Do you think the new Boeing 787 will change aviation?

I like it and think Boeing is doing a good job. I think Boeing was smart in creating a lighter weight airplane instead of making a huge air monster like Airbus that some airports cannot even accommodate. I would like to say that this will be the new norm, lighter weight & fuel efficient aircraft, but sadly I do not think this will be the case.

I don’t see the 787 changing commercial aviation that much. If there’s anything on the commercial aviation horizon that’s going to change that industry, it’s blended wing body technology, which has a long way to go. We’re really good at pressurizing tubes so you don’t die at altitude but pressurizing the bizarre shape of the blended wing body design is a very tricky problem to solve (as is safety—egress in an emergency).

If you’re really curious about the 787, it’s important to understand how it’s positioned in the market. See this comment (and click to its parent) if you’re interested: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=668330

I don’t feel that this airplane represents a complete industry shift. I think it is recognition of the fact that fewer people want to go to different destinations, rather than the Airbus giant plane.

Strictly speaking with every new plane aviation changes, if only slightly. The question is how significant of a change it is.

The basics are still there, no matter how big the airplanes become. if you have not seen this airplane in person, you are in for a huge surprise. i saw it in Seattle and its a monster. i wonder how many miles per gallon it gets?

Yes, I do think it will change things a bit. In general, planes that do continental flying have become slower in the interest of fuel efficiency. With the Boeing 727 I flew, we often had to slow down for such airplanes such as the Airbus 320, and Boeing 757 when we were following at the same altitude. It is nice to see the effort to pick up cruise speed while maintaining fuel economy, and I think Airbus will follow suit in the future.

It definitely will change how my mood, family, aspirations, life, and butt are negatively affected by aviation.

I like the carbon fiber approach.

@john65pennington More like gallons per mile! Commercial airplanes use ridiculous amounts of fuel…