Gulliver | Boeing's new long-range jet

Dreamliner becomes reality

A roomier plane with a revolutionary design promises more comfortable flights

By S.W. | FARNBOROUGH

BOEING has had a bumpy ride bringing its much-delayed 787 Dreamliner long-range jet to market. All Nippon Airways, the first customer, might get a 787 by the end of the year, though another hold-up—this time with flight testing—could yet push the delivery day into the first weeks of 2011. But Boeing is hoping to announce some big new orders for the Dreamliner at the Farnborough air show, where the plane made its first European appearance on Monday July 19th.

Boeing's new plane is launching as the industry emerges from the clouds of recession. On the first day of the show (which is held every two years) the company announced a $9 billion order from Emirates for 30 of its 777 jets and a $3 billion order from GECAS, a leasing firm, for 737-800s. Its archrival, Airbus, announced orders for 60 A320 jets from GECAS and for a further 51 A320 jets from ALC, another leasing firm, a month after Emirates placed a $12 billion order for Airbus's A380 superjumbo.

The Dreamliner is much more than just another incremental upgrade to Boeing's fleet: its revolutionary lightweight carbon-composite wings and fuselage mean much-improved fuel efficiency (20% better than comparable planes made from aluminium, according to Boeing). This could well persuade airlines to open some direct routes around the globe that they previously deemed uneconomic.

That should prove a boon to some flyers. The plane's new features should improve flying for everyone. Even planespotters, for whom no minor detail of a plane's design goes unnoticed, would admit that all passenger planes look much the same inside. The 787 being shown at Farnborough is no exception: apart from one section of the cabin temporarily crammed with test equipment, the rest is decked out to a pretty standard-looking economy-class specification.

More room, moodier lighting
The 787 is only slightly wider than existing twin-aisle planes, but any extra room is welcome to economy passengers. And the extra height of the cabin makes it feel roomier. So too will its blue cabin lighting, according to Boeing's psychologists. And by switching between blue and orange lighting during flights, the company reckons it can ward off the worst effects of jetlag.

The barrel-chested plane has larger, smooth-opening drop-down luggage lockers. (It's a shame, then, that the airlines are getting ever stingier with hand luggage allowances). The new plane also has noticeably bigger toilets with lighting adjustable for mood, which is bound to be useful in some situations. The vast windows, by the standards of commercial jets, also add to a feeling of space. The windows rise above the level of the seatbacks, making the cloud tops visible even from seats in the centre of the cabin. And in place of having blinds, the windows darken at the touch of a button, which should keep the kids amused.

The Dreamliner also promises a couple of comforts not apparent on the ground. The strength of the fuselage means that the cabin will be kept at a higher pressure than on conventional airliners. And by drawing outside air directly into the plane, rather than taking in red-hot air through the engines, humidity can be increased too. This should all help to make flying a less tiring business. But if airlines choose to cram as many seats as possible on to their Dreamliners, as many doubtless will, no amount of fresh air and mood lighting will convince passengers they have enough legroom.

Correction: The air pressure in the 787's cabin will be higher than in conventional airlines, not lower as we first stated.

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