Boeing 777
* Fiber optic avionics network
* Currently the largest and most powerful turbofan engines on a commercial airliner with a 128 inch (3.3 m) fan diameter on the
GE-90-115B.
Fortunately for Boeing, work done on the previously cancelled
Boeing 7J7 had validated many of the chosen technologies.
The 777 first flew on
June 14,
1994 piloted by 777 Chief Test Pilot John E. Cashman. The aircraft would later undergo a flight test programme more extensive than any other Boeing model. The development, testing, and delivery of the 777 was the subject of the documentary series, "21st Century Jet: The Building of the 777." The
FAA awarded full 180 minute ETOPS clearance ("ETOPS-180") for PW4074 777-200s on May 30, 1995. The 777 was the first aircraft to carry an ETOPS-180 rating at its entry into service.
A notable design feature is Boeing's decision to retain conventional
control yokes rather than fit
sidestick controllers as used in many fly-by-wire fighter aircraft and in current Airbus models. Boeing viewed "
stick and rudder" controls as being more intuitive for pilots.
 |
Range circles for Boeing 777 models. |
Boeing uses two characteristics to define their 777 models. The first is the airframe size, which affects the number of passengers and amount of cargo that can be carried. The 777-200 and derivatives are the base size. A few years later, the aircraft was stretched into the 777-300.
The second characteristic is
range. Boeing defines three segments:
["Boeing 777X." Mengus, A. AirTransportBiz.com.]* A market - 3,900 to 5,200 nautical miles (7,220 to 9,630 km)
* B market - 5,800 to 7,700 nautical miles (10,740 to 14,260 km)
* C market - 8,000 nautical miles (14,815 km) and greater
These markets are also used to compare the 777 to its competitor, the
Airbus A340.
When referring to variants of the 777, Boeing and the airlines often collapse the model (777) and the capacity designator (200 or 300) into a smaller form, either 772 or 773. Subsequent to that, they may or may not append the range identifier. So the base 777-200 may be referred to as a "772" or "772A," while a 777-300ER would be referred to as a "773ER" or "773B." Any of these notations may be found in aircraft manuals or airline timetables.[
1]
Initial Models
777-200
The 777-200 (772A) was the initial A-market model. The first customer delivery was to
United Airlines in May 1995. It is available with a
maximum take-off weight (MTOW) from 229 to 247 tonnes and range capability between 3780 and 5150 nautical miles (7000 to 9500 km).
The basic 777-200 is powered by two 74,000 lb
f (329 kN)
Pratt & Whitney PW4074 turbofans, 75,000 lb
f (334 kN)
General Electric GE90-75Bs, or 75,000 lb
f (334 kN)
Rolls Royce Trent 875s.
The first 777-200 built was actually used by Boeing's NDT (non-destructive testing) campaign in 1994-1995, and provided valuable data for the -200ER and -300 programs (see below). This A-market aircraft was finally sold to Cathay Pacific Airways and delivered in December 2000.
The direct Airbus equivalent is the
A330-300.
777-200ER
 |
Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 777 |
Originally known as the
777-200IGW (for "increased gross weight"), the longer-range B market 777-200ER (772B) features additional fuel capacity, with increased MTOW range from 263 to 286 tonnes and range capability between 6000 and 7700 nautical miles (11,000 to 14,300 km). The first 777-200ER was delivered to
British Airways in February 1997. ER Stands for Extended Range.
The 777-200ER can be powered by any two of a number of engines: the 84,000 lb
f (374 kN)
PW4084 or
Trent 884, the 85,000 lb
f (378 kN)
GE90-85B, the 90,000 lb
f (400 kN)
PW4090,
GE90-90B1, or
Trent 890, or the 92,000 lb
f (409 kN)
GE90-92B or
Trent 892. In 1998
Air France took delivery of a 777-200ER powered by
GE90-94B engines capable of 94,000 lb
f (418 kN) thrust.
