Boeing and Airbus stake their claims
Engineering students heard both sides of the current revolution in long-haul air travel when two leading industry figures jetted in to the University of Bradford.
Engineering students heard both sides of the current revolution in long-haul air travel when two leading industry figures jetted in to the University of Bradford.
Senior UK Marketing Director at Boeing Mick Thackeray revealed plans for the company's revolutionary aircraft the "Dreamliner", which is planned to go into production in 2008.
Dr Andrew Carruthers of the University's School of Engineering, Design and Technology, who arranged the visits, said: "The Dreamliner represents probably the biggest development in aircraft technology since the jet engine".
"Mr Thackeray came to talk to us about it before he travelled to Rome, where he went on to reveal the plans to the world's press and airline representatives".
The Dreamliner is a twin-engine plane, which can fly immense distances between refuelling and is built almost entirely from composite materials.
Dr Carruthers said: "The plane is designed to fulfil the belief of Boeing that the future of commercial aviation lies in point-to-point travel where passengers travel direct to their destination and avoid the need to change to connecting flights at large hub airports".
Prof Andrew Walker is Chief Executive of the Northern Aerospace Technology Exploitation Centre based at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.
Prof Walker came to Bradford to talk to students about his previous work in developing the world's most advanced wing assembly factory to build the wings for the new Airbus A380 - the largest passenger aircraft in the world that will take to the air for the first time next year.
"Airbus has a contrasting philosophy to Boeing", explained Professor Walker.
"Airbus believes that with air travel set to double within the next 20 years, the only way of coping is to develop an ultralarge aircraft capable of moving high volumes of passengers between the world's major hub airports".
"The different approaches of Boeing and Airbus represent the biggest argument - and the biggest gambles - in aviation history".
"With each company set to invest about $20 billion in developing their competing aircraft, the stakes are huge".
About 60 students attended each lecture in the Chesham Building.
The students are taking a degree module in "Civil aerospace: technology and business".
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