WhenBoeing unveiled the 777 in 1994, no one had any idea how successful the wide-bodytwinjet, which was still a new concept at the time, would become. Four-engine modelsreigned supreme on the world’s long-haul routes. But after more than 25 years, Boeing’scash cow is overdue for an overhaul. The Boeing 777X is following in mightyfootsteps.

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The 777 success story

Since being commissioned, the777 has ushered in a U-turn in aviation, gradually banishing significantly lessefficient four-engine models. At the time, it was the first aircraft to bedeveloped entirely digitally. The completely round fuselage cross-section alsodistinguishes the 777 visually from similar designs.

The 777 'was completed with such precision that it was the first Boeing jet that didn’t need its kinks worked out on an expensive physical mock-up plane', which contrasted sharply with the development of Boeing's next new airliner, the 787. The program cost was US$5 billion. Into production and testing. Shop the latest women's, men's and children's fashion plus homeware, beauty and more. Next day delivery and free returns available.

The 777 became known notleast for its engines. Although, initially, Boeing still offered a 777 option featuringRolls-Royce engines, the majority of the more than 1,500 jets delivered wereequipped with the General Electric GE90 engine. With a diameter of 3.42 metresand a capacity of up to 115,000 hp, it’s the largest and most powerful enginein the world to date. It’s so large, in fact, that an Airbus A320 fuselagecould pass through it. In terms of sheer volume, the cargo version of the 777 eventrumps its in-house rival, the 747F. And it’s even more economical.

Four or two – ETOPS

Withapproval for high ETOPS (Extended Twin Operations for twin-engine aircraft), the 777 can also operate onextremely remote routes. These were previously the exclusive preserve of theaforementioned four-engine models, such as the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A340.Authorities require simple twin-engine jets tobe able to reach a diversion airport within an hour of flying time.

When crossing the Atlantic,the Pacific, the Indian Ocean or Central China, however, the density ofairfields is too low. The available airports simply do not have enoughequipment to serve large jets as diversion airports. Aircraft serving routeswith over an hour to the nearest airport must meet significantly higherrequirements. Four-engine models have, by their very nature, always led thefield in this area.

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The 777’s extended ETOPSapproval of up to 330 minutes (5.5 hours) is due mainly to its extremely highredundancy. With the 777-200LR as an ultra-long-haul version and the 777-300ERas the workhorse of most of the world’s major carriers, the 777 is one of themost versatile aircraft families.

The 777X

After many years of deployment,not least in the modern freighter versions, it was time for Boeing to developthe 777’s successor. In November 2013, the company unveiled the 777X in responseto the Airbus A350XWB. Since then, the 777X family has been expanded to includethe 777-9 (414 passengers, 14,000 km range), the smaller 777-8 (365 passengers,16,000 km range) and – assuming the demand is there – an elongated 777-10. Airlinescould, in future, even use the latter to replace the capacity of the currentAirbus A380.

The facts

In appearance, the 777 is imposing, modern, and dynamic. With a length of 76.48 metres and 344 tons of maximum take-off weight in the 777-9 design, the jet is bigger in every respect.
Following the introduction of the 787 series, Boeing was able to transfer many of its new technologies 1:1 to the 777X. In addition to the compressor-driven bleed air supply, these include an increase in humidity, a low cabin altitude of only 1,800 metres, and higher, larger, and fully dimmable windows for passengers. The diameter of the fuselage itself has been increased by a good ten centimetres, which, combined with a thinner outer wall and improved insulation, provides additional capacity.

The wings

The 777X’s wings are longerand are made of composite materials, including glass and carbon fibre. Theincreased wingspan results in a higher aspect ratio (ratio of wingspan to wingarea) making the wings many times more efficient.

The wings are based on thoseof the 787, but are angled less farther back. Fly-by-wire is, of course, installed,but in an improved version. The central wing box resembles that of the “old” 777,but is reinforced with titanium, making it heavier. The wings’ considerablylarger wingspan of 68.6 metres would place the aircraft into airport CategoryF, similar to the B747-8 or A380.

The ultimate innovation

Boeing has, however, collaborated with Germany’s Liebherr Aerospace to develop a mechanism to fold up the 777X’s wingtips once the plane is on the ground to enable it to be processed at the same gates as the 777. Folded back, the 777X’s wings shrink below the magic 65-metre mark, thus placing the plane into Category E. The US Federal Aviation Administration requires Boeing to have the highest redundancy and special procedures in place to rule out the possibility of the wingtips folding back in flight. The elevator unit has also been enlarged.

The cost of developing thewings alone accounts for two billion US dollars of the project’s total five-billion-dollarprice tag.

Large displays and newtechnology

Boeing also uses standards fromthe B787 in the cockpit. Larger displays with touchscreens, as well as thecontrols for the folding wingtips, distinguish the 777X from its predecessor. Asystem similar to Airbus’s tried-and-true Brake to Vacate enables pilots to perform optimal brakingprocesses on the runway, allowing them to exit via the appropriate taxiway.

The centrepiece – a newengine

Building on the GE90’s success with the 777, Boeing decided to collaborate with General Electric on the 777X. The diameter of the new GE9X engine is a good 15 centimetres larger than the old GE90, and the new model will be Boeing’s sole engine option.

The aircraft’s total jetfuel consumption is a good 10 percent less than its predecessor. This convertsto savings of as much as approximately 21 percent per seat and means a 16-percentimprovement in overall operational costs.

777 Next To 747

The schedule

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Because Boeing wanted tolaunch the 737 MAX before the 777X, the 777X project was postponed by about ayear. At the 777X’s launch at the Dubai Airshow in December 2013, Boeingreceived an order from Emirates for 150 aircraft. In addition to Qatar (50jets) and Etihad (25 jets), Lufthansa also reserved 34 aircraft, a number whichwas then revised down to 20. Before this reduction, Lufthansa was set to be thefirst airline to receive the new jet. Due to its enormous number of orders, Emirateswill now receive this honour.

With the 777X’s firstflight planned for summer of this year, delivery is expected to take placearound the summer of 2020 – provided that there are no delays in the approvalprocess.

Tough times for Boeing

Construction began in December 2014 with the building of a new assembly hall in St. Louis, Missouri. By the end of 2019, up to four prototype 777-9s are expected to complete Boeing’s necessary testing procedures. The official rollout of the very first aircraft on March 13, 2019 was, however, overshadowed by the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines B737-MAX three days earlier, an incident requiring Boeing to focus on new licensing procedures. You can also read more about the B737-MAX here.

So far, the production ofthe 777X has not been adversely affected, and Boeing faces exciting times. Notonly must the 737 MAX live up to its expectations as a box office hit, but the777X is one of the Everett, Washington-based company’s most important projectsof the 21^st century.

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