Originally Posted by
tdracer
Boeing originally proposed a 787-3 - it would have been shorter and lighter than the -8 model (and hence closer to a 767 replacement), but no one was interested and it was quietly dropped.
Wrong aircraft for the market apparently. 290-330 passengers and only 3,000 nm range.
From wikipedia -
787-3[[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boeing_787_Dreamliner&action=edit§ion=20]edit]
The 787-3 would have featured a shorter wing with wingletsThe 787-3 would have carried 290–330 passengers in two-class over 2,500–3,050 nmi (4,630–5,650 km) range, limited by a 364,000 lb (165 t)
MTOW.
[314] In April 2008, to keep the -8 on track for delivery, the -9 stretch was postponed from 2010 to at least 2012 and prioritised before the 787-3 and its 43 orders to follow without a firm delivery date.
[70]
It kept the -8 length but its 51.7 m wingspan would have fit in
ICAO Aerodrome Reference Code D.
[315] It was designed to operate on
Boeing 757-300/
Boeing 767-200 sized regional routes from airports with restricted gate spacing.
[316] The wingspan was decreased by using blended
winglets instead of
raked wingtips.
By January 2010, all orders, from
Japan Airlines and
All Nippon Airways, had been converted to the 787-8.
[317] As it was designed specifically for the Japanese market, Boeing would likely scrap it after they switched orders.
[318] The -8's longer wingspan makes it more efficient on stages longer than 370 km (200 nm).
[319] In December 2010, Boeing withdrew the short-haul model as it struggled to produce the 787-8 after program delays of three years.
[320]