Albaugh in London

Jim Albaugh, President of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, found time last week in what was clearly a busy schedule prior to the Paris Air Show to deliver the prestigious Sopwith lecture at the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Mr Albaugh said that it was not known whether Tommy Sopwith or Bill Boeing ever met.  The Briton certainly successfully demonstrated his aircraft in the US in the years before the First World War, inspiring Congress, and produced in a short time scale 16,000 aircraft, impressive figures even by Boeing standards. 

Mr Albaugh, gave away nothing when discussing, and asked about the next generation of Boeing short haul aeroplanes. 

“We have the technology to build an all-new aircraft that could be ready for service by the end of the decade,” was all that he would say.  He admitted that Boeing had got it wrong with the supply line for the 787.

Asked by AERBT for his views on supersonic flight after Concorde, he said that it did have a future, but that with the Sonic Cruiser Boeing had fallen between the stools.  www.boeing.com/commercial

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