Battle of Technology
As the Boeing Co. sees it, the commercial passenger jets of the future--at least the near future--are pretty much the passenger jets of the present. This view is likely to set up an interesting competitive situation between Seattle-based Boeing and McDonnell Douglas Corp., which sees the future quite differently.
Boeing has unveiled larger new versions of its workhorse short- and mid-range 737 and its successful long-haul 747. For now, Boeing is putting on hold the development of a new 7J7 passenger plane that would be powered by a propfan engine--a fuel-efficient combination of the new jet and the propeller-driven planes of yore.
The Douglas commercial-aircraft division in Long Beach, meanwhile, is proceeding with the development of its MD-91 or MD-92, both propfan versions of the aircraft manufacturer’s popular DC-9 and MD-80.
Boeing’s new 747-400 will carry 442 to 550 passengers and will add 1,000 miles to the range of existing 747s--enough to allow nonstop flights from New York to Seoul, or from San Francisco to Bangkok.
The new 747’s nearest widebody competitor, produced by the European consortium Airbus Industrie, carries only about 300 passengers. Boeing already has 118 orders from 18 airlines for the new 747. The new 150-seat 737-400 has 88 orders and will be competitive in price with Airbus Industrie’s popular A320.
Analysts say one reason Boeing is not proceeding now with the 7J7 is that the fuel efficiency of the fan jet is not the priority that it once was because of the ready supply and current low price of petroleum.
Still, Douglas will seek to go onto the market with a 114-seat MD-91 or a 165-seat MD-92, depending on demand from potential customers. The firm has been testing fan-jet engines on one of its present MD-80s and is encouraged not only by the fuel savings but also by the quietness of the power plants. The MD-92 may not only cut fuel consumption by up to 40% but it may also have such innovations as a video screen on each seatback, larger baggage compartments and overhead hand rails. That should be an attractive package--especially if, or when, fuel prices begin to go up again.