On
April 2 1997 a Boeing 777-200ER, tail registration (dubbed the "Super Ranger") of
Malaysia Airlines, broke the Great Circle Distance Without Landing record for an airliner by flying east (the long way) from
Boeing Field,
Seattle, to
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, covering the distance of 20,044 km in 21 hours, 23 minutes.
The direct Airbus equivalents are the
A340-300 and
A350-900.
777-300
The stretched A market 777-300 (773A) is designed as a replacement for 747-100s and -200s. Compared to the older 747s, the stretched 777 has comparable passenger capacity and range, but burns one third less fuel and demands 40% lower maintenance costs.
It features a 33 ft 3 in (10.1 m) fuselage stretch over the baseline 777-200, allowing seating for up to 550 passengers in a single class high density configuration and is also 13 tonnes heavier. The 777-300 has tailskid and ground manoeuvring cameras mounted on the horizontal tail and underneath the forward fuselage to aid pilots during taxi due to the aircraft's enormous length.
It was awarded type certification simultaneously from the U.S.
FAA and European
JAA and was granted 180 min ETOPS approval on
May 4,
1998 and entered service with
Cathay Pacific later in that month.
The typical operating range with 386 three class passengers is 5720 nautical miles (10,600 km). It is typically powered by two of the following engines: 90,000 lb
f (400 kN)
PW4090 turbofans, 92,000 lb
f (409 kN)
Trent 892 or
General Electric GE90-92Bs, or 98,000 lb
f (436 kN) PW-4098s.
This aircraft has no direct Airbus equivalent, but the
A340-600 is offered in competition.
Longer Range 777s
777-200LR Worldliner
The C market 777-200LR (772C) ("LR" for "Longer Range") became the world's longest ranging commercial airliner when it entered service in 2006. It is capable of flying 9,420 nautical miles (17,445 km) in 18 hours. Developed alongside the 777-300ER, the 777-200LR will achieve this with huge 110,000 lb
f (489 kN) thrust General Electric GE90-115B turbofans with a thrust of 115,300 lb
f (531 kN), a significantly increased MTOW and optional auxiliary fuel tanks manufactured by
Marshall Aerospace in the rear cargo hold. Other new features include raked wingtips, a new main landing gear and additional structural strengthening. The roll-out was on
February 15 2005 and the first flight was at
March 8 2005, with EIS in January 2006. The second prototype made its first flight on
May 24 2005. After its introduction into service, the only mass-produced aircraft with greater unrefueled range will be the
KC-10 Extender.
The first Boeing 777-200LR was delivered to
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on
February 26 2006, and the second on
March 23 2006. Other customers include
Air India and
EVA Air. On
November 9 2005,
Air Canada confirmed an order for the jets, which had previously been canceled due to labor issues.
Emirates announced on
November 20 2005 that they bought 10 of these aircraft as part of a larger 777 order (42 in all).
Pakistan International Airlines, the launch customer, has hinted that they may order additional 3 777-200LR for their North American routes.
Jet Airways,
Qatar Airways, and
Delta Air Lines have expressed interest in ordering the Boeing 777-200LR. The aircraft is expected to generate interest amongst airlines serving the
Kangaroo Route in particular, such as
British Airways and
Qantas. Qantas is also reportedly interested in using the 777-200LR to serve
Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport non-stop from Sydney, enabling it to connect with
American Airlines' largest hub.
Singapore Airlines, current operator of the world's longest
non-stop flights using the
Airbus A340-500, is also said to be evaluating the aircraft.
On
November 10 2005 a 777-200LR set a record for the longest non-stop flight by passenger airliner by flying 11,664 nautical miles (13,422 statute miles, or 21,602 km) eastwards (the westerly
Great circle route is only 5,994 miles) from
Hong Kong to
London,
UK. The journey took about 22 hours and 42 minutes. This was booked into the
Guinness World Records and surpassed the average range of the Boeing 777-200LR, which is around 9,420 nm.
