First Boeing 777X Heads to Testing

Boeing rolled out the first 777X-9 on Saturday evening. The aircraft, a first of its kind, is non-flyable and will be used for static testing for strength durability for nearly a year.

While testing of the first 777X-9 takes place, a second airframe is in production. The second airframe will be used for flight testing once it is completed in 2019.

In a video released by Boeing earlier this month, Boeing test lead Doreen Bingo said the sole purpose of the static aircraft is to test structure strength and will not feature a nose cone, engines, horizontal or vertical stabilizer, or avionics systems. The aircraft also features folding wingtips. 

The first fully-assembled #777X static test airplane rolled out of our facility in Everett overnight. This non-flying airplane now heads off to nearly a year of testing to verify design strength. #Boeing pic.twitter.com/UovuvHQTWz

— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) September 8, 2018

The 777X was announced in 2013 at the Dubai Airshow and has since received orders from ANA, Cathay, Etihad, Lufthansa, Qatar, Singapore, and launch customer Emirates. According to FlightGlobal, the aircraft has orders for 263 total aircraft.

The new widebody aircraft will have a max range of 8,700 nautical miles and seat around 400 passengers. The interior will feature a wider cabin with 33 percent larger windows than the current competition, according to Boeing.

The Seattle based manufacturer also stated that in combination with the new GE9X engines and composite wings, the 777X will be 12 percent more fuel efficient than its competition.

This story was updated on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. ET to correct a factual error. Contrary to the initial version of this article, the first Boeing 777X does have folding wingtips. 

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Matthew Garcia

Matthew Garcia became interested in aviation at the age of 12 when he installed Microsoft Flight Simulator X on his computer. He was instantly "bitten by the bug" and has been in love with aviation ever since. Matthew took his first introductory flight in 2013 and began normal flight training in February of 2015. Over the years, Matthew's love and knowledge for aviation has grown tremendously, mainly due to FSX. Garcia flies highly advanced aircraft in a professional manner on a highly complex virtual air traffic network simulating real world flying. In 2016 Matthew achieved his private pilot certificate from the FAA. Now he studies journalism at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

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