Emirates first 777Xs are strutting their stuff at Boeing’s Everett factory. One has been rolled out onto the flight line showing off her folding wingtips and the other is just behind.
Next stop is the paint shop.
The Emirates 777X shown below is the 7th to be built and delivery is expected to be made in January 2021.
The driving force behind the 777X is Emirates President Sir Tim Clark, whose airline is the lead buyer with an order for 150.
Sir Tim describes the 777X as “an absolute peach”.
Key to his enthusiasm is the aircraft’s economics and greater space — it is 20 per cent more efficient per seat than the industry’s long-time benchmark the 777-300ER and its cabin is wider with bigger windows.
The Boeing 777X combines the best features of the current 777 with a longer fuselage, new engine and the composite wing design from the Boeing 787.
The 777-9X seats more than 400 passengers, depending on an airline’s configuration choices.
With a range of more than 8,200 nautical miles (15,185 km), the aircraft will have the lowest operating cost per seat of any commercial aircraft says, Boeing.
The second member of the family, the 777-8X, will be the most flexible jet in the world claims Boeing. The aircraft will seat 350 passengers and offer a range capability of more than 9,300 nautical miles (17,220 km).
However, Boeing has been advised by General Electric that delivery of new engines for the aircraft has been delayed till early next year.
It was understood that the new engines would be delivered later this year.
The GE engines have been impacted by durability issues and according to Aviation Week’s Guy Norris “an anomaly was detected in the forward part of the 11-stage high-pressure compressor on a GE9X that was undergoing one of the final batches of certification tests.”
“It’s a mechanical issue and nothing to do with the overall performance of the engine or the way it is set up. It is not an aerodynamic issue whatsoever,” GE Aviation GE9X General Manager Ted Ingling told Norris.
SEE Boeing releases the first video of 777X taxi tests
In an earnings call with analysts, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said the engine remained the “pacing item” as the aircraft moved towards first flight.
“As we previously mentioned, GE, our engine supplier is working through some challenges with the engine that are putting risk on the overall test schedule.
“Based on GE’s latest assessment on what it will take to address these challenges, we are currently projecting that first flight will occur in early 2020 rather than in 2019 as we have previously mentioned.
“This scheduled flight is obviously disappointing given how well the aircraft has been performing in preflight tests and that we are on track on non-engine activities.”
Muilenburg said the first two flight test aircraft were performing well in preflight testing, with the intermediate gauntlet and initial taxi tests completed during the quarter.
He said Boeing’s teams were currently focused on final systems, propulsion, and aircraft level tests.
