Some of Boeing's programs have problems
— -- Boeing has struggled with some of its big defense, space and technology projects in addition to some jetliners like the 787.
"They've had a lot of setbacks in their military business," says Phil Finnegan, a defense aerospace analyst at the Teal Group in Fairfax, Va. "Several years ago, it looked like they were in a great position. They had won a lot of contracts — a lot of high-profile, cutting-edge technology was involved.
"But one by one, the programs have faced problems. There've been a lot of cutbacks and cancellations. Some can be blamed on Boeing's own mistakes and failures. But in some cases it was just a matter of changing spending priorities in the Defense Department under a new administration and shrinking defense budgets."
Boeing continues to have some well-running and profitable programs. Chief among them is the 737, of which more than 3,000 have been sold after launching 42 years ago. It's the world's best-selling jetliner, and its future is rosy. Boeing expects to turn 150 to 200 more of them a year off assembly lines for another decade.
But Boeing's problems are many:
•747-8 The first longer version of the venerable 747 was supposed to provide airlines a slightly smaller alternative to Airbus' enormous A380. But it's behind schedule, and demand for such huge planes is weak.
•767 Boeing wants to build a tanker version of the 767 for the U.S. Air Force. But a scandal that landed the company's former CFO in prison led to the program being scrubbed. The Air Force is expected to rebid it.
•777. Sales of the successful 300-plus-seat international wide-body slowed as customers opted for the slightly smaller, more efficient 787 jetliner. Some carriers are taking another look since the 787 ran into trouble.
•V-22 Osprey. The tilt-rotor aircraft, made in partnership with Bell Helicopter, is under congressional scrutiny because of concerns about its high cost of operation, reliability and safety.
