I for one will wait a couple of years before getting on a 787 .

boeing is trying to fix the 787 problem and avoid re certification. "simple changes" of using different materials in the battery packs will require recert of the system. that recert will take 6 to 12 months. certification tests have a time frame tied to them. 1000 hour tests (6 weeks)are the most common. the battery pack solution is not going to be a thousand hour test, but closer to a 10,000 hour test, which is over a year.

the combination of passenger airline and fire eliminate FAA waiver of certification.

boeing is trying to find a solution within the current certification.

One word-No

I am not comfortable with it. I try to fly on a 747 if it is possible. Fox Business News had a report, which demonstrates that the cause of the battery problems is the pushing of "Green Energy" by governments around the world. Here is a link to the video: http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/21145...attery-issues/

Personally no. Minor electrical problems or fuel leaks aren't too big a problem - all aircraft suffer from them. But I am not getting onto one until they fix the battery issue.

those are some of the dumbest people i have ever heard make words. they are even an embarrassment to fox news. i doubt if either the blond or the ox ever took high school chemistry, let alone failed it. if you are getting your information from these people, heaven help you. there are a number of intelligent discussions on the subject. this is just another fox news beating on gore and the left wing. no science, just a political anti obama burst. government is bad.

Ah, no. The only green Boeing is concerned about here has pictures of George Washington on it. The lower emissions is just a side effect of burning less fuel. Fuel is one of their biggest expenses for an airline, so a 20% reduction in their jet fuel bill is huge. Paul Chesser implies that Boeing was forced into making the Dreamliner use less fuel over emissions, but that's not true at all.

And the host goes on about how the private industry should innovate on its own -- and that's exactly what Boeing did in response to airlines' concern over high fuel costs.

Apr 9 QR 25 DOH 8:25AM FRA 2:00PM 6h 35m Boeing 787
Just getting ready to book this and noticed that QR still lists this flight as a 787. Hopefully they're just optimistic...

NPR news just reported that Airbus has decided/announced that it will stop using the lithium ion battery. If so, wonder what the implications are for its planes that already have them.

But first: Boeing, your move.

This could have more far-reaching implications than what even the cynics have imagined so far. One can imagine that risk analysts and accountants have been working around the clock, too.

As a conservative business man, I use Fox Business Use as a full stop...as in stop reading. Ridiculous analyses and prurient staff.

Fuel savings are usually inherently green, but operating costs were the driver for 787

This is Boeing's response on the 787 issue on their newairplane site.

Not much about the problem of a multi-cell battery designed to keep overheat conditions causing failure to one cell and that not happening, but though this mostly a public relations move to assuage the public, it's still informative IMO.

(As to Fox' presumed expert's analysis and the scientifically illiterate newsreader, laughable! Boeing and Yuasa selected a lithium ion battery because it provides more power at a lighter weight and lesser volume than other extant battery technology. Oh, yes, the US taxpayer is undoubtedly subsidizing Yuasa...)

I don't believe Airbus has actually deployed a Li-Ion battery. I believe they planned to use it on the A350.

Yes. I put my faith in regulatory engineers every day. We all do. If the regulators says it's good to go, then it's good to go.

Thank you, USA_flyer. Do any of the planes that we might commonly fly have it?

from leetham

While the 787′s use of Li-ion has attracted headlines, the use in airplane applications is more common than has been recognized.

The Airbus A380 uses lithium batteries to power its emergency lighting system. The US FAA set special conditions when certifying the aircraft. Airbus says “the batteries are small, limited, and are not in a frequently-active charging/discharging function.”

and from the airbus 350 site

A biomass boiler provides warmth for the A350 XWB site
Solar cells on the roof of the final assembly line
Eco-friendly wing factory
High–performance lithium-ion battery
Efficient jet fuel alternatives