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(CNN) — The Boeing 777X, described as “the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet”, was originally scheduled to enter service in 2020, but the jet’s launch has been plagued by delays.
The most striking appearance of the aircraft, now expected to debut in 2025, is undoubtedly its folding wingtips – a first for commercial aviation.
But what does it look like inside? This month Boeing proudly presented a test version of the 777-9X, one of two 777X variants, at the Farnborough Airshow, a UK-based aviation trade event, which gives an idea of what passengers can expect.
The 777 has been a huge success for Boeing since its launch in 1995 and remains the best-selling widebody aircraft. Following on from the popular but outdated 777-300ER, the 777X looks set to become one of the aircraft manufacturer’s flagship aircraft.
One of the most striking things about the experimental aircraft, other than being filled with surveillance equipment, is how large it is.
Huge planes
Visitors aboard the 777-9X, a test version of Boeing’s 777X, during the UK’s Farnborough Airshow.
Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images
The aircraft measures 251 feet, seats 426 passengers in a standard two-class configuration, and is longer than both its predecessor, the 777-300ER (242 feet 4 inches) and the Airbus A350-1000, which is slightly longer in length. than 242. feet.
In the demonstration aircraft, much of the cabin space is currently occupied by test stations, along with huge water tanks used to balance the aircraft during test conditions.
Although the aircraft has the same external width as the 777, the sidewalls are thinner, so there is enough room for 10 18-inch wide economy seats.
Then there are the windows. Not only are they approximately 16% larger than those on the 777, they are also installed higher on the fuselage to provide passengers with more natural light and visibility.
No overhead bins were seen in the 777-9X demonstrator, but Boeing has stated that those onboard can hold twice as much as normal bins and require 40% less force to close.
According to Boeing, the best features of the 777 and 787 Dreamliner families have been brought together for the 777X, with additional improvements, and the similarities are clear.
Larger windows
The windows on the 777X will be about 16% larger than those on the 777.
Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images
“It has the same passenger characteristics as the Dreamliner,” explains Julie O’Donnell of the Boeing Commercial Airplanes Communications team. “So the LED lighting and the better humidity.”
Like the Dreamliner, the 777X can maintain a lower cabin height of 6,000 feet, which “helps with fatigue,” a test team member tells CNN Travel during a tour of the plane, along with improved technology to “counteract turbulence.”
The 775,000-pound aircraft is equipped with General Electric GE9X engines, the most powerful engines ever mounted on a commercial passenger jet. These consume 10% less fuel than the current 777s.
In the cockpit, the cockpit screen includes touchscreen displays that can support multiple touch points, allowing two pilots to interact with their portion of the lower screen simultaneously.
James Hanley, one of the test pilots aboard the plane, praised the “modern” system, indicating that it has been a bull’s eye among pilots.
Strict test program
One of the many controls inside is used to operate the plane’s folding wings, which have a wingspan of just over 233 feet (71 meters).
While this design feature is not uncommon on Navy jets built to land on an aircraft carrier, this marks the first time folding wingtips have been fitted to a commercial passenger jet.
The plane’s folding wingtips are a first for commercial aviation.
JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images
As a result, the US Federal Aviation Administration has issued new regulations for the 777-9X and 777-8X, its sister aircraft.
The 777-9 has undergone “rigorous” flight testing, both on the ground and in the air, and is making good progress, the test team said.
air show
It wasn’t just part of the static display at the first Farnborough Airshow to be held since 2019.
Those in attendance were treated to a spectacular air show with the plane flying at a near vertical angle before performing some impressive maneuvers, much to the delight of the crowd below.
“I never tire of watching people fly the plane,” O’Donnell told CNN Travel shortly before the awe-inspiring show.
The plane is now back at Boeing Field in Seattle and has “resumed regular operations”.
This latest standout comes months after Boeing announced delivery had been delayed until 2025 due to “an updated assessment of the time needed to meet certification requirements.”
Larger orders?
The plane soars through the air during a demonstration flight at the Farnborough Airshow.
Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images
Boeing has received approximately 376 orders for the 777X.
Qatar Airways will be the first airline to take delivery of the plane, said Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, who told reporters at the Farnborough Airshow that he was considering placing a “larger order”.
Chris Sloan also contributed to this report.
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