Victoria Guzman
With fuel prices
being unstable, many companies have started to look at making their
transportation methods more fuel efficient. The Boeing Company, which designs,
manufactures, and sells airplanes, rockets, satellites and more, has been
working on new winglets for their airplanes. This advanced winglet is designed
to improve fuel efficiency. In June, the new 737 MAX single-aisle airliner
began wing assembly in Renton, Washington. It is now in the final assembling
stage. Not only is this a breakthrough in the building of new passenger
aircrafts, Mr. Szondy, from Gizmag, states that this is also a “testbed for new
assembly methods.” If these assembly methods prove to be successful, then it
will be introduced at two other assembly plants as 737 MAX production expands (1.)
The
new advanced technology winglets will be introduced on the new 737 MAX’s, which
the company claims to increase fuel efficiency by 1.8% over other conventional
winglets. The new winglets capture more air as it flows off the tip of the wing
and turns it into lift. The design has undergone wind tunnel tests with
positive results so far and this will be the first test aircraft that will have
the winglet fly. The 737 MAX is scheduled to rollout later this year, the first
flight in 2016, and the first customer delivery in 2017. Boeing already has
interested buyers, they report to have 2,869 orders from 58 customers (1).
I think this will change the airline
industry and make Boeing a top seller in their market. As the years have gone
by and shown how high fuel costs can impact a company, many companies have
turned to technology to invent and create new products to increase fuel
efficiency. The new winglets on the aircrafts definitely will attract many
buyers, as Boeing has already reported, and change how their competitors
produce airplanes. Along with the new winglets, Boeing is planning on using
their new assembly methods in their other assembly plants. Building the new 737
MAX delivers 8% lower operating costs than their main competitors (2). Mr.
Szondy mostly focused on the new winglets, but I checked Boeing’s website to
see more information on the new 727 MAX. The new airplane also has a new
interior which Boeing markets as a passenger appeal (2). Overall, this article
focused on the new important technology Boeing has worked on to install on
their new airplanes, and it interested me in Boeing’s company in general.
Works Cited
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