After a long wait, the new long-haul aircraft of the American company Boeing, the 777X, took off successfully this Saturday (Jan 25) in its inaugural flight at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. The jet landed at Boeing Field near Seattle after about four hours (3 hours, 51 minutes) of flight in the sky of Washington State, to the northwestern United States.
During the flight, detailed tests and analyses were carried out regarding the systems and machine design. This inaugural flight, with only two pilots on board, marks the start of a whole series of flight tests leading to the certification of the aircraft, which can carry 384 to 426 passengers.
“The 777X flew beautifully, and today’s testing was very productive,” said Van Chaney, one of the two pilots on board. “I can’t wait to go fly your airplane again.”
As Boeing announces, the 777X is to be “the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet.” It is expected to consume about 10% less fuel than similar competitors’ machines, and operating costs are also expected to be 10% lower. The manufacturers explain that it is all thanks to the “advanced aerodynamics, the latest generation carbon-fiber composite wing and the most advanced commercial engine ever built, GE Aviation’s GE9X.”
The 777X includes the 777-8 and the 777-9, the newest members of Boeing’s commercial jet family. The aircraft ( 777-9), in blue and white livery and long wings, each with a huge reactor, is almost 77 meters (251 feet) long and 777-8 has 70 meters (229 ft) length.
According to the manufacturer’s website, the 777-8 has a range of 8,730 nautical miles (16,170 km), while the 777-9 has 7,285 nautical miles (13,500 km) depending on the configuration and the number of passengers on board and is extremely fuel-efficient.
It costs between 410 and 442 million dollars at the list price, which is only very indicative and often exaggerated compared to the real price paid by the customers. The company has already received 340 orders, mainly from seven major airlines. The new Boeing 777X series are expected to be available in 2021.
