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<< Previous   of   Next >> Boeing Co. photo  (click to enlarge) The interior of a 787 mock-up is shown looking to the rear of the plane from the first-class compartment. Boeing says it’s designing the jet to be easier on passengers.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, July 8, 2007 Boeing promises comfort aboard 787 By Michelle Dunlop, Herald Writer What's the best way to deal with a problem? Try eliminating it from the get-go. Or, at least, minimize it. That was the Boeing Co.'s strategy when designing its new 787 Dreamliner. The company reduced some of the peskier problems commercial airplanes create for their makers, their operators and their passengers. And Boeing started from the inside out. "In the past, systems have kind of come along for the ride," Boeing's Mike Sinnett told reporters earlier this year. With the 787, however, Boeing took "a very holistic approach that looked at the entire airplane." As a passenger, you may never give a plane's systems a second thought. You worry more about your neighbor's size-12 feet invading your space. Or maybe you spend time onboard stressing over every bump, worrying about your weak stomach rather than the guts of the airplane. "I think we've done a lot of work to honor the people in the airplane," Sinnett said. That work designing the various systems of the 787 will make riding on a Dreamliner roomier and smoother than traveling on most planes, just as it will make building and flying the Dreamliner a bit easier. And it starts with the plane's wiring. Plane manufacturers such as Boeing know from the start of a new jet program to keep an eye on wiring, said Mike Bair, vice president of the 787 program. Boeing's rival Airbus didn't pay enough attention to the wiring on its new A380 superjumbo jet, a mistake that cost the program $6.6 billion in profits and a two-year delay. In March, Boeing enlisted employees to prepare wire bundles, anticipating that the company's partners might not have the wiring fully installed in the major structures before shipping the pieces to Everett. Boeing has lessened the potential for wiring problems by cutting the amount of wiring used in the 787. For instance, a Boeing 767, which is similar in size to the 787, requires about 91 miles of wiring to function. The Dreamliner needs only 61 miles. The larger 777 needs between 85 and 115 miles, while Boeing's biggest jet, its 747, is stuffed with wiring that could stretch 150 miles. Besides reducing problems for the company, Boeing's strategy of minimizing wiring and other gear means improvements for passengers. For example, the company has freed up some of that coveted foot space by scaling down the size of electronics boxes typically stored under passengers' seats. Airlines also benefit by the 787's advances. Decreased wiring and systems mean the Dreamliner weighs less and enhances the plane's overall fuel-efficiency. And the bumpy ride that upsets passengers' tummies? Well, Boeing has an answer for that, too, says Sinnett, who serves as chief project engineer for 787 systems. The Dreamliner will have what Boeing calls a "vertical gust suppression" system. For passengers, that translates to a smoother ride. Earlier this year, Sinnett treated reporters to a sample ride with the company's turbulence combatant in place. In a lab near Boeing Field, the company simulates the impacts of mild to moderate turbulence. "You get the discomfort of the vibration but you don't get the big sinking feeling," Sinnett said. The company hasn't figured out how to combat heavy turbulence and can't smooth out the ride completely, but the difference is noticeable. Boeing leased a 777 jet to test its vertical gust suppression system, a feature that will come standard on all 787 aircraft. Although Boeing officials won't give away the secret to their system, they did say it essentially senses vertical gusts and adjusts wing flaps enough to counter the plane's typical reaction: a rise and fall motion. "There's going to be less anxiety and less discomfort over time," Sinnett said.

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