On
February 2 2006 Boeing announced that the 777-200LR has been certified by both FAA and EASA to enter into passenger service with airlines.
The direct Airbus equivalent is the
A340-500 (when compared to the
Worldliner, the A340-500 is capable of flying 9,017 nautical miles (16,700 km) non-stop, it is however free from ETOPS restrictions). A future model, the
A350-900R, aims to have a range up to 9,500 nautical miles.
After the announcement of the new Airbus A350XWB family, Boeing propsed to lessen the weight of the Boeing 777-200LR with more composites to attract
QANTAS into ordering the Boeing 777-200LR. The weight reduction will be approximately 7 tonnes.
777-300ER
The B market 777-300ER (773B) series is a long range version of 777-300, and is designed as a replacement for the 747-400. This is a result of Boeing's strategy to target the 747 series as cargo freighters rather than passenger aircraft. ER Stands for Extended Range. There are 10 standard doors, with 2 standard doors being over the wing.
The 777-300ER contains many modifications, including the
GE90-115B engines, which are currently the world's most powerful jet engine with 115,300 lb
f (513 kN) thrust. Other features include raked wingtips, a new main landing gear, extra fuel tanks, as well as strengthened fuselage, wings, empennage, nose gear, engine struts and nacelles. The range with a 365 passenger three-class configuration is 7,880 nautical miles (14,594 km). The 777-300ER programme was launched by
Air France, though for political reasons,
Japan Airlines was advertised as the
launch customer. The first flight of the 777-300ER was
February 24 2003. Delivery of the first 777-300ER to
Air France occurred on
April 29 2004. Boeing is currently considering an improvement of the Boeing 777-300ER due to the new
Airbus A350XWBThe direct Airbus equivalent is the
A340-600HGW.
777 Freighter
 |
777 Freighter |
The 777 Freighter (777F) is an all-cargo variant of the 777. Boeing has had some need for a large freighter to replace older 747F and
MD-11F freighters. The increased payload capability of the 777-200LR has allowed the company to
begin marketing a cargo derivation. The model was officially offered starting on
November 15 2004.[
2]
The 777F promises excellent operating economics compared to existing freighters. The aircraft has a large interior volume and a high thrust-to-weight ratio. The large wings allow for a low wing loading. The 777F will have a payload of 101 tons. This compares favorably to that of the much larger 747-400F, which has a payload of 124 tons. The two aircraft have a nearly identical payload density.
With the extra belly fuel tanks sacrificed in the interest of payload, the 777F will not range as far as the passenger variant it is based upon. However, the 777F will be the second-longest-ranged freighter in the world with a range of 5,200 miles (8,400 km), after the
A380F.
["Aerospace Notebook: Cell phone quandary for Boeing." Wallance, J. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. October 10, 2004.] Compared to the 747F, the 777F will lack direct loading of cargo via the nose, but this will not be an issue for most customers.
The 777F will be equipped with the 115,000 lb
f (513 kN) GE90-115B engines from the 777-300ER and 777-200LR (from Boeing: 110,000 lb
f (489 kN) GE90-110B1).
Potential customers are
Lufthansa Cargo,
FedEx,
United Parcel Service, and
EVA Cargo.
EIS is 2008.
Air Canada, along with
Air France-KLM have signed on as the 777F launch customers. The order for nine aircraft, (7 for Air France and 2 for Air Canada) is worth
US$1.5 billion at list prices, and the first delivery will be in 2008.
Air Atlanta Icelandic has ordered eight 777F aircraft, while
Emirates has also ordered eight.
Airbus has no comparable aircraft—the
A380-800F is the closest equivalent, but is volumetrically larger and can carry a heavier payload (150
tonnes at 5,600
nautical miles (10,400 km)). The A380-800F is better suited for bulky parcel freight service, while the 777F is geared towards denser cargo. The most directly comparable aircraft is the
McDonnell Douglas MD-11F, which lacks the 777F's range and uplift capability.
Unbuilt Models
777-100
The 777-100X was initially proposed as a longer range, C market version of the 777.
