to add to its solid fleet of new technology aircraft such as the Challenger, CRJ, Learjet, and Q400 aircraft.The idea for the CSeries aircraft started in 2004 using some of the high technology used on the company’s other designs, but totally designing a new aircraft from nose to tail, using a great deal of carbon fibre, and incorporating a newly designed, highly efficient engine.  The aircraft uses 46% composite materials, 24% aluminium-lithium which allows a 15% lower seat-mile cost, a significant reduction in maintenance costs ... and a 20% less fuel per trip than any of the Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer competitors.  Not to mention that, as I write, Transport Canada has issued the permit to fly for the first aircraft, which should happen within days of writing this, and a proposed entry into service for next year (2014).

Therefore, to Greg Saretsky, the CEO of WestJet, I am bound to ask this obvious question;  Why, when you now have introduced Q400’s into your fleet, have you decided to order an old, patched-up design, B-737 MAX for 2017, when the 20% better Canadian CSeries will become available next year?