747FOCAL
I suspect that all bidders would have offered lower prices for exclusivity.
Casual
Interesting points. But my RR moles tell me that the core development required to hit 125k/lb, while extensive, was no greater than that required for the GE90 and was pretty much "low risk" (well, they would say that wouldn't they). IRO sales performance of the -200LR/-300ER, I don't doubt that the -300ER will sell in reasonable numbers over a period of time as the market recovers, but Boeing built in a headwind by going for exclusivity with GE. Among others, I'm told that TG, CX and SQ would have signed up for the model long before now if Boeing had responded favourably to their request for RR power. But, from an economcs perspective, I suspect that the -300ER wipes the floor with the A340-600 and that, in the absence of any alternative, the -300ER will eventually outsell the A346 comprehensively.