It would have been a shortened version of the 777-200, analogous to the
747SP. By shrinking the fuselage, more of the take-off weight could be dedicated to fuel tankage, increasing the range. Because the aircraft would have carried fewer passengers than the 777-200, while having similar operating costs, it would have had a higher cost per seat. With the advent of more powerful engines, the 777-100X proposal was replaced by the 777X programme, which evolved into the Longer Range 777 family.
The 777-100 was also proposed as a lower capacity, B market version of the 777, the 771B. Like the 777-100X, the aircraft would have been heavy for its capacity, and thus would have had high costs per seat. The 777-100 was offered to
Delta Air Lines and
Continental Airlines as an option to replace their aging
Lockheed L-1011 and
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 fleets. Both airlines rejected the offer as a result of the higher than desirable operating cost per seat, leading Boeing to develop the
767-400ER, which was designed to meet both of their specifications.
The
787-9 will offer a similar passenger capacity as a 777-100 would have.
In general
| 777-200 | 777-200ER | 777-200LR Worldliner | 777-200F | 777-300 | 777-300ER |
|---|
| Length | 63.7 m
(209 ft 1 in) | 73.9 m
(242 ft 4 in) |
|---|
| Wingspan | 60.9 m
(199 ft 1 in) | 64.8 m
(212 ft 7 in) | 60.9 m
(199 ft 1 in) | 64.8 m
(212 ft 7 in) |
|---|
| Passengers (three-class) | 301-305 or fewer | 0 | 365-368 or fewer |
|---|
| Passengers (two-class) | 375-400 or fewer | 0 | 451 or fewer |
|---|
| Passengers (one-class) | 500 or fewer | 0 | 550 or fewer |
|---|
| Cargo | 150 m³ (5,302 ft³)
6 pallets
14 LD3s
17 m³ (600 ft³) of bulk cargo | 636 m³ (22,455 ft³) total
521 m³ (18,385 ft³) main deck
115 m³ (4,070 ft³) lower deck
37 pallets (27 upper, 10 lower)
25.5 m³ (900 ft³) of bulk cargo | 200 m³ (7,080 ft³)
8 pallets
20 LD3s
17 m³ (600 ft³) of bulk cargo |
|---|
| Range | 9,649 km (5,210 nmi/5,992 smi) | 14,316 km (7,730 nmi/8,890 smi) | 17,446 km (9,420 nmi/10,833 smi) | 9,195 km (4,965 nmi/5,710 smi) | 11,029 km (5,955 nmi/6,848 smi) | 14,594 km (7,880 nmi/9,062 smi) |
|---|
Engines
For comparison
777-200/777-200ER/777-200LR
| 777-200 | 777-200ER | 777-200LR | A330-300 (for comparison) | A340-300 (for comparison)! A340-500 (for comparison) | | Length: | 63.7 m | 63.7 m | 63.7 m | 63.6 m | 63.6 m | 67.9 m |
|---|
| Height: | 18.5 m | 18.5 m | 18.8 m | 16.85 m | 16.85 m | 17.1 m |
|---|
| Wingspan: | 60.9 m | 60.9 m | 64.8 m | 60.3 m | 60.3 m | 63.45 m |
|---|
| Cross section: | 5.86 m | 5.86 m | 5.86 m | 5.28 m | 5.28 m | 5.28 m |
|---|
| MTOW: | 247.21 t | 297.56 t | 347.452 t | 230-233 t | 230-233 t | 372-380 t |
|---|
| Seats (three-class): | 305 | 301 | 301 | 295 | 295 | 313 |
|---|
| Engine: | GE GE90-77B
or PW4077
or R-R Trent 877 | GE GE90-94B
or PW4090
or R-R Trent 895 | GE GE90-110B1 | GE CF6-80E1
or PW4000
or R-R Trent 700 | CFM CFM56-5C | R-R Trent 553 |
|---|
| Cruising speed: | 0.84 Mach | 0.84 Mach | 0.84 Mach | 0.82 Mach | 0.82 Mach | 0.82 Mach |
|---|
| Range¹: | 5,210 nm | 7,730 nm | 9,420 nm | 5,650 nm | 7,400 nm | 8,900 nm |
|---|
777-300/777-300ER
| 777-300 | 777-300ER | A340-600 (for comparison) | | Length: | 73.9 m | 73.9 m | 75.3 m |
|---|
| Height: | 18.5 m | 18.7 m | 17.3 m |
|---|
| Wingspan: | 60.9 m | 64.8 m | 63.45 m |
|---|
| Cross section: | 5.86 m | 5.86 m | 5.28 m |
|---|
