Just a few hours ago, Boeing officially unveiled its latest model, the 777X. The aircraft, which has been eight years in production, made its public debut at the Dubai Air Show on Sunday, November 14.
The journey to Dubai was two milestones in the model’s development: both the aircraft’s first international flight and its longest flight to date (the latest record was around 10 hours). The unit in question, N779XW, was the first to taxi off the manufacturer’s production line, and the one in charge of the model’s baptism flight made on January 25, 2020. Powered by a pair of GE9Xs, the largest and most powerful jet engine ever built, the 777-9 on display in Dubai will be able to carry up to 426 passengers 13,500 kilometers. Its smaller version, the 777-8 (of which units have yet to be built and whose development is hanging by a thread) will be able to carry up to 384 passengers with a maximum range of 16,170 kilometers.
The GE9X engine, manufactured by GE Aviation, generates up to 134,000 pounds of thrust. The front fan – the largest in history – is composed of 16 fourth-generation carbon-fiber blades. The mechanical characteristics of this material made it possible to develop a fan 335 centimeters in diameter, about the same size as the fuselage of a 737.
The engine also features parts made from advanced materials ( including lightweight ceramic matrix composites and 3D-printed components) which have helped to improve the engine’s efficiency and contributed further to reducing its carbon emissions.
The engines are not the only new feature of the 777X. The model is the first passenger aircraft in history to feature folding wingtips. The new wing, made of composite materials, is based on the 787 wing design but with required modifications due to the aircraft’s characteristics.
The folding wingtips were thus designed to keep the 777X within the 777 size category (for aircraft with a wingspan of fewer than 65 meters). The folding tips are approximately 3.5 meters long and feature redundant systems to assure safe operation.
Once extended, they are mechanically locked in place, which should prevent their involuntary retraction. However, the FAA published ten special requirements for the 777X’s wing folding mechanism.
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