Apparently Boeing is sounding out customers about the much talked about 787-10, a supersized version of the 787-8, for delivery to customers some time around 2016.  Such an aircraft would be roughly comparable to the current 777-200LR in size but a bit hamstrung in range by comparison. 

Airlines are interested.  Some have been interested in this paper aircraft for 4 years and its economics, at least in theory, are very attractive when compared to similar Airbus products in development. 

The aircraft clearly can grow in length and that’s good.  However, with a rough range of about 8000 statute miles, I suspect airlines will be slightly less enthusiastic.  This is an aircraft that will need an LR version capable of 8500+ nautical miles and that, I think, will mean a different wing and bigger, more powerful engines.

It’s certainly possible to fit a bigger wing to that aircraft.  It’s straight forward engineering.  For those of you who grimace, I’ll remind that that is exactly what happened with the 777 when the -200LR and -300ER were developed. 

Engines are purely speculative.  I suspect the GE GEnx engine has a bit of room to grow yet and the Rolls Royce Trent 1000 probably has some room as well.  However, any engine conceived from those two engine families would probably be at its upper limit.  If the weight for such an aircraft could be kept down, that would be fine. 

It’s unlikely that such an aircraft will be formally launched in 2011.  If Boeing goes anywhere with this, it’ll probably be formally offered some time in the first half of 2012.

Filed under: Aircraft Development by ajax