Regarding the 747 v2

[kevinh 409]

The 800 doesn't exist.

 

It's the 747-8. No zeros :wink:

True but the two digit customer code still applies making a three digit series number in practice. A Lufthansa 747-8 is still a 747-830. So nothing really changed, -8 only applies to the generic series name.

 

I don't get what Boeing were trying to achieve by this pointless naming change. Especially knowing how resistant some aviation people are to getting aircraft nomenclature right. The number of times I see things like Airbus A-320 written on these forums, on a.net, etc. People seem to like adding dashes where they don't exist. My inner pedant wants to correct it every time.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

True but the two digit customer code still applies making a three digit series number in practice. A Lufthansa 747-8 is still a 747-830. So nothing really changed, -8 only applies to the generic series name.

 

I don't get what Boeing were trying to achieve by this pointless naming change. Especially knowing how resistant some aviation people are to getting aircraft nomenclature right. The number of times I see things like Airbus A-320 written on these forums, on a.net, etc. People seem to like adding dashes where they don't exist. My inner pedant wants to correct it every time.

Yeah. I'd don't either, honestly. It's almost as if some marketing firm came in and said "triple digit model identifiers??? That's so 1995...single digits are all the rage right now..."

 

And so it was. So weird though.

[G7USL 117]

It would be much appreciated if someone could show a picture/s of the new version - just to whet our whistles?

[kevinh 409]

Yeah. I'd don't either, honestly. It's almost as if some marketing firm came in and said "triple digit model identifiers??? That's so 1995...single digits are all the rage right now..."

 

And so it was. So weird though.

It makes a bit more sense for new aircraft like the 787. It does look very odd for an existing model like the 747. I wonder whether it's because if they start a new aircraft at -800 series, as Boeing and Airbus seem to be doing, then you soon get to four digits with the -1000. -10 is less cumbersome.

[4116705510 4]

True but the two digit customer code still applies making a three digit series number in practice. A Lufthansa 747-8 is still a 747-830. So nothing really changed, -8 only applies to the generic series name.

 

I don't get what Boeing were trying to achieve by this pointless naming change. Especially knowing how resistant some aviation people are to getting aircraft nomenclature right. The number of times I see things like Airbus A-320 written on these forums, on a.net, etc. People seem to like adding dashes where they don't exist. My inner pedant wants to correct it every time.

 

My concern is the next generation of the 787 Dreamliner, what is it going to be? They skipped -100,-200,-300,-400,-500,-600, and -700, is it going to be a -11? Same goes for the third generation 777, which I am predicting right now.  It seems as though aviation is really obsessed with the letter X right now.  Boeing 777X, Boeing 737 MAX, Airbus A350 XWB, Dassault Falcon 7X, back in the day there was an MD-11X, the 747-X which included the -500, -600, and the -700 (which would have killed the A380).  They'll outgrow that letter soon.

[messifan10 3]

i am looking really forward to it,i have always loved the 747,i had flown in it myself 3 times.

[PHXMD-11 86]

 

 

I don't get what Boeing were trying to achieve by this pointless naming change.

 

Apparently there is a growing market for new airplanes in Asia and the number 8 is lucky. So I guess they went with that to make their airplanes look more desirable.

 

 

 

Airbus A-320 written on these forums, on a.net, etc.

 

That's better than hearing the media call the 320 an "A320 Airbus". Or the A380 a jumbo jet (remember the JKF runway incident). I'd take the dash before an inaccurate media report.

[kevinh 409]

Apparently there is a growing market for new airplanes in Asia and the number 8 is lucky. So I guess they went with that to make their airplanes look more desirable.

 

Yes I knew about 8 being a Chinese lucky number, hence they put 8 everywhere they can. But it doesn't explain the single digit change. There were 747-500/600/700 proposals which never got built.

That's better than hearing the media call the 320 an "A320 Airbus". Or the A380 a jumbo jet (remember the JKF runway incident). I'd take the dash before an inaccurate media report.

Actually I don't mind A320 Airbus that much. But A-320 Airbus would be criminal.

 

Jumbo Jet isn't really accurate for anything. No surprise journalists use it then.

 

While we're on the subject of pedantry we really need to talk about this JKF runway incident.

[Fabo 213]

 

 

Yes I knew about 8 being a Chinese lucky number, hence they put 8 everywhere they can. But it doesn't explain the single digit change. There were 747-500/600/700 proposals which never got built.

 

because 8 is 8, 800 is just a number. same with 787-8

 

and about jumbo jet... historically it was used to refer to all first gen widebodies... the 747 does not have exclusive claim. It just happens to be the last survivor.

[PHXMD-11 86]

 

While we're on the subject of pedantry we really need to talk about this JKF runway incident.

 

I was talking about the reporting of the incident between an Egyptair 77W and Lufthansa 346 three years ago. Typical news reporting. 70% dramatic and sensationalistic and 30% factual.

[kevinh 409]

I was talking about the reporting of the incident between an Egyptair 77W and Lufthansa 346 three years ago. Typical news reporting. 70% dramatic and sensationalistic and 30% factual.

I meant it as a joke. you typed JKF

 

Sorry, I'll get my coat.

because 8 is 8, 800 is just a number. same with 787-8

 

and about jumbo jet... historically it was used to refer to all first gen widebodies... the 747 does not have exclusive claim. It just happens to be the last survivor.

As far as I can tell, Boeing and Airbus don't really care about 8 or 800 stuff, as long as the digit 8 is in there somewhere. Numerology doesn't bother to be exact. Airbus called the A3XX the A380 for that reason (I thought A600 made more sense but they didn't ask me), though Airbus say it was also to represent the double deck cabin. The launch A350 is the A350-800, and the 8 is only there for the same patronising Chinese numerology reference. Whether having an 8 in the name actually helps sell a plane to Chinese based cultures I have no idea, but I really hope it doesn't. I have to fly on those airlines sometimes and I don't think reliance on superstition is a good thing.

 

When BA started a new service to Chengdu, they made the flight from Chengdu BA88. Two 8's being even better than one. The Baring's Bank rogue trader in Hong Kong chose 88888 as the account number to bring luck (not that it worked).

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_in_Chinese_culture#Eight

 

In the UK Jumbo Jet was only ever applied to the 747 in the media. If a headline talked about Jumbos it always meant the 747. But it's always been a lazy journalistic reference and one no self respecting aviation enthusiast should ever use, so calling the A380 the super Jumbo is wrong on multiple levels.

[DarrenLiewWY 2]

Please no! Do you want to see the next statement from PMDG. "The B744V2 will be released concurrently with the B777-300ER and SP1"?

[scandinavian13 5,192]

Well...that was a stretch...

[Cristi_Neagu 134]

Well...that was a stretch...

Isn't the 748 a stretch on the 744 anyways?

[4116705510 4]

Its a fuselage + hump stretch, all-new wings, GEnx-2b engines, updated avionics, some fly-by-wire things, increased range.