"Are you comfortable...?" is multifaceted.

The Friday before last, I heard a commentary about the 787's problems on the BBC World Service by the BBC's aviation expert. I hoped it would go up on their website, but it hasn't. Anyway, he had one point, I took it and another.

His point was that it's a shame that the plane is having such problems because it's the first to materially improve passenger comfort, thanks to its carbon airframe. It's known and touted that the composite will allow for higher humidity, which will have a material effect on jetlag, as well as inflight comfort. I found his digression particularly interesting: The reason metal airframe planes' interiors are kept at nearly 0% relative humidity is to lengthen the airframes' life to decades because human-generated humidity corrodes. Not the same problem for carbon, of course. So, it hasn't been a function of the interaction of altitude and our frailty all along. But it is nice when economic imperative and our comfort coincide. I digress.

It wasn't until I listened to his focus on the carbon airframe that I was struck by another implication that's become especially important. With the talk of venting heat and hot gases to the outside in the event of lithium-ion battery overheating or fire, there has been concern here and in the other thread about the impact on the fuselage. Have the concerns included the shell's ignitability? While the external temperature at altitude is often -56F and oxygen is very thin, an electrical event ignition source - fault or fire - is often ~ 2,000F, and that shell is combustible. And an event might not occur at altitude.

Images of the Hindenburg have been frequent lately on the anniversary of its disaster, and with new theories of its ignition. Those images supplant the 787 comparisons with the MD-11 and others that have been advanced since the near-misses.

NTSB Hearings on Li-Ion Batteries
 

For anybody interested in knowing more about this battery technology and use in transportation, two days of NTSB hearings and expert panel discussions have just concluded. Go to the following website and check out the Video Archives for April 11 and 12, 2013.

http://www.capitolconnection.net/capcon/ntsb/ntsb.htm#

It takes a while (many hours) if you want to watch it all, so you may have to pick and choose depending on your existing technical knowledge (or lack thereof) on these batteries, or watch it all in chunks over a period of time. It's actually quite interesting and in some ways, scary. While the discussion is broader than just the 787, certainly the events clouding this particular aircraft's future have pushed the urgency of having a public discussion on the risk/reward balance.

787's chief project engineer relieved...

http://www.flyertalk.com/story/chief...ems-arise.html

It may be a good day to buy Boeing stock Tuesday morning (the day after tomorrow).

Those pesky suppliers
 

The 787 engine fire extinguisher issue ...fixed.

http://seattletimes.com/html/busines...uisherxml.html

Whenever I see "teething" w/r/t the 787 (not invoked in this article) I wonder if it's really about the "out-sorcerers" teething on Boeing.

i worked for hamilton std div of pratt. we built a number of items for boeing(747 and later) about $5 mil a plane in those days.

i do not think boeing has ever built a jet engine, or apu for their planes. that is at least 25% of the cost of the plane. they did not even do much close suopervision on the engines and fuel controllers.

787s are Great
 

I've flown the UA 787 route from DEN - IAD several times and the flights are always great....by far my favorite piece of United Metal!!

When did you fly a 787 on DEN-IAD? COdbaUA never ran them nonstop on that route....

If you would have asked me this question right after the Ethiopian fire at LHR, I would have said no way! But there are more and more 787's flying around as the weeks go by and things look to be much better now.

I'd still be a bit apprehensive doing a trans-pacific flight (with nowhere to land if things go wrong) but a short domestic flight wouldn't bother me at all.

I'm not gonna lie. I'm a little apprehensive about it. It's kind of like not buying the first model year of any brand new car redesign. But that being said, the 787 is an amazing aircraft and there is an allure with flying in it. It's so damn cool. How could you NOT want to fly it??

I actually just booked a trip to NRT in November so I can try out both United and ANA's 787. I'll have a great comparison trip report when I come back.

I concede that I haven't been on a 787 yet, but I honestly don't get the hoopla over it. I mean, I'd be happy to give it a go (I'd sooner pick a 777 for TPAC), but it really seems like the technological advancements with this plane are aimed more at airline accountants (lighter weight! more fuel efficient!) than at passengers. The premium cabins look nice, but the same could be said for most any new-model plane.

I have flown twice on 787 - Doha - Frankfurt return in J in June. Fabulously spacious, great storage and I did not get that dry feeling I always get in ordinary planes. Loved the dial a darkness window and the fact that aisle armrest disappeared during take off and landing in case a quick evacuation needed. Also provided more flat bed space. Would love to fly on it again. JoyV

Delta delays 787 orders until 2020...

http://www.flyertalk.com/the-tarmac/...h-the-old.html

And...

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireSto...delta-20152444

They delayed their deliveries (NW orders, BTW) a LONG time ago. That's not new news at all.
I couldn't care less about the fancy windows, but the higher pressure and humidity on-board make a BIG difference to me, especially on long-haul trips. Also, I recently flew the 787 and connected to a 777, the first time I've flown the two on the same day. It was incredible to me how much quieter the 787 is, making it easier to sleep, think or relax.

When?

Google is your friend. ;)

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...o-2020-348902/