The 1980s Generation
Planes that have new computers and color radar
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Compared with the revolutionary jets of the late 1950s and the awesome jumbos of the early 1970s, the third generation of the early 1980s will seem to bring only evolutionary change. The new planes will not be longer, larger or sleeker than today's jumbos but somewhat shorter, smaller and squatter. They will be quieter, less fuel-thirsty, more automated and efficient to operate.
For the most part, they are also designed to save as much development money as possible for the planemakers. Since it costs about $2 billion to design and tool up for an all-new plane and engines, most of the new generation will be cloned from present models, scaled down in size and outfitted with the latest technology. Even so, the cost of producing a derivation can reach $1 billion; hence, a planemaker must sell between 400 and 500 aircraft to break even.
Last week McDonnell Douglas decided to drop out of the sales race and scrapped plans for its new-generation DC-X-200, which would have competed directly with Boeing's 767 in tomorrow's big market for mediumrange, wide-bodied jets. Instead, McDonnell Douglas will concentrate on a stretched and upgraded version of its long-range DC-10 jumbo.
Barring other dropouts, the new generation will get going in 1981 and 1982, when three manufacturers plan to deliver planes of roughly the same capacity (197 to 230 passengers) and range (2,300 to 3,680 miles). They are the Boeing 767, the Airbus A310-200 and the Lockheed L1011-400. To save weight and fuel, the Boeing and the Airbus will have two engines, the Lockheed "Dash 400" three.
The Airbus A310 is derived from the larger and highly successful A300, the first twin-engine and wide-bodied jet. The Dash 400 is a slightly smaller version of the Lockheed TriStar 1011. Lockheed is also experimenting with a long-range model, the Dash 500, which would fly 6,100 miles at one stretch.
Among the U.S. planemakers, only Boeing, which has made record profits on its 727s, had the financial strength to design a totally new jet. Following its successful practice of creating entire families of aircraft with interchangeable parts, Boeing now has three new-generation planes in various stages of development: the 757, 767 and 777. All bear a striking resemblance—long "supercritical" wings and huge bypass engines—but the 757 is a narrow-bodied aircraft, designed to replace the DC-9 and 727 on short and medium routes. The 767 and 777 are virtually identical wide bodies, except that the latter has three engines.
For smaller loads (80 to 109 passengers) and shorter hops (100 to 200 miles), the nationalized British Aerospace plans to roll out its four-engine Model 146-200 in 1982. A few years later, Boeing hopes to introduce a far more advanced short-haul plane; it will be adapted from the QSRA (for Quiet Short Haul Research Airplane), which Boeing developed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The plane will be ideal for commuters, since it can take off and land on extremely short runways. Reason: its four engines mounted atop the wing blow exhaust over the upper surface, creating phenomenal lift.
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