At the Paris Airshow, Geoffrey Thomas explains that the Boeing 777X folding wingtip is not new and the concept has been around for over 80 years.
Aircraft designed to operate from aircraft carriers have folding wingtips and wings so that they could be stored on board in confined spaces.
And no one has as much experience with that as Boeing with its legacy companies Douglas and McDonnell with such aircraft as the F-18, Devastator, Skyraider, and F-4 Phantom to name just a few.
Boeing’s B-50 and B377 Stratocruiser had folding tails to fit into hangars of the day.
So there is a vast amount of experience going into the 777X folding wingtip.
The 777X – as the 777-9 – is due to enter service in 2025.
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