Boeing 787 in flight

2007/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingeniaritza
• Garraioak
• Aeronautika

In the dates system of the Americans, on July 8, 2007 it is expressed as: 07/08/07. Hence the election of this day for the official presentation of the Boeing 787. The new plane has not yet taken off, it will begin commercial flights in 2008, but several airlines have already made more than six hundred applications to Boeing. Why that plane and not another? They can be reasons related to the environment. According to the authors, the plane emits less carbon dioxide than its competitors.

The key is in the weight of the plane. The emission of carbon dioxide is low due to its lightness in size and, therefore, does not require large amounts of fuel to travel. In short, 50% of the plane will be composed of carbon fiber, with aluminium being the main component of the aircraft, a material heavier than carbon fiber. The Boeing 787 is estimated to emit 20% less carbon dioxide.

These data have been released to four winds by the company Boeing, since the reduction of spills is a good propaganda to deal with the main competitor: To the giant A380 of the company Airbus. The A380 is already in the air and, supposedly, it also reduces its emissions, as it transports many people in each flight, almost twice as much as the Boeing 778.

Both planes have different philosophies. It is difficult to predict which of these two approaches will be the main trend in the future.