The Boeing 777X will be the world’s biggest twin-engine passenger jetliner in the skies, and it’s almost here.
Earlier this month, the American aerospace giant Boeing gave us the first glimpse of their upcoming 777X jetliner. It will be the first aircraft in the next generation of 777s.
It will however be some time before we this plane in the sky, since it has about a full year of ground testing to complete first.
The first fully-assembled #777X static test airplane rolled out of our facility in Everett overnight. This non-flying airplane now heads off to nearly a year of testing to verify design strength. #Boeing pic.twitter.com/UovuvHQTWz
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) September 8, 2018
Most of the plane’s body is complete, but it is still missing engines and an avionics system.
The 777X will now undergo a series of tests that will push it to its limit so that engineers can fully understand what the plane can and cannot do.
Its wingspan is an impressive 71.7 meters across, with hinged wingtips that measure 3.65 meters alone.
Want to know what it's like to build the world's largest and most efficient twin-engine airplane? Go behind the scenes with a #777X employee who can't wait to see it fly! pic.twitter.com/Z16erWf5FU
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) September 13, 2018
According to Boeing engineers, the longer wings will give the plane extra lift, making it use up 12% less fuel than the A350.
While the most of the planes body is made from aluminum, alike most planes, its wings are made from super-strong, but super-light carbon fiber which makes them extremely flexible.
Scheduled to debut in 2020, the plane will be able to carry between 350 and 425 passengers, and fly the distance of 14,000 kilometers.
Hello from the Everett factory! We're sharing more of the #777X static test ✈ than ever before and chatting w/ Doreen Bingo of #Boeing Test & Evaluation. #Tweet us your questions! We are responding NOW in real-time for the next 30 mins. Video: https://t.co/fcQHZqrSmQ pic.twitter.com/VZAnxGeSE4
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) September 5, 2018
Several airlines have already placed orders on the upcoming Boeing 777X jetliner, including All Nippon and Lufthansa.