General Aviation Thread

[Ananda]

The second IL-114-300 prototype aircraft is being prepared for its first flight – RuAviation

On 4 March 2024 at the airfield of Lukhovitsky Aviation Plant (LAZ) named after P.A. Voronin the preparation of the second experimental aircraft IL-114-300

ruavia.su

Put it here, instead Russian AF Thread, as even tough this can be used for dual functions, but seems the main target will be civilians. With this Russia can have proper AN-26 replacement on the Air Force and Civilian use.

I also can see this is part of Russian industry effort to replace all "Ukrainian" design Antonov in Russia eventually.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

The second IL-114-300 prototype aircraft is being prepared for its first flight – RuAviation

On 4 March 2024 at the airfield of Lukhovitsky Aviation Plant (LAZ) named after P.A. Voronin the preparation of the second experimental aircraft IL-114-300

ruavia.su

Put it here, instead Russian AF Thread, as even tough this can be used for dual functions, but seems the main target will be civilians. With this Russia can have proper AN-26 replacement on the Air Force and Civilian use.

I also can see this is part of Russian industry effort to replace all "Ukrainian" design Antonov in Russia eventually.

Thanks for sharing.
With keeping the Klimov TV7-117S, the development of the Il-114-300 will definitely go smoother than Il-112, which will get the PD-8 instead of the TV7-117S.

I also saw this artuclw on the same website:
|"According to the plan, this year the units of another IL-96-300 are to be delivered for final assembly. Thus, Voronezh aircraft builders have reached the planned production rate of two aircraft of this type annually."|

But the first two aircrafts will only be delivered in 2025.

Assembly of the fuselage of the next IL-96-300 has been completed – RuAviation

The Voronezh Aircraft Plant (branch of PJSC IL - VASO) has completed the main assembly of the fuselage of the next IL-96-300 passenger aircraft. The 18-tonne

ruavia.su

 

[Ananda]

Boeing whistleblower found dead in US - BBC News

Prior to his death, John Barnett was testifying against Boeing over concerns about standards.

www.bbc.com

Boeing drama on production qualities seems getting more problematic. This appearance suicides from a whistle blower, will only increase public attention on the company. If this is on other big profiles company, the CEO has to step down, and the board need to be revamps.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

Boeing whistleblower found dead in US - BBC News

Prior to his death, John Barnett was testifying against Boeing over concerns about standards.

www.bbc.com

Boeing drama on production qualities seems getting more problematic. This appearance suicides from a whistle blower, will only increase public attention on the company. If this is on other big profiles company, the CEO has to step down, and the board need to be revamps.

Thank you for sharing.
I will not say this is a very suspicious 'suicide', but actually it is.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

Once again a great story from Boeing's universe.

This week Boeing 787-9 made a sudden mid-air nosedive during a LATAM Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland on Monday.

The airline had said the plane suddenly dropped due to a "technical fault" before stabilising, with the force of the movement causing injury to 50 passengers and crew as people were thrown around the cabin. It seems there is a connection between the moving of a control cabin/flight deck seat and the uncontrolled nosedive.

Boeing-toestel maakte mogelijk duikende beweging door verzetten stoel piloot

Tijdens een vlucht tussen Sydney en Auckland dook het vliegtuig plots omlaag.

nos.nl

MSN

And now New Zealand authorities have removed the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Boeing 787-9.

MSN

 

[John Fedup]

Yet another Boeing incident, this time a 777. Boeing's bad news has gone from raining to pouring. Almost time a Boeing horror show thread. A sad situation for the former greatest aviation company in history.

Boeing plane forced to land after fluid is seen spilling from landing gear (msn.com)

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

Yet another Boeing incident, this time a 777. Boeing's bad news has gone from raining to pouring. Almost time a Boeing horror show thread. A sad situation for the former greatest aviation company in history.

Boeing plane forced to land after fluid is seen spilling from landing gear (msn.com)

And now we have a new episode...
It probably happened during a flight from San Francisco to Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport in Oregon, when this United Airlines 737-800 lost a panel.

Looking to the photo, it should be a curved honeycomb composite material panel just behind the Left Main Landing Gear Wheel Well.

