What ever happened to the Boeing 797?

 Boeing 737-MAX and no replacement for the 757?

Boeing has shelfed the 797/757 replacement to further develop its popular 737-MAX and extend others such as the 777X, 787-8,9,10 Dream liners and keep the 767-400 going?

Since they believe this is the future as they face stiff competition from Airbus and Embraer, since both are cheaper and more reliable, if not a better safety record than Boeing and are way ahead in the neo-fuel and NX next generation technology.

Boeing has several concepts, such as a Supersonic business jet, but we have been here before with that one and it came to nothing, where Europe is considering the wing concept and are progressing with it?

On the military front Boeing is doing well in it's C-17 Globemaster-III transport, but Embraer is catching up with their C390. Weapon systems always do well and the MR variant's of the 737 air frame are now entering British and NATO air forces after another long technical wait!

In the Biz jet market and short haul Embraer is taking the lead with their popular range of craft and military sales are good with smaller nations military and civil.

Boeing Demise?

Boeing 737-MAX.

Boeing had started to replace several of its older types of aircraft such as the 757, 767, first generation 777 and the long time workhorse of the manufacturer the 737 generation in the hope that the newer Max series would lead the filed along with the 787-10 and 777X!

But two accidents earlier this year scuppered that plan and even the 747-400/8 is still in demand from the second had market. Technical issues with the new computers keep failing with serious glitches and other problems are coming to the fore with the 777X which was to be the 747 replacement?

But Boeing will pull through since it has a large overtake stake in the Brazilian Embraer company and its new business jet developments and various military exploits involving Israel!

Russia Aborts!

Space remains a dangerous Business?

Just like the Space shuttle, we can become over confident and routine about any form of travel and then disaster strikes with the loss of lives! Today that was averted when the Russian Soyuz aborted and landed safety, but history of space shows us the many disasters and losses over the years since 1957!?

Space is still in its infancy and those designers and engineers may have access to newer kit, computers and materials but the old problems of human mistakes remain? 

We see the genius of Elon Musk being wasted on his spiff of marijuana, what if something in his flawed design not seen lead to a similar incident with space tourism one knows not many of these fantasy spaceships have lifeboats?

We are some 500 years away from anything like even the first science fiction Star trek ship, if one is ever built? Outer space flight is revealing obstacles and debris in the outer reaches! We still are not clear on the effects of radiation in stellar space, we know that in our own space around the gravitational field of our sun it could lead to sterilisation! 

The North-Korean Crises. One.

Chumping at the Bit!

North-Korea is defending itself from a hostile west, rather than what our media claims is their mad dictator! This small nation does now possess a viable nuclear weapon, one that is much improved on the U.S. bombs that were dropped on Japan in 1945 that ended World War-II (1939-45)!

The problems of starting a war of this time, is that of the long period of no testing of platforms on all sides and the N-Koreans not as yet having a stable enough ICBM to take-off and reach its target? On the other hand the west is known to have a high failure rate in their missiles of either going a rye or failing to detonate?

So hopefully nations and intermediaries will still want to keep talking and not be offended by Korean cultural blustery?

London Overground. Part-Two.

Revitalising old rail lines.

This is the answer to helping to expand the overground network for London, it is much cheaper than expanding several other established surface lines such as the District and Metropolitan.

Development of overhead electrics is being persuade for west London and possibly for the east also. This is one of many proposals that are now coming to fruition and they are welcomes, because of the massive strain on the whole London Underground system.

The future holds Cross-Rail and how that will help relive the existing pressures, in time like the Docklands light railway this too will have to expand with several off-shoots.

The problems originated with the failure of the old London County Council and its fore runner the GLC to plan ahead, or even ask big business to make a serious investment.