keesje wrote:IMO the most rational approach could be developing an NSA Airframe that is unbeatable at the "heart of the NB market" (150-200 seats 1500-2000NM?) first. That should be possible, the A320 origins are eighties technology & best engines are crucial but available to all. Having done that, see where this design can be used to create a 4000NM with 200 passengers NMA. Not the other way around (NMA->NSA). Above this, most airlines likely prefer WB capability / network flexibility. .
Most of the gain of a current generation NSA has already been harvested in the form of the MAX.
Going clean sheet would maybe buy another 3% mostly on longer missions. How do we know this? John Leahy told us so.
So your plan would be to kill the 737 cash cow while it's still gushing out cash, and swap over to a NSA to maybe get 3% improvement while spending $15B or so to do so, and getting it ready for EIS just as the next generation engines that Airbus could put on its next generation product become available?
That's a terrible plan, which is why Boeing isn't doing that.
You don't fire a full broadside at your competitor and take out your own product at the same time, you look for the weaknesses in the competitor's product and go in that direction.
That's why we see the NMA aimed at the failed A358 and failing A338 size but more optimized for 4500 nm range.
I think it's your thinking that is a bit "cloudy", not Boeing's.
The cloudiest part of your thinking is that Boeing needs to "do something" about MAX when it has record backlog, record profit, and record customer acceptance.
Boeing is going to milk that cash cow while it still is on its amazing run, and when it's time to replace it, it'll do so.