Boeing 787 in flight

2007/07/10 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Ingeniaritza
• Garraioak

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, the first flight for the test will be in August or September and will begin in 2008 with commercial flights. 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. The key is in the weight of the plane. The emission of carbon dioxide is low due to its lightness, so it 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 778 is believed to emit 20% less carbon dioxide than the rest of planes of the same size. These data have been released to four winds by the company Boeing, since the emission reduction is a good propaganda to deal with the main competitor: To the giant A380 of the company Airbus. The A380, which is already in the air, also seems to reduce its emissions, as it transports many people in each flight, twice as many people that the Boeing 778 will transport. It is difficult to predict which of these two approaches will be the main trend in the future.

Photo: Boeing Image.