| MTOW: | 247.21 t | 351.534 t | 369.2-381.2 t |
|---|
| Seats (three-class): | 368 | 365 | 380 |
|---|
| Engine: | PW4098
or R-R Trent 892 | GE GE90-115B | R-R Trent 556 |
|---|
| Cruising speed: | 0.84 Mach | 0.84 Mach | 0.82 Mach |
|---|
| Range¹: | 5,955 nm | 7,880 nm | 7,900 nm |
|---|
*The 777's
undercarriage is the largest ever used in a commercial jetliner, and its tires are the largest ever fitted to a commercial aircraft.
*The 777-300ER has been tested flying with only one working engine for as long as six hours 29 minutes (389 minutes) over the
Pacific Ocean as part of its
Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards (ETOPS) trials. (
Note: 3 hours successful and reliable operation of one-engine-out is sufficient for ETOPS 180 min certification, based on current rules.)
*The GE90-110B and -115B engines (including
nacelle) fitted on the 777-200LR and -300ER have a diameter larger than the fuselage of early versions of the
Boeing 737. The
Guinness Book of World Records recognized the -115B, powering the 777-300ER, as the "World's Most Powerful Commercial Jet Engine" with a tested thrust of 127,900 lb
f (569 kN).
*The longest ETOPS-related emergency flight diversion (192 min. under one engine power) was conducted on a
United Airlines' Boeing 777-200ER, carrying 255 passengers, on
March 17 2003 over the southern Pacific ocean.
|
Section 41 on a Boeing 777. This is the only major part shared with the 767. |
*The 777 has substantial non-US designed or non-US manufactured content, to be exceeded only by the
787. At least the following companies have made contributions:
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (fuselage panels),
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (fuselage panels),
Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. (center wing section),
Ilyushin (jointly designed overhead baggage compartment).
*The 777 has the same
Section 41 as the
767. This refers to the part of the aircraft from the very tip of the nose, going to just behind the cockpit windows. From a head-on view, the end of the section is very evident. This is where the bulk of the aircraft's avionics are stored.
*Some 777s have crew rest areas in the crown area above the cabin. Separate ones exist for the flight and cabin crew. [
3]
* The interior of the Boeing 777, also known as the
Boeing Signature Interior, has later been used on other aircraft, including the
Boeing 767-400ER,
Boeing 747-400ER, newer
Boeing 767-200s and
767-300s, and will be used for the upcoming
Boeing 747-8. The interior on the
Next Generation 737 and the
Boeing 757-300 is loosely based on the 777's interior, but also blends in aspects from the
757-200 interior. The 777 also features larger, more rounded windows than most other aircraft. The 777-style windows were later adopted on the
Boeing 767-400ER and
Boeing 747-8. The
Boeing 787 will feature a new interior evolved from the 777-style interior, and even larger windows.
* The 777 will be eventually replaced by a new product family, the
Y3, which would draw upon 787 technologies. The Y3 is also to replace the 747 series.
As of July 2006, the only fatality involving a Boeing 777 occurred in a refuelling fire at
Denver International Airport in 2001. [
4] Of the other incidents which have occurred, none have resulted in the hull being written off.
*
Official page*
Aircraft-Info.net - Boeing 777-200*
B777 Airplane Description
