Russia and XXI-th Century Aircraft

S.V.Kravchenko

The Boeing Company (Russian Representation)

Gazetny Pereulok, 17/9, 7-th fl., Moscow, 103009, Russia

Several years ago Boeing Company, which is the world leader of the airplane production, declared a globalization strategy. This course allowed Boeing Company to unite the efforts of specialists in fields of aerospace from different countries including Russia. The company is certain that it becomes more and more difficult to create, produce and operate new planes without international integration. The program of creation of Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane, which now involves the best specialists from almost all the continents, is a perfect example of globalization, icluding Russian engineers.

Dreamliner: a plane that will change the civil aviation face

The highest operating efficiency will be the main feature of a new plane. A group of the world's largest aerospace companies takes part in designing of Boeing 787 model. The works are being managed by the Boeing Company specialists from the department situated in Everett, Washington.

Boeing 787-8 and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner modifications will be able to carry 223-259 passengers in cabins of three classes over 15700 km and 15400 km correspondingly. Another modification of a new airliner Boeing 787-3 is intended to carry up to 296 passengers over 6500 km and has cabins of two classes.

The flight distance of a new airliner model is at the same level as big-fuselaged planes have. Moreover, the fuel-flow rate of Boeing 787 will be by 20% less than the fuel-flow rate of any other plane of this class, which in its turn reduces negative influence on the environment. Boeing 787 flight velocity, corresponding to M=0.85, is close to the velocity of the fastest modern big-fuselage airplanes. Boeing 787 will be able to carry by 45% more weights than any other plane of its size.

The new model will guarantee an increased comfort level for its passengers. In particular a higher humidity level will be maintained in the cabins, which in their turn will be improved.

To obtain such a radical improvement the Boeing Company in collaboration with the companies from different countries of the world is working out a complex of new technological solutions. In particular, many of the main construction elements of Boeing 787 including fuselage and wing will be made of composite materials. The principles of "opened architecture" make the basis of Boeing 787 systems. This will allow to simplify systems in comparison with the ones used on modern airliners and to expand their function. Thus, a possibility to install a system controlling onboard equipment's condition is being considered now. The system will automatically monitor the equipment's state of o Boeing Company peration and pass the ground services the information about the necessity of maintenance service.

Boeing Company chose General Electric and Rolls-Royce companies, which create engines for the new airliner. It is expected that the improvements brought into engines production technologies will make operation indexes better by 8%. It will guarantee a technological jump over almost two generations.

An additional improvement of Boeing 787 efficiency index will be guaranteed by innovative solutions in fields of design and production. New processes and technologies, which can help Boeing Company and its suppliers to obtain excellent results at each of the stages of program realization, are being worked out now.

Boeing Company board of directors sanctioned selling the new airliner at the end of 2003. Realization of Boeing 787 creation program began in April after a record-breaking order from All-Nippon Airways airline (50 planes). Air New Zealand airline was among the first companies that decided to order Boeing 787 planes and did it in June, 2004. The first orders from European airlines Blue Panorama and First Choice Airways came in July 2004. In October 2004 Primaries Airlines became the first American airline that ordered Boeing 787 Dreamliner. In December 2004 Boeing 787 was ordered by JAL, Continental Airlines and Vietnam Airlines. In January 2005 Chinese companies Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Xiamen Airlines signed an agreement about purchasing several tens of Boeing 787 planes. In February 2005 the first African company Ethiopian Airlines ordered Boeing 787. So did Icelandair airline. In April 2005 orders came from Korean Air, Air Canada and Air India airlines and in May Boeing 787 was ordered by Northwest Airlines.

Up to the 25^th of May 2005 Boeing Company has got 261 orders for this airplane model. Since then several more world airlines have been interested in the airplane, which will be produced since 2006.

It is assumed that the first flight will be in 2007. After the certification the first Boeing 787 planes will be delivered to the airlines and will start operating in 2008.

Boeing Company analysts predict that in the nearest 20 years airlines would need up to 3500 planes of this model and that would cost $400 billions.

Russia is a competent partner in creation of Boeing 787 airplane

In November 2004 during the visit of Boeing Company representative delegation headed by the company's president Garry Stonesifer to Russia a treatment about involving Russian airplane producing industry in Boeing 787 program was signed. Minister Victor Khristenko signed the treatment on behalf of Russia.

Now the treatment is being successfully brought into life. Hundreds of Russian engineers who work in Boeing Company Engineering Center in Moscow are involved in constructing Boeing 787 airplane and in a program of creating a cargo plane Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter (LSF) which will deliver parts of Dreamliner fuselage to the place of its final assembly.

Russian engineers took an active part in creation of Boeing 787 nose section which was produced at the company's plant Spirit Aerospace in Wichita, Kansas at the end of August 2005. On the whole Boeing Company Engineering Center and Russian partners in framework of the program have very ambitious tasks. Russian specialists project pylons, some elements of undercarriage, ground equipment for plane services, elements of tooling. They also solve the problems concerning information technologies and are involved in projecting the systems of new airplane.

It is also important to emphasize the role of Boeing Company old partner from Russia - VSMPO-Avisma. The Center specialized in working out some new aviation materials, which was opened by this organization several years ago, works actively in fields of Boeing 787 creation program. And there is no doubt that the titanium for Boeing 787 will come from VSMPO.

Some more figures: 25% of construction works and 45% of documentation for Boeing 747LCF airplane constitute the contribution of Russian engineers. These figures mean complicated prolonged works that concern projecting the upper part of LCF-fuselage, creation of interface between new and existed fuselages, projecting some elements of electric, hydraulic, air-conditioning and piloting systems of the airplane.

Test in Central Institute of Aerohydrodynamics (CIAH)

An opening ceremony of test plant made for Boeing 787 fuselage elements testing took place in the middle of August 2005 in CIAH. In a few days after it a group of CIAH specialists started the test of fuselage panels made of composite materials. The fact that these tests were held in Russia was extraordinary for several reasons. Firstly, CAIH got a rather profitable order (federal aeronautics agency NASA also was among those who wanted to get this order). Secondly, specialists from CIAH constructed the test plant and suggested a test plan. Finally, the knowledge and experience of CIAH specialists allowed Boeing Company to expect a qualitative testing of the panels.

Tests in CIAH play an important role in creation of Boeing 787 airplane. It is sufficiently to say that these panels are being tested at a similar test plant in Everett, Washington, at the same time because it is necessary to finish this work rather quickly.

The Boeing Company in Russia: two-way traffic

Boeing Company has been working in Russia for more than 10 years. Hundreds of projects in framework of the main programs of collaboration with Russian aerospace industry were realized during this time. Except Engineering Center, Boeing Company Center of Science and Technology works in Moscow. It deals with a variety of projects, which include civil aviation, space, information technologies. Boeing Company took an active part in opening of new cross-polar airways through the Russian airspace. These airways allowed the world airway companies to reduce the flight time for the flights from Northern America to the countries of South-East Asia. Boeing Company specialists work with their Russian colleagues in managing International Space Station and in framework of international programs of "Sea Launch" and "Ground Launch". "Connection by Boeing Company uses Russian satellite and a ground station in Moscow to organize an onboard Internet access on the planes flying above the territory of Russian Federation. These and other programs show that Boeing Company came to Russia for a long time.