iscover
The 777's radical folding wing is a primary feature of the aircraft's design, effectively reducing the massive 60m wingspan by 12.5m to enable it to utilise existing airport bridges and gates. The folding wings are, however, optional and launch customer United will at this stage have solid, non folding wings.
Update – Boeing 777
0 comment
Boeing 777
In October 1990, Boeing formally launched its first all-new airliner program since 1978, the Boeing 777, an aircraft which is already attracting much interest from airlines worldwide.
The Boeing 777 was first perceived as a development of the 767-hence it being called the 767-X up until the official program launch-but grew to become an all new aircraft program, the first for Boeing since the 757/767 launch in 1978. The 777 bridges the gap between Boeing’s 767 twinjet and the top-of-the-line 747-400 widebody, and provides direct competition for the McDonnell Douglas MD-11/12X and, more importantly, the Airbus A330/340. It is therefore an important addition to the Boeing airliner family, for it provides the company with both a full range of commercial jet airliners from the diminutive 737-500 to the mighty 747-400 and direct competition with its two main rivals, Airbus and MDC, leaving just the smaller range of regional jets and the proposed new generation supersonic transports (SSTS) to other competi-tors (though Boeing is expected to play a major part in any future SST development).
The predicted market for the 777 is the same as that for the Airbus A330 – long range, twin aisle twinjet with potential for either long over water international flights or high capacity domestic services, Boeing believes that these twinjets will represent the most important airliner market niche in the next fifteen years, accounting for about 42% of the value of all jet airliner deliveries over that period (S$US260bn out of a total of SUS626bn, in 1990 dollars) and 2,900 of the expected 10,000 jetliner deliveries. The 777 will be competing to catch a large share of this niche market, which will be providing replacement airliners for much of the world’s ageing fleet of widebody trijets, more than half of which will be over 20 years old by 1995, when the 777 is scheduled to enter airline service.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
