Boeing 777X

Boeing 777X

The new Boeing 777X is a new take on one of the most successful long-haul twin-engine jets.  The 777 was first introduced in 1995 as a long-haul aircraft that was designed to be able to fly vast distances and carry more passengers than the Boeing's other twin-engine plane such as the 767.  The 777 was a revolutionary aircraft because it allowed passengers to fly farther than what was previously possible.  The 777 was one of the largest airplanes in its class and is able to hold up to 400 people in a standard two-class configuration.

777X economy class will allow the plane to carry 400 passengers in a 3-4-3 configuration  

Boeing this year unveiled a brand new variant of their 777 class of aircraft.  Boeing introduced the new 777X aircraft.  Boeing unveiled two types of the 777X class the 777-8X which can travel 8,700 nm.  The 777X is designed to be used on high-demand routes across the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean.  The 777X is able to achieve this great feat by using new compost carbon fiber wings which help to shave 12% off its fuel consumption compared to the old 777-300ER's fuel consumption.  Also, the new 777X is outfitted with GE's latest and most fuel efficient jet-turbine engine.  GE's new GE9X engine is the largest jet-turbine engine ever manufactured.  With 2 GE9X engines attached to the 777X, it will allow the airlines to save an extra 10% in fuel efficiency compared to the 777-300ER.

GE's GE9X jet turbine engine in the largest in the world.  And is the size of the fuselage of the 737 

The new 777-9X will be the world's longest airplane with a length of 76.7 m (251' 9") from nose tip to the tail.  The 777-9X also boasts an astonishing wingspan of 71.8 m (235' 5") from wingtip to wingtip.  The major problem with the aircraft would be its size.  It is too wide to fit into any preexisting terminal gate at any airport worldwide.  The engineers at Boeing designed a brilliant way to get around this problem.  They designed wingtips that fold up on the ground so they are able to fit in the same terminal gate space as it predecessor.  The folded wingtips design is one example of how the Boeing engineers are able to figure out how to solve a complex solution with a simple fix.  when the wingtips are folded its wingspan reduces to 64.8 m (212' 7") saving 7 m (23') of valuable terminal space.

777X Wingtips are folded when on the ground

The 777-8X is the smaller of the two in the 777X family.  It seats slightly fewer passengers than the 777-9X but has an astonishing range at 8,700 nautical miles.  Making it the third longest range commercial aircraft ever produced behind the 777-200LR and the A340-500.  The 777X also is 1/2 a meter wider than its competition allowing for more seats and more revenue for the airline and hopefully more legroom.

Boeing 777X Family 

Boeing Widebody Aircraft Family Size and Wingtip Comparison 

With the new 777X family set to be delivered in 2020, and because of all the new design of the raked wingtip and the new GE9X engine that Boeing will be using we may see the price of air travel drop because of the savings.  Airlines are always constantly looking for the newest and more fuel efficient aircraft on the market.  with orders of 777X's coming in it may usher the end of the 747 series of aircraft.  the quad engine design of the 747-8 is proven to be less efficient than the twin-engine jet families of the 777 and 787.  With only two commercial jets that use the quad-jet still in production (747-8, and the A380) we may see the end of the jumbo-jets in the next generation of aircraft that Boeing and Airbus build.  Another sign that the twin-engine design will likely be the way of the future is that Airbus reports that new orders for their A380 have stalled and will only be producing 7 planes a year.  Boeing also reported that the 747-8 orders have slowed because of the lack of efficient engines and the fact that the 777X and the 787-10 will be able to go farther and carry more people than ever before a job once reserved for the 747 because of its enormous range and size at the time it was delivered in 1969.  Just as the tri-jets like the MD-11 and L-1011 were phased out for more reliable and efficient twin-jet aircraft so to will the quad-jets be retired in favor for the newer and more efficient jets.

Boeing 777X's New Redesigned Extra Wide Interior

                       

KLM MD-11

                

Boeing 787-10 

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British Airways L-1011