Boeing 737 mist paneel bij landing in Oregon, mogelijk tijdens vlucht verloren

Volgens de directeur van het vliegveld kon het vliegtuig zonder problemen landen. Na ontdekking bij de gate dat het vliegtuig een onderdeel miste, werden de landings- en startbanen korte tijd afgesloten.

nos.nl

 

[Terran]

These sound less like Boeing issues and more like airline issues. Unless the Boeing planes had been delivered that morning or the whole landing gear assembly fell off from the root, Tire and landing gear repair and maintenance would have been on the airlines maintenance crew.
The Alaska airlines wall panel was definitely Boeing.

 

[John Fedup]

These sound less like Boeing issues and more like airline issues. Unless the Boeing planes had been delivered that morning or the whole landing gear assembly fell off from the root, Tire and landing gear repair and maintenance would have been on the airlines maintenance crew.
The Alaska airlines wall panel was definitely Boeing.

.

I think the 787 incident where the flight instrumentation blacked out is as serious or worse than the pop-out incident. A switch on the cockpit seat as the cause will require confirmation from the black box and regulators.

 

[Terran]

See that is a Boeing problem. A tyre falling off the landing gear is an airline problem. The fluid leak from a 777-300 is an airline problem.

 

[Ananda]

Boeing CEO, other executives stepping down amid safety crisis

The company has been mired in negative stories since a door panel blew out on a Boeing 737 Max plane flown by Alaska Airlines in January.

www.nbcnews.com

Just few hours ago, Boeing CEO and some other executives put their resignation. Honestly if this is happening to other global company, they should resign months ago. The moment FAA decide to actively monitor Boeing and Suppliers production practices, it is clear sign current CEO and his EXCO team not manage changes that Boeing should done. Especially when current CEO being put to change Boeing after MAX fiasco.

With some of their big customer begin actively change their fleet to Airbus, Boeing really should thanks the situation where Airliner market now still control by Duopoly. Embrear should thank Boeing decision not to take over E series deal. Now in fact Embrear by their own in better position. Some narrow body customer now seriously looking toward Embrear as alternative. Even COMAC now make their move to some Asian narrow body Market. Both try to fill the gap on MAX market that can't be close by increasingly long waiting line on A220 and A320/321 family back log.

 

[Terran]

The problem is that even with the Issues Boeing has or rather because of the issues it’s hard to imagine that the Boeing board has people able to take the positions.

which is also the case for the airline industry here. The industry can’t afford to lose Boeing. The demand is to high the supply to low and not enough production capacity.

Airbus has two large narrow bodies that are actually competing with each other the newer A220 which because of the way it was designed and programmed Airbus is selling at a loss. (As unlike other Airbus planes the a good deal of the components are manufactured outside AB inpart the Wings by Spirt Aerosystems. )
The A320 series which they can’t build fast enough to keep anywhere near up to demand.
In large bodies Airbus is in the same boat. It’s actually amazing that Airbus is going as smooth as it is today considering that the chain of events the lead to Boeing’s issues are similar to the events Airbus had for the A380 and A350.

Comac is the newest on the block but it doesn’t have the maturity or the qualifications on its few products. Right now it’s got two jets the ARJ21 which is doesn’t factor here as it’s competing under all of Boeings line in the regional market.
The C919 is not qualified for foreign service yet and in performance figures it’s not great. Its lifeline is the Political Economy measures of the CCP and state owned airlines in China. Maybe with more work and time it will get better. But as is they don’t have the capacity to match the Duapoly. Being the new kid means your factories may be new but they are also often unfinished.
C929 is still vapor and questionable if at the end of the decade start of the next it would be able to enter markets without farther program changes due to UAC still being part of the supply chain.

Embraer is in the regional class and outside of the 190-E2 and 195-E2 doesn’t compete well due to being still narrower than the Max or Airbus planes leaving less seats.

