The planes of the near future - an overview (Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer) (ep.1)

Air transport is becoming more accessible in all regions of the world, and air traffic is increasing by approximately 5% annually. This increase results in more passengers, more commercial aircraft needed for transport. Annually, the major companies involved in the civil aviation industry make estimates regarding the need for airplanes, increases according to the economic context, regions, aircraft manufacturers, airlines and many other factors.

Currently, the aircraft manufacturing market is held in very large proportions by Airbus and Boeing, two giants that build aircraft with capacities between 100 and 800 of seats, depending on the configurations chosen by the air carriers.

But airlines also need smaller capacity aircraft, especially for regional flights, or with other features that Airbus and Boeing cannot offer. This is how other smaller aircraft builders have appeared, which is right, but which should not be neglected. Plus, Boeing and Airbus are hardly meeting current market demands.

Considering that in the last two years I have witnessed several flights for the first time, I decided to make an analysis on the planes we will fly with in the near future, I mean the next 10-15 years. Some models have entered the commercial circuit in a very short time, others are in the prototype, construction or approval phase. On this occasion, we launched a series of articles on "The planes of the near future"!

Airbus aircraft

We open the list with Airbus, the largest European manufacturer of civil and military aircraft. Airbus is a subsidiary of EADS Group and has its main base at Blagnac, France, very close to Toulouse. In the near future, Airbus will increasingly focus on widebody aircraft, but will not neglect either family of narrowbody aircraft A320 (A319, A320 and A321 models).

A320neo family of aircraft

A320 family of aircraft You will benefit from several upgrades, especially for engines. This is how the next generation aircraft from the A320neo families will appear. The new improvements will reduce fuel consumption by up to 15%, and the operating cost by 8%. The reduction of engine noise was also taken into account. A320neo aircraft will benefit from engines CFM International LEAP-X or Pratt & Whitney PW1000G.

Also, the planes will come with some interior improvements, with Airbus having a solution equivalent to Boeing Sky Interior. A little time, Airbus also introduced Sharklets special wings. Currently, they are optionally mounted on the aircraft in the fleets of the airlines and native to the new aircraft leaving the factory. The A320neo family of aircraft (A319neo, A320neo, A321neo) has tightened orders for 2348 aircraft. The first A320neo is expected to enter operational service somewhere through 2015.

A350 XWB family of aircraft

I also said that Airbus will focus more and more on widebody aircraft, and this is due to the fact that it is preparing to launch the new A350 XWB. The first flight with Airbus A350 XWB was operated on 14 June 2013 and was a success. And on 20 September, Airbus A350 XWB has joined the "Xtra-widebody" family alongside A330 and A380.

A350 XWB is the Airbus response to Boeing 787 Dreamliner. This model was designed and built from scratch, being a completely new aircraft. 53% of the aircraft structure A350 XWB is made of composite materials, titanium and advanced aluminum alloys. To these we add Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) and an easy to maintain fuselage with a very good weight / fuel ratio. The A350 XWB aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. The A350 XWB will be produced in three variants: A350-800 (up to 270 passengers in 3 classes and flight range up to 15400km); A350-900 (up to 314 passengers in 3 classes and flight range up to 15000km); A350-1000 (up to 350 passengers in 3 classes and flight range up to 15600km). A350 XWB has tightened orders for 628 aircraft, most being A350-900. The first A350-900 is scheduled to enter operational service somewhere through 2014.

More about Airbus planes in another episode of the series "The planes of the near future"!

Boeing aircraft

Boeing is one of the largest manufacturers of commercial and military aircraft in the world and the largest in the United States. The company was founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. In 1997, Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas, and from 2001 the headquarters were moved to Chicago, Illinois.

737 MAX family of aircraft

737 MAX will be the 4 generation of the Boeing 737 narrowbody aircraft family and will be Boeing's response to the Airbus A320neo. The new MAX aircraft will be powered by engines CFM International LEAP-1B, these being more efficient in terms of fuel consumption, but more powerful. There will be some upgrades to the fuselage and interior. Boeing Sky Interior and LED lighting will not be lacking. The 737 MAX generation is based on the current 737 Next Generation family. Another notable change is the wings. Boeing will introduce Split Scimitar Winglet, a structure that will reduce fuel consumption by 1.5%, in addition to the 10-15% improvement announced for the 737 MAX.

