There's been quite a few "game changer "planes. I maintain but the last true game changer was the 747. Sure, the A380 is huge, and the 787 opened new possibilities. But neither was as hugely momentous.
Would love to hear other perspectives.
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- quintinsoloviev
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Re: Last true game changer plane.
Not exactly correct. Yeah, the A380 is not a game changer, but it does show just how big a civil aircraft plane can be. Without a doubt, the 747 was a game changer. The 787 is a game changer, with the small size, but great range and efficiency. The DC-9 was a fair game changer, as it led to the MD 80/90 & 717. The 707 was a game changer, as it led to similar models; 727, 757, etc. The A320/737 families were probably the biggest game changers, as it connects vital cities that would be inefficient on larger aircraft.
Re: Last true game changer plane.
A320 was a game changer, we just didn't know it at the time, its like putting a 0.25 degree slope on a pool table over the course of 20 minutes no one notices and it doesn't cause a fuss but the way the game is played changes.
Concorde was a game changer but that was like adding a second ball to the soccer pitch, things looked very different and made a lot of people turn their heads but the reality is that it was not better than the previous game.
787 is not a game changer for me, just like when people play rugby in italy and they bring out the mitre ball instead of the gilbert and everyone starts having a fit but in reality nothing changes.
Fred
Concorde was a game changer but that was like adding a second ball to the soccer pitch, things looked very different and made a lot of people turn their heads but the reality is that it was not better than the previous game.
787 is not a game changer for me, just like when people play rugby in italy and they bring out the mitre ball instead of the gilbert and everyone starts having a fit but in reality nothing changes.
Fred
Re: Last true game changer plane.
I supose the A300 was a true game changer as it was the first to prove that a twinjet-widebody was the future. It led to the 767,330,777,787,350.
It wasn't a truely special plane by itself, but did change aviation and the way we look at planes forever.
It wasn't a truely special plane by itself, but did change aviation and the way we look at planes forever.
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- afterburner
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Re: Last true game changer plane.
FlyRow wrote:I supose the A300 was a true game changer as it was the first to prove that a twinjet-widebody was the future. It led to the 767,330,777,787,350.
It wasn't a truely special plane by itself, but did change aviation and the way we look at planes forever.
I agree with this. Although later twins have much longer ranges, many of them are used in short routes like the A300 used to fly.
Re: Last true game changer plane.
I think maybe the 77W became a game-changer and a benchmark for low CASM (non VLA) when EK pioneered the horrible 10-across seating
It started the trend with degrading Y-product and higher profit margins for long haul operations.
It started the trend with degrading Y-product and higher profit margins for long haul operations.
Re: Last true game changer plane.
The A320 was one for sure, Maybe the 737 as well for adaptability. The 747 for size. You could go back in history. Comet, DC-3, F13. Montgolfières.
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Coming next: The first commercial BWB, the first autononmous one, the first all electric commercial plane and so on. Hypersonic. Intergalactical.
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Re: Last true game changer plane.
It kind of depends on which game. Both the A380 and the 787 were such expensive aircraft that it may be said they changed the game of financing new development. The C-Series seems to be pushing BBD out of civil aviation entirely. If the Q gets sold to the Chinese, the technology transfer involved may make the C-Series the biggest game changer of the last decade. If the Chinese have the ability to domestically build a 90 seat aircraft, the political cost of procurement could have an effect on sales for the 737, A320 and C-series.
Re: Last true game changer plane.
They can all be game-changers depending on how you define "the game", or what rules it has 
.
One of those rules I think is that big aircraft typically fly long distances, smaller aircraft fly small distances. You've got the 757-200 flying longer distances than most "small aircraft", for example, capable of transatlantic flights. The 797 will be flying relatively short distances (4-5000 nm maximum) for an aircraft its size (220-270 pax), although that's a discussion for another thread.
747s opened a lot of routes with its range and helped crowded airports (nowadays you see the opposite with size being cut down to be replaced with frequency).
