Top New Planes Introducing in 2017
April 19, 2017
Aviation has become a successful industry with the introduction of new modern aircraft and its technologies. The year 2017 is considered to be a big year for the aviation industry because new planes with ultra-technology are in the verge of operation.
Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
Boeing conducted the maiden flight of its iconic 787-10 Dreamliner in 31st April, 2017. The “787-10” is the largest variant of Boeing’s new-age Dreamliner jet followed by 787-8 (the original) and 787-9 models. It is 18 feet (5.5 meters) longer than the 787-9 and seats 330 passengers, 40 more than the 787-9 and 88 more than the 787-8.
Till now, Boeing has received 149 orders for 787-10 from nine customers. The aircraft will undergo testing in 2017 and is expected to operate with airlines from 2018.
Russian MC-21
The Russian new jet liner MC-21 expected to be the competitor of Boeing and Airbus is about to conduct maiden flight this April.
MC-21 (Russian “long-haul aircraft of the 21stcentury”) is manufactured and designed by Russian plane-maker Irkutsk, a member of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). The new aircraft is intended to be the substitute of narrow-body aircraft Tu-154s and Tu-204s on the Russian market. The prototype of first MC-21 aircraft was displayed in summer 2016.
Boeing 737 MAX 9
Boeing’s new iconic 737 MAX 9 successfully flew for the first time on 13th April 2017.
The MAX 9 can carry 220 passengers in a single-cabin layout whereas it can carry 178 passengers in typical first class and coach configurations. According to Boeing, the new aircraft can fly up to 3515 miles non-stop.
Airbus A350-1000
A350-1000 is the largest twin-engine jet that Airbus has manufactured. The maiden flight of the aircraft was conducted in November 2016 at Toulouse, France. It is expected to operate from this year.
The A350-1000 is powered with Trent XWB Rolls-Royce engines which is the most powerful engine ever introduced by Airbus. It has 366 seating capacity and features a wider and comfortable cabin. Airbus has set to deliver their first A350-1000 to Qatar Airways in the end of 2017.
COMAC C919
C919 is an aircraft manufactured by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). Launched in 2008, the C919 program has experienced a series of setbacks that pushed back its maiden flight and delivery date, originally scheduled for 2014 and 2016, respectively.
The first flight of C919 will be conducted in 2017 however; major avionics system such as navigation, flight management system and autopilot is under development.
The Comac C919 is aimed to compete with the world’s most powerful aircraft manufacturers by delivering operating costs 10% lower than those of the Airbus A320 and the current series of Boeing 737s.
China Eastern Airlines is set to become first customer of homemade Comac C919.
Airbus A330neo
With the success of Airbus A330 wide body jet, Airbus is manufacturing A330neo (new engine option). The A330neo will represent two aircraft: A330-800 and A330-900.
The A330 is getting a makeover with new engines and new wingtips to boost its range and fuel efficiency. Depending on the reports, A330neo aircraft will use Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines. Therefore, the engine will not be installed on a testbed aircraft but fitted straight to an A330neo certification airframe.
It is expected to enter service in early 2018.
Airbus A321neo
It is the largest member of the A320neo family. The first flight of A321neo was conducted in February 2016 and will come into operation this year.
The first variant of the A321neo powered by Pratt & Whitney‘s PurePower PW1100G-JM engines already received joint Type Certification from the EASA and the FAA in December 2016. Recently, the A321neo with CFM International LEAP-1A engines has certified by the EASA and the FAA, too.
It is expected to replace Boeing 757.
Airbus A319neo
The A319neo performed first flight on 31st March 2017 and is the smallest member of the A320neo family.
The jet is powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM and CFM International CFMI Leap-1A engines. Due to optimised use of cabin space it might seat 140 passengers and up to 160 passengers in a high-density configuration.
Boeing 737 MAX 8
Boeing’s fourth-generation single-aisle plane 737 MAX 8 flew for the first time on 29 January 2016.
The 737 Max 8, which can hold up to 172 passengers, has a longer fuselage than the 737 Max 7 and increased range. Also it has two new engines and a new tail section and winglets designed to cut fuel consumption by 14%.
Boeing has set to deliver its first MAX 8 to Southwest Airlines this year.
Embraer E195-E2
Embraer is the aircraft manufacturing company with headquarter in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Its E190-E2 flew for first time last year and the new E195-E2 is expected to fly in 2017 and enter service in 2019.
The E195-E2 can seat up to 132 passengers in a one-class layout thanks to a fuselage stretch that adds three rows of seats at four-abreast.
Hence, aviation industry will be rocketing this year with introduction of above listed iconic and magnificent aircraft.
