BOEING 777 AIRCRAFT HISTORY,
INFORMATION, FACTS AND PICTURES

The Boeing 777 is a family of long range widebody
twin engine airliners built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

It carries between 305 and 550 passengers and has a range spanning from 5,600 to 8,870 nautical miles (10,400 to 16,400 km). Its first flight was in 1994.

Distinguishing features of the 777 include the set of six wheels on each main landing gear, its perfectly circular fuselage cross section, and the blade like rear tailcone.

In the 1970s Boeing unveiled its new models to replace and expand its then current line up. They were the twin engined 757 , to replace the venerable 727; the twin engined 767 to challenge the Airbus A300 and the 777 trijet to compete with the DC-10 and the Lockheed TriStar L-1011.

It was a trijet airplane based on a re-winged 767 design, with two main variants: a transcontinental airplane transporting 175 on trips up to 5,000 km (2,700 nautical miles) and an intercontinental version capable of flying over 8,000 km (4,320 nautical miles) with the same passenger load.

The twinjets were launched and the 777 trijet was cancelled. Boeing's choice to not proceed with the 777 was influenced by the design complexities of trijet aircraft, the absence of an engine with thrust in the range of 40,000 lb f (178 kN), and the success of the 757 and 767, particularly with the benefit of ETOPS regulations of the 1980s.

Boeing had a big gap in its product line between the 767-300ER and the 747-400 in terms of size and range, and realized the potential of such an airplane. The DC-10 and Lockheed Tristar, being of 1960s design, were also ripe for replacement. In the meantime, Airbus developed the A330 and A340 to fulfill that requirement.

The initial proposal from Boeing was simply to enlarge the 767, resulting in the 767-X concept. It was similar to a 767 but with a longer fuselage and larger wings seating about 340 passengers and with a maximum range of 7,300 nautical miles (13,500 km).

The airlines were unimpressed with the 767-X. They wanted short to intercontinental range capability, cabin cross section similar to the 747, a fully flexible cabin configuration and an operating cost lower than any 767 stretch. The result was a new design, the 777 twinjet.

The design phase of the 777 differed from all previous Boeing jetliners. For the first time, the airlines and their passengers had a role in the development of the plane. The "Working Together" philosophy, as Boeing called it, meant that the 777 was their most customer oriented aircraft yet.

The 777 was also the first commercial aircraft to be designed 100% by computer. No paper drawings were ever produced; everything was created on a 3D CAD software system known as CATIA. This allowed a virtual 777 to be assembled in cyberspace, allowing engineers to examine for interferences, and to test if the many thousands of parts would fit together properly before costly physical prototypes were manufactured.

Market demand sized, shaped and launched the newest member of the Boeing twin-aisle family -- the 777. The airplane design offers features, innovations and approaches to airplane development that set the standard for delivering value to airlines.

The Boeing 777 is the first jetliner to be 100 percent digitally designed using three-dimensional computer graphics. Throughout the design process, the airplane was "pre-assembled" on the computer, eliminating the need for a costly, full-scale mock-up.

The airplane is larger than all other twinjet or trijet airplanes and smaller than the 747. It brings the twin-engine economic advantage to medium- and long-range markets.

Responding to strong demand from cargo operators around the world for an efficient, long-range, and high-capacity freighter, Boeing announced authority to offer the Boeing 777 Freighter in November 2004. Bringing unsurpassed efficiency to long-haul markets.

The 777 currently is available in six models: 777-200, 777-200ER (extended range), 777-200LR (longer-range), 777-300 and the 777-300ER, and the 777 Freighter.

The 777 program was launched in October 1990 with an order from United Airlines. In June 1995, United flew its first 777 in revenue service.

The Boeing board of directors authorized production of the 777-300 on June 26, 1995. The first 777-300 was delivered to Cathay Pacific Airways in June 1998.

Launched in February 2000, the new longer-range 777-200 and 777-300 airplanes bring the comfort and economic advantages of the Boeing 777 to non-stop routes that have never before been possible. The first 777-300ER rolled out of the Everett, Wash., factory on Nov. 14, 2002.

The first 777-200LR (Longer Range) -- the world's longest range commercial airplane -- was unveiled February 15, 2005 and first flew on March 8 and has begun a six-month flight-test program.

Boeing is offering its 777 customers new innovations that take advantage of the space in the overhead area of the airplane -- the area located between the top of the stow bins and the crown of the airplane. These innovations will allow operators to use the overhead space for crew rest stations and storage.

Thanks to a new wing, more efficient engine, and a lighter structure, the 777 makes efficient use of fuel. And this, in turn, means lower emissions per passenger seat. For every pound of fuel conserved, three fewer pounds of carbon dioxide are generated. The bottom line: Fuel efficiency isn't just good for economics, it's good for the environment.

Did you know -- The 777 is the first airplane to have a rose named after it?

On Feb. 15, 1996, the 777 was named winner of the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy by the U.S. National Aeronautic Association. The award honored the 777 as the top aeronautical achievement of 1995.