Even if the Russians were a factor they were never able to make a dent outside of nations who had been shunned by the west. When we add in the Sanctions and UAC or Yakolov MS21 and SSJ100 are a nonstarter outside of Russia, Cuba, North Korea, Iran and the few countries that still hold strong relations with the Kremlin.
——————
Boeing is suffering a chain of issues that can be traced back to its plans to refresh its lineup from the late 1990s. The Sonic cruiser of 01 that died a stake in the heart and head taken off of 9/11 and the Airlines being more interested in economics than speed.
That lead to project Yellowstone. Of that the 787 though ultimately successful was a drag on the Boeing R&D. Its 3 years delay caused Boeing to move to the idea of launching 8/MAX (what airbus would call a NEO) series aircraft variants as they weren’t able to get to clean sheets.
Made worse as fabrication issues later created more problems. Boeing had been betting on technological solutions that were not ready for the 787 and are still on shaky ground.
All the while Airbus launched its counter NEOs so both airline makers more or less kept the same lineups with a single new type in the mix.

The counter factual Road not taken…

Had Boeing not sold off Spirit aero systems in 05 they might have had less issues on logistics and fabrication with more oversight into 787/Max.
Had Boeing not launched a complaint about the C series They not Airbus, might have a New 737 replacement already to slap a couple sevens on in line up. (They still might have had they not walked away.) Planes that could have taken the lower end of the MAX allowing more time to sort the MCAS.

Boeing’s issues with military contracts and the VC25B would still have happened. Boeing should have realized that starting with a set of used 747-8I and a contract that requires full certification by the FAA as a new aircraft would have lead to delays. As the whole aircraft would have to be taken apart and rewired plus redocumented as a new type, made worse by Covid and issues with the 787/777X/KC46.

KC46’s first issue was the USAF having asked for the wrong specifications on the boom requiring a redesign. Then compounded by poor management of assembly, poor design of the vision system and more. Plus the limited number of security cleared workers and the number of security required projects. Another set of issues errors made by Spirit (I seem to be harping on them when it seems like it’s really the way the two companies work together that’s the issue).
Basically issue after issue compounds and after a while the 737 Max line fell apart. Now those have to be rebuilt as bad habits and practices need to be removed.
One aspect that has hit the whole industry hard is that the new blood coming in isn’t as much or as skilled as the old blood that chose to walk away in the dark days of Covid.
That’s not even mentioning the other projects Boeing is involved in the defense industry. F/A18E/F where the Navy is closing the line. F15EX, MH139 where the numbers of buys are being slashed. T7A where Boeing is delayed. V22 Osprey the problem isn’t on Boeing this time.
H47, AH64E No news is good news… we hope.
MQ25??
Or the nightmare that is Starliner.

 

[Ananda]

Thorough explanation and shown problem of Boeing, thanks @Terran for that. Yes no other competitors that can take Boeing Slot in products yet today. The market basically still control by the Duopoly. COMAC or Embrear are either still unproven products or not in right size to challenge Boeing market. However the reality (at least in Asia region) some airliner begin to look at both of them, shown how desperate airlines at this moment to find new capabilities and capacities.

Question if there will be another third candidate that can challenge the duopoly has been talk by market analysts for sometime. Before Ukrainian war, some analysts speculate on COMAC and UAC tied up to challenge the Duopoly. Question now with Boeing problematic, which you right already compounding years in making, will bring momentum forth toward a potential third player ?

Some analysts believe that the situation on Boeing shown the global civilian airliner market ready for an alternatives for that. However yes, no other so far shown that. If Russia and China can sort out their political 'ego', perhaps they both can build that. Question now will both market and geopolitics realities can bring forth that.

 

[Ananda]

This picture (source it from Thai's online blog), shown basically Thailand Air Force ORBAT and deployment. This is also shown why Thai AF have needs to replace at least 3 sq, F-16A/B (without eMLU), F-5E/F and Alpha Jet.

The talk for another batch of T-50 or TA-50 being procure for replacing Alpha Jet. While another batch of Gripen to replace F-5. They have ambition for F-35 replacing F-16 A/B, but the US seems only allowing them to get F-16V.

Actually it's still quite balance approach, in my opinion.

 

[Redlands18]

View attachment 51252

This picture (source it from Thai's online blog), shown basically Thailand Air Force ORBAT and deployment. This is also shown why Thai AF have needs to replace at least 3 sq, F-16A/B (without eMLU), F-5E/F and Alpha Jet.

