Originally Posted by cxorcist
The Trent 1000 is a bleedless engine architecture. The Trent 7000 will not be. You think there might just be some extra weight (and drag and lost efficiency) in there?
Neither the Trent 1000 or GEnx is a "bleedless" engine, they both use bleed air for internal scheduling, control, and engine anti-ice. The Trent 1000 has always been designed for both the 787 and original A350. It was the engine chosen back in 2005 by Airbus for the original A350, which is now is back as the A330-800/900.
I do not know how much will be in it, you have one architecture using 4 times as much electricity requiring double the number of larger generators, and one requiring more bleed air. Some of the weight on the 787 moved from the engine into the fuselage with the large electric motors driving the compressors in the packs, however the ducts from the engine to the fuselage were replaced with cables.
Airbus has stated that they are moving away from pneumatic control with the Trent 7000 to electrical, the savings they identified were in maintenance not in direct operating costs.
If there were significant savings, I would think Boeing would have offered it as standard on the 747-8, 737MAX, and 777X.
Changing architecture would significantly add to program risk, the first A330-900 is due to fly in about 2 years.
Originally Posted by cxorcist
You still haven't addressed A330NEO / A350 canabalization
Airbus is still saying it is going to build the A350-800, it is in the same size class as the A330-900 however designed for ULH.
Originally Posted by cxorcist
Or that heavy 1970s fuselage
The "1970s" A300-600 and 767 have around a 20-25,000 kg lighter empty weight than the similar sized 787-8. It is an unfair comparison for the 787 as it is designed as an ULH aircraft, where the A300/767/A330 were originally regional aircraft. I honestly do not know which fuselage would be lighter.
From what I understand, the 787-8 is slightly heavier than the A330-200, with weight reducing. 787-9 I understand to be presently heavier than an A330-300. This should not be much of a surprise, as they are designed for different markets.
Or that old 1990s wing and empennage...
The wing and tail on todays A330 is not the same as first one that rolled off the production line. A330s delivered from next year will also feature new inboard slats. The A330-800/900 will have other changes including wing twist. Todays A330 already has a span slightly greater than the 787, and they will add about 4 meters to that with the A330-800/900.
They could have put a whole new wing on the aircraft, which would have added significantly to program risk and cost with negligible benefit over the routes that most A330s are using on today. By not going with a new wing, Airbus is conceding the ULH flights to the 787. The would be looking at their bottom line, the A330-800/900 upgrade is touted to be around a 2 billion investment, the 787 in excess of 30 billion.
The yield on each A330-800/900 sale would have to be higher than a 787 sale given one is a fully amortized program with a modest investment, and one is works in progress still encountering significant R&D expenditure.