02/03/2022
This week’s aircraft of the week is the Boeing 777. The 777 has been a great success for Boeing and the best-selling widebody to date. It was launched in 1994 and is now entering its third generation with the new 777X. It was originally developed as a clean-sheet design to capitalize on the improvements in twin-engine performance and takes this concept further as the 777X becomes the largest twin ever to fly. The Boeing 777 came about as a new aircraft to fill the gap between the 767 and the 747. By the 1980s, Boeing had developed a solid lineup of aircraft. The Boeing 737 had become the dominant short-haul aircraft, and it offered a range of longer-range aircraft - the 757, 767, and the 747. The 767 worked well for lower capacity routes (and allowed new routes to be launched). But there was a gap in the market now for a twin-engine aircraft with higher capacity. Airbus took advantage of this with its joint A330 and A340 project. The A330 was the largest twin-engine yet when it was completed in 1992. It was not long, though, before the 777 was launched and took over this. Boeing launched the 777 project in 1989, with the first aircraft flying in 1994 and entering service in 1995. The 777 was developed in close collaboration with eight airlines - All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, Japan Airlines, United Airlines, and Qantas. All except Qantas went on to order the aircraft. The 777 was Boeing's first aircraft to rely heavily on computer design during development. While there were some initial mockups, Boeing later claimed that it was the first aircraft "that didn’t need its kinks worked out on an expensive physical mockup plane.” The first 777 was unveiled in April 1994 and made its first flight on June 12th. This original 777 (the 777-200) was the smaller of two variants, designed to meet the needs of US airlines. It entered service with United Airlines and operated its first commercial flight on June 7th, 1995.
Over the next three years, Boeing launched two more variants. Overall, the three first generation (or classic) variants are:
777-200: The initial, shorter variant, entering service in 1995 with United Airlines.
777-200ER: This offered increased range (and payload) and entered service with British Airways in February 1997.
777-300: Boeing stretched the fuselage by just over 10 meters, taking the typical three-class capacity up from 305 to 368 (maximum exit limits are 313 and 396). It entered service with Cathay Pacific in May 1998.
