The Boeing Co.’s 787 hasn’t taken to the skies yet, but it already has inspired changes in two of the company’s older jets.
On Tuesday, the interior of Boeing’s single-aisle 737 got a whole new look, thanks to the lessons Boeing learned in crafting the inside of its Dreamliner. Boeing also announced minor changes to the Renton-built 737’s engine and exterior that will help airlines save up to 2 percent in fuel costs compared with the existing 737s.
“It’s the little things that sometimes make the difference to our customers,” John Hamilton, the 737 chief engineer, told media during a briefing Tuesday.
The company has introduced small upgrades to the 737’s performance and interior since the jet’s introduction, he said. The fuel savings enhancements that are being added to the 737 will make the jet 16 percent more fuel efficient than the classic 737.
“Our focus has remained on ‘How do we reduce operating costs of the airplane,’ ” Hamilton said.
Boeing reshaped several exterior pieces of the 737 — like an anticollision light or the wing control surfaces — to reduce drag. The five or six design changes Boeing’s making account for half the fuel-savings the 737s will have. The company’s engine partner, CFM, has made changes that will result in the other 1 percent fuel savings.
CFM reduced the number of parts in its engines, cutting the amount of fuel the jet will burn, said Robyn Brands, CFM’s program director for Boeing products.
“We’re literally lowering the parts count, taking out air foils,” she said.
The company will put the updated engines, CFM56-7B Evolutions, through rigorous testing before Boeing incorporates all of its fuel-savings changes into production in mid-2011.
Overall, airline customers are expected to save an average of $150,000 per 737 annually in fuel costs, Hamilton said.
Even before airlines notice improvements to their bottom lines, their passengers may see an updated interior. The Boeing Sky Interior will make its debut in late 2010.
“We’ve taken inspiration from the 787 Dreamliner,” said Kent Craver, a Boeing regional director.
The 737’s new interior will have 787-style sculpted sidewalls and pivoting overhead bins, which increases headroom and gives the cabin a more open feeling. The 737 also will feature the blue LED overhead lighting that Boeing first introduced in the delayed Dreamliner. Boeing’s 747-8 jumbo jet also will have an interior similar to the Dreamliner.
The new interior will be a priced option for existing 737 customers, Craver said. New 737 customers will be required to take the updated interior.
Boeing already has seven customers waiting for the Sky Interior, including Jakarta’s Lion Air, U.S.-based Continental and Brazil’s GOL airlines. FlyDubai will receive the first 737 with the improved interior.
Neither Boeing’s Hamilton nor Craver see the improvements as a band-aid until Boeing completely redesigns its single-aisle jet.
Airlines have told Boeing they want to see a “quantum jump” in improvements over an already efficient aircraft, Craver said. “The technology just isn’t there yet.”
Therefore, “we think the 737 has a lot of legs left on it,” Hamilton said.
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