The talk for another batch of T-50 or TA-50 being procure for replacing Alpha Jet. While another batch of Gripen to replace F-5. They have ambition for F-35 replacing F-16 A/B, but the US seems only allowing them to get F-16V.

Actually it's still quite balance approach, in my opinion.

I would say a little bit too friendly with China to qualify for the F-35. Operating Chinese Subs won't do them any favours in Washington.

 

[Ananda]

I would say a little bit too friendly with China to qualify for the F-35. Operating Chinese Subs won't do them any favours in Washington.

The way Washington rebuffed their F-35 requirements, already indicates toward that. Actually I'm bit surprised they (Thai MinDef) are not considering J-10C.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

And today we got a new episode....
So just before take-off, a Boeing 737-800 from Southwest Airlines got an engine fire.

Nieuw onderzoek naar Boeing na brand in vliegtuigmotor | Economie | NU.nl

De Amerikaanse luchtvaartautoriteit FAA is een nieuw onderzoek naar vliegtuigfabrikant Boeing gestart. Donderdag ontstond vlak voor het opstijgen brand in de motor van een toestel van de Amerikaanse maatschappij Southwest Airlines.

www.nu.nl

Boeing opnieuw onder vuur na motorbrand in 737 van Southwest Airlines

Boeing zit in de hoek waar de klappen vallen. Nagenoeg elk incident waarbij een toestel van de Amerikaanse fabrikant betrokken is, wordt in Amerikaanse media onder een vergrootglas gelegd. Als recentste voorbeeld wordt een motorbrand aangehaald, die afgelopen donderdag optrad in een toestel van...

www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl

And now in English...

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Engine Fire Grounds Flight From Lubbock to Las Vegas

The airline sent a replacement aircraft, another Boeing 737-800, to take the passengers to Las Vegas.

simpleflying.com

 

[John Fedup]

And today we got a new episode....
So just before take-off, a Boeing 737-800 from Southwest Airlines got an engine fire.

Nieuw onderzoek naar Boeing na brand in vliegtuigmotor | Economie | NU.nl

De Amerikaanse luchtvaartautoriteit FAA is een nieuw onderzoek naar vliegtuigfabrikant Boeing gestart. Donderdag ontstond vlak voor het opstijgen brand in de motor van een toestel van de Amerikaanse maatschappij Southwest Airlines.

www.nu.nl

Boeing opnieuw onder vuur na motorbrand in 737 van Southwest Airlines

Boeing zit in de hoek waar de klappen vallen. Nagenoeg elk incident waarbij een toestel van de Amerikaanse fabrikant betrokken is, wordt in Amerikaanse media onder een vergrootglas gelegd. Als recentste voorbeeld wordt een motorbrand aangehaald, die afgelopen donderdag optrad in een toestel van...

www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl

And now in English...

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Engine Fire Grounds Flight From Lubbock to Las Vegas

The airline sent a replacement aircraft, another Boeing 737-800, to take the passengers to Las Vegas.

simpleflying.com

Seems to be an engine problem so that’s either the airline, P&W, or some bird’s problem. Unfortunately Boeing’s numerous missteps lately it is also their problem as well.

 

[Terran]

Seems to be an engine problem so that’s either the airline, P&W, or some bird’s problem. Unfortunately Boeing’s numerous missteps lately it is also their problem as well.

The 737-800 was part of the NG version so this is predating the MAX. An engine fire issue should be on either the airline or the Engine maker. The Engine on the NG is the CFM 56 series made by CFM the Franco American joint. That series is also used on any number of Airbus planes and the Boeing P8, E7 and other military versions of the 737 NG line.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

It really seems that Boeing get addicted to attention.
On Sunday a Southwest Airlines 737 lost an engine cowling during take-off.
(This incident has nothing to do with the engine fire earlier last week on Thursday)

Motorkap valt van Boeing-vliegtuig tijdens opstijgen, toestel keert terug | Economie | NU.nl

Een Boeing 737 keerde zondag terug naar Denver International Airport, nadat het toestel de motorkap had verloren tijdens het opstijgen. Het losgeraakte onderdeel raakte daarbij de vleugelklep.

www.nu.nl

The video of the incident.

MSN