Amid much fanfare, Boeing rolled out the first production model of the company's new 787 airliner last week. Fresh from the assembly line, the aircraft looked great from the outside. But inside, it was still a hollow shell. 
That won't always be the case, of course, as Boeing has been working with a team of designers from Teague, a Seattle-based consultancy, to make the flight experience a little more pleasant for the millions of passengers who will one day ride aboard the 787.
What'll be different? For one, the 787 will have windows that are 50 percent bigger than today's jets, to introduce more natural light. It will also have vaulted ceilings to create a more spacious feel, and LED lighting that can be adjusted to make the cabin feel like morning, midday, or dusk.
Pretty spiffy. Yet we couldn't help but notice that the interior of the 787 bears an uncanny resemblance to the bridge of the USS Enterprise-D, the Galaxy Class starship that was once under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Behold:
Not that this is a bad thing, mind you. Quite the contrary. But we're just saying...
So what was the inspiration behind the 787s cabin design? ScribeMedia recently interviewed Teague CEO John Barratt to talk about the 787 design process -- a process which apparently did NOT involve watching lots and lots of ST:TNG reruns. Coincidence? Watch the interview and decide for yourself:
PREVIOUSLY:
The Unveiling of the First Boeing 787
I can't believe you refrained from pointing out the striking similarity that John Barratt bears to Patrick Stewart/Jean Luc Picard!
Posted by: Graham Freeman | 19 July 2007 at 06:54 PM
By jove, you're right Graham! Although I also think he looks a bit like my friend, and Boing Boing's own, David Pescovitz:
http://2006.sxsw.com/bits_n_bytes/sin/images/david_pescovitz_125.jpg
Posted by: Telstar Logistics | 19 July 2007 at 07:06 PM