2023 Author: Bryan Walter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 22:24
Boeing has unveiled versions of the 777X long-range wide-body aircraft for business aviation. One of them is capable of flying at a distance of 21,570 kilometers without landing, and the cabin area of such a modification is more than 300 square meters, the corporation said in a statement.
The Boeing 777X long-haul wide-body aircraft is the latest modification from the Boeing 777 family, which is one of the most popular in long-haul aviation, along with the Airbus A330. The main differences between the 777X and the previous modifications were the dimensions (it will be the largest twin-engine liner), as well as the presence of a folding wing made of composite materials. Thanks to this design, the liner will be able to fit into standard aircraft hangars. Since this design had never been used in civil aviation before, the development and certification process was complicated, but in May 2018, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the use of a folding wing on aircraft of this family.
At the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) Airshow, Boeing Business Jets head Greg Laxton unveiled two Boeing 777X versions for business aviation - the BBJ 777-8 and BBJ 777-9. The main technical difference between both models and conventional civilian versions is the cabin layout. In versions for business aviation, the cabin will be much freer, as well as trimmed with more expensive materials. The area of the BBJ 777-8 cabin is 302.5 square meters, and the area of the 777-9 is 342.7 square meters.
One of the interior options for BBJ 777X
The main difference between the BBJ 777X and other business jets is the increased flight range achieved due to the lack of rows of seats for hundreds of passengers, as well as their luggage. The BBJ 777-8's non-stop flight range is 21.57 thousand kilometers, while for the BBJ 777-9 this value is 20.37 thousand kilometers. The company says that thanks to this, the new liners will be able to make non-stop flights between any two cities in the world. The new business jets have a face value of $ 442.8 million for the BBJ 777-8 and $ 453.6 million for the BBJ 777-9.
One of the interior options for BBJ 777X
The development of the Boeing 777X has been going on since the early 2010s and is now in preparation for its first flight. At the end of November, Boeing showed the docking of all elements of the airframe of the first flight copy of the 777X, and in October General Electric prepared for final flight tests the world's largest aircraft engine GE9X, which will be installed on aircraft of this family.
Airbus engineers are also working on increasing the flight range of long-haul aircraft. In the spring of 2018, the concern began flight tests of the A350-900ULR aircraft with a redesigned airframe and modified wing sweep, as well as an enlarged fuel tank. These improvements made it possible to increase the range of non-stop flight from 15 to 17.9 thousand kilometers.
