Aviation

Boeing to build its next airplane in ‘metaverse’

This Cargo company has placed a new order for 10 Boeing 777-8 aircraft.

Mark Zuckerberg wants the metaverse, Facebook is likely to have a role in it, and Boeing is interested. By doing so in the metaverse, the beleaguered aircraft company seeks to enhance its design process. Of course, it’s unclear exactly what it entails.

The metaverse is the next step in the growth of the internet. It would include virtual and augmented reality content that interacts with the actual world in ways that present systems can only hint at. Others see it as a method for Facebook to collect and profit from even more of our personal information. The metaverse could be a method for Boeing to overcome major design challenges. More than seven out of ten quality concerns, according to Boeing’s top engineer, Greg Hyslop, may be traced back to a design flaw. Boeing’s engineering errors have claimed lives in recent years, so simply calling them “quality issues” isn’t enough.

3-D engineering designs operate with robots that talk to each other in the Boeing company’s future aircraft production. Simultaneously, mechanics from all around the world will be connected via Microsoft headsets, which enable a mixed reality experience.

Boeing’s approach intends to bring together design, production, and airline services activities into a unified digital manufacturing system. According to the company, it will be implemented in the following two years.

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Aviation

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.