The three variants of the new 737 MAX family are: DO NOT MAX (up to 126 of passengers, flight range up to 7038 km); DO NOT MAX (up to 162 passenger, flight range up to 6704 km) and DO NOT MAX (up to 180 passengers, flight range up to 6658 km). 737 MAX has collected orders for 1500 units, and the first aircraft will enter operational service in 2017, 50 years after the first flight of a Boeing 737. Airline Southwest Airlines will be the launch customer for 737 MAX, with an order farm for 150 aircraft and another 150 being optional.

777X family of aircraft

Like Airbus, Boeing is increasingly focusing on widebody aircraft. Developed the 747 family and introduced the 747-8i into the commercial service, starting with 1 June 2012. Next on the list is the 777 family, which will receive a slightly more consistent upgrade.

We can say that 777 is the king of the long-courier world. In June 2013, the 777 family of aircraft had firm orders for 1452 units, of which 1113 was delivered to 60 by air carriers. In 18 years of flights, only one Boeing 777 was involved in a casualty accident. It was recorded on 6 July 2013, the date on which the 777 plane, on 214 flight Asiana Airlines, hit the dam at the end of runway 28L at San Francisco Airport. As a result of the accident, 3 people died and other 304 survived (181 suffered minor or serious injuries, but they were not fatal). Based on the number of aircraft and flight hours, the Boeing 777 is considered the safest commercial aircraft in the operational service.

The new 777 family aircraft will be 777-8X and 777-9X. 777-8X it would replace the current 777-300ER model and will have a capacity of up to 350 of passengers, and the flight range could increase to 17557 km. It will be a direct competitor for A350-1000. 777-9X It will have a capacity of up to 400 of passengers and will be the longest commercial airplane in the market. Boeing has stated that 777-9X will not have a direct competitor. The aircraft in the new 777X family will be powered by GE9x engines. The 777X program is not yet completed 100%, but will include a new interior, most likely influenced by the 787 Dreamliner project.

More about Boeing planes in another episode of the series "The planes of the near future"!

Bombardier Aerospace aircraft

Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, after Airbus and Boeing. It is based in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.

The Bombardier CSeries aircraft family

For the near future, Bombardier is preparing the new CSeries family of aircraft (CS100 and CS300). CSeries will compete with the new Boeing Next Generation 737-600 and 737-700 aircraft, the Airbus A318 and A319 aircraft and the Embraer E-195. CSeries aircraft will be constructed of composite materials and will be powered by PurePower PW1500G engines from Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation (UTC). The Canadian manufacturer says that the new CSeries aircraft will consume up to 20% less fuel and will be four times quieter compared to rival models. To date, the project has cost about $ 3.4 billion, and Bombardier has received orders for 177 aircraft (63 CS100 and 114 CS300). The new generation of airplanes CSeries bomber it has two models, one is CS100 by 110 places in a standard configuration, and the second is CS300 by 135 places in a standard configuration.

On the morning of September 16, shortly before 2013 (local time), the first Bombardier CS100 (FTV1) took off from Mirabel airport, northern Montreal. This was the first flight in the history of the CSeries aircraft generation developed by Bombardier.

Embraer aircraft

Embraer (Brazilian Aeronautical Company) is a major manufacturer of commercial and military aircraft in Brazil. He is part of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) and is based in São José dos Campos, Brazil.

Embraer focuses a lot on small aircraft, dedicated to short-haul flights that can carry between 70 and 130 passengers. The Brazilian manufacturer estimates the market at 6400 for airplanes on this niche, in the next 20 years.

Embraer E-Jet E2 family of aircraft

For the near future, Embraer has launched the generation of E-Jet E2 aircraft. On 17 June 2013, at the Paris Air Show 2013, Embraer launched the new generation of E-Jet family aircraft. It is called the E-Jet E2 and includes the models E175-E2, E190-E2 and E195-E2. The E190-E2 model is expected to enter the operational service from 2018, E195-E2 from 2019 and E175-E2 from 2020.

The E175-E2 has been extended with a row of seats, compared to the current generation E175, and will be able to carry up to 88 of passengers. The airplane E190-E2 keep the same size as the current E190, and the capacity will be 106 of seats. E195-E2, compared to the current E195, has been extended with three rows of seats and will be able to carry up to 132 of passengers.

In the next episode of "The planes of the near future"I will present the planes announced by ATR, COMAC, Mitsubishi and Sukhoi.