.One of those rules I think is that big aircraft typically fly long distances, smaller aircraft fly small distances. You've got the 757-200 flying longer distances than most "small aircraft", for example, capable of transatlantic flights. The 797 will be flying relatively short distances (4-5000 nm maximum) for an aircraft its size (220-270 pax), although that's a discussion for another thread.
747s opened a lot of routes with its range and helped crowded airports (nowadays you see the opposite with size being cut down to be replaced with frequency).
Re: Last true game changer plane.
A300 and B767 - opened the way for ETOPS
Re: Last true game changer plane.
This is an interesting question because, as another reply mentioned, it depends on your perspective. The Constellation, DC 9, 747, 737, A300, and 787 all make my list. Planes like the Concorde and A380 are amazing, but did not change the game in aviation. The 320s, and her sisters, are not much different than the 737s. Great plane, but exact same market and size as 737s. I don’t know when we will see the next breakthrough but possibly mid 2020s.
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Re: Last true game changer plane.
Agreed that there are many true game changers in aviation history but please read the OP's title again.
It said the last true game changer, NOT the true game changers.
I know its subjective but I believe if there's a poll, the majority would say the 747 is the last of the numerous true game changers.
It said the last true game changer, NOT the true game changers.
I know its subjective but I believe if there's a poll, the majority would say the 747 is the last of the numerous true game changers.
Re: Last true game changer plane.
If I had to describe the 747 vs 787 in the OP's context, I would describe the 747 as a revolution and the 787 as an evolution. The 747 introduced the concept of mega planes and longer-than-ever nonstop routes across oceans. Those concepts had never been achieved before with the same scale. The 787 is stretching the definition of long and thin like never before, but some of its feats are/were also achieved by other planes - routes like USA-Singapore (A340-500) or Europe-secondary USA (757, 767, or look at what BA is flying to AUS now).
Re: Last true game changer plane.
I think the C-series could be the most recent one, but we probably won't know until in 10 years time. It could be the first aircraft to break the traditional A320-737 dominance, and split the narrowbody market into two size segments (ignoring the sub-100 regional jets). In the past, A320 or 737 (and DC-9/MD-80) variants were shoehorned to fit the needs of all. The C-series could break that, leading to the OEMs developing separate low-capacity and high-capacity narrowbody short-to-medium haul aircraft.
I like the 787, but in my view, the 787 was "just" an improved A330, which in turn was "just" an improved 767, which was an improvement over the A300. The 787 gets a lot of credit for opening new routes, but by far the majority of those could have been operated by the A330 had those pioneering 787 operators flown that type. Instead the 787 often replaced the relatively short-legged 767. The 787 does get some credit for the use of composites, but again, the A380 featured significant use of composites before the 787, and all-composite aircraft existed since the 80s. It was just natural evolution and improvement based on the latest technology available.
But that wasn't really what it was designed for, and nobody thought of using them for that until the 737NGs and A320s started displacing them from their usual short-haul environment in the 90s. And really, the 727 did almost the same as the 757 does.
I like the 787, but in my view, the 787 was "just" an improved A330, which in turn was "just" an improved 767, which was an improvement over the A300. The 787 gets a lot of credit for opening new routes, but by far the majority of those could have been operated by the A330 had those pioneering 787 operators flown that type. Instead the 787 often replaced the relatively short-legged 767. The 787 does get some credit for the use of composites, but again, the A380 featured significant use of composites before the 787, and all-composite aircraft existed since the 80s. It was just natural evolution and improvement based on the latest technology available.
CarlosSi wrote:One of those rules I think is that big aircraft typically fly long distances, smaller aircraft fly small distances. You've got the 757-200 flying longer distances than most "small aircraft", for example, capable of transatlantic flights.
But that wasn't really what it was designed for, and nobody thought of using them for that until the 737NGs and A320s started displacing them from their usual short-haul environment in the 90s. And really, the 727 did almost the same as the 757 does.
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