Boeing

Boeing engineers have completed a key milestone in the design of the 757-300, the newest and largest Boeing single-aisle airplane.

On April 1, engineers released 25 percent of all design drawings for the airplane, a derivative of the Boeing 757-200. Completion of the drawings means Boeing factories and suppliers can begin fabrication of airplane parts assemblies, and machine tools.

"Completing a quarter of all the design work by the target date helps validate our original projection that we could design and build this airplane in just 27 months," said Jack Gucker, vice president for Boeing 737/757 Derivative Programs. "That's record time."

The 757-300 will have the shortest design-to-production- and delivery-cycle time of any Boeing derivative airplane program. The 27-July time frame began the day the airplane's firm configuration was decided last fall and ends in January 1999, when it is delivered to launch customer Condor Flugdienst. Condor is a German-charter carrier.

"Our compact schedule will allow us to get the airplane to Condor when they need it -- just in time for the 1999 vacation season," Gucker said.

At 178 feet, 7 inches, the 757-300 will be 23 feet, 4 inches longer than the 757-200. The fuselage will be extended 160 inches in front of the wing and 120 inches behind it. This will allow the 757-300 to carry up to 289 passengers, compared with the 757-200, which seats up to 239.

Because of its higher capacity, the 757-300 will have about 10 percent lower seat-mile operating costs than the -200. However, it will retain the simplicity and reliability of the 757-200.

The airplane was added to the Boeing product line to complement the 757-200 and expand the Boeing 757/767 family.

The first 757-300 is scheduled to roll out of the factory in Renton, Wash., in May 1998.