Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Long-range commercial airliner

Power Plant:

Two 93,400 lbst Rolls Royce Trent 895 turbofans

Specifications:

History:

In October 1990 the Board of the Boeing Company gave formal approval to launch the Boeing 777 wide-body twin-engined medium/long-range jetliner, United Airlines in the United States becoming the launch customer with an order for 68 aircraft, this being the first all-new Boeing airliner launched for some ten years.

Initially known as the Model 767-X, being perceived as a development of the Model 767, the Model 777 bridged the gap between the Model 767 and the Model 747-400 wide-body, and met head-on the Airbus A330 series. The resultant airliner was the most technically advanced aircraft Boeing had designed to that time, using a fly-by-wire flight control system, a new efficient wing design with optional folding wingtips, a glass cockpit, the use of composite materials, and the most powerful jet engines developed for commercial use. The Company doubled the size of the Everett facility at Seattle, Washington to provide space for two production lines.

In configuration the Boeing 777 looked little different from the Boeing 767 but overall was much larger, being, in the Series 200, 63.7 m (209 ft 1 in) in length and having a max take-off weight of 287 tonnes (632,500 lb) in its heaviest form, in this form having a range of 13,670 km (9,494 miles). Very early in the piece Boeing planned a family of Model 777s, the first involving a stretch to 74 m (242 ft) in length with an altered wing some 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in) longer, this model being able to seat as many as 550 passengers in a single class arrangement, or 390 in three classes.

Two fuel capacities were offered, the A-Market 777 having a capacity of 117,335 litres (25,812 Imp gals) or 169,190 litres (37,217 Imp gals) in the B-Market variant. Optional folding wingtips were also offered, allowing easier ground operations at crowded airports. There was also much international participation in the 777 series, with a Japanese consortium comprising Mitsubishi, Kawasaki and Fuji being involved. Other companies involved included Alenia, Embraer, Korean Air, Grumman, Shorts, Singapore Aerospace andRockwell, whilst ASTA in Australia built the all-composite rudder, and Hawker de Havilland built the composite ailerons. An improved lightweight aluminium alloy known as 7055 was used in the upper wing skins and stringers.

Boeing for the first time used a three-axis fly-by-wire flight control system, having a two-way digital databus which allowed the aircraft controls, actuation systems and computers to communicate with each other through a common wire path. Principal flight information was displayed on six large flat screen colour Liquid Crystal Displays. A variety of power plants was available, including the Pratt & Whitney PW4000, General Electric GE90 and the Rolls Royce Trent 800 units, varying in power from 71,000 lbst up to 85,000 lbst, and manufacturers produced engines up to more than 100,000 lbst to meet the requirements of heavier stretched variants.

The Model 777-200 prototype N7771 (c/n 27116) powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4084 engines was first flown on 12 June 1994. It was awarded FAA and JAA certification on 19 April 1995. Initial deliveries to United Airlines began on 15 May 1995, this model providing seating for 305 to 320 and having a 9,817 km (6,100 miles) range. Shortly thereafter the Model 777-200 IGW (increased gross weight) model appeared, later becoming known as the Model 777-200ER. By 1996 some 230 orders had been received.

The first model with Rolls Royce Trent 800 series engine was a Model 777-267 (N77772 / VR-HNA – c/n 2722265) for Cathay Pacific which made its first flight on 26 May 1995, this model entering service in April 1996. The first General Electric GE90 powered model was a Model 777-236 (G-ZZZC) for British Airways, this being delivered in November 1996. First of the type seen in this region was a Pratt & Whitney powered prototype demonstrated to local airlines.

On 8 March 1995 the first Model 777-200LR (c/n WD001) was flown, this model combining the shorter 63 m (206 ft 8 in) fuselage of the 777-200 and 777-200ER models with the more powerful engines, extended wingspan and increased fuel capacity of the 777-300ER variant. Without auxiliary fuel tanks in the cargo hold, it had a range of 16,000 km (9,942 miles) and with the auxiliary tanks the range was 17,446 km (10,841 miles), permitting London, UK to Sydney, NSW, and Sydney to New York, USA non-stop flights.

In July 2005 one of the prototype Boeing 777-200LRs (N60662 – c/n WD002) flew from Singapore to Sydney for a demonstration tour, continuing on to Auckland on 19 July and to Mexico on 21 July. In March 2006 a Model 777-236ER of British Airways (G-YMMO) set a record when it flew non-stop from Brussels in Belgium to Melbourne, VIC in a time of 18 hrs 46 mins.

In mid 2004 Air New Zealand announced it had signed an agreement to acquire eight examples of the Model 777-200ER to replace Boeing 767s, buying four Boeing 777s and leasing a further four, at the same time taking options on a further 42 long-haul Boeing aircraft, and ordering two Rolls Royce Trent powered examples of the Boeing 787. The leased aircraft were from International Lease Finance Corporation and all Boeing 777s were Rolls Royce Trent 800 powered. The optioned aircraft included Models 777-200ER, 777-200LR and 777-300ER.

The first Model 777-219ER was delivered in October 2005, the second a month later, and all Boeing 777s were in service by November 2006, registrations ZK-OKA to ZK-OKH being allotted to the series. First aircraft received ZK-OKA (c/n 29404) was handed over at Everett Field in Washington on 27 October 2005, the second aircraft ZK-OKB (c/n 34376) being delivered a week later. ZK-OKA arrived in Auckland in October 2005 and commenced services the following month, the first two aircraft being deployed on the San Francisco route, the third on the Singapore route, ZK-OKC (c/n 34377) entering service on 25 January 2006 and ZK-OKD (c/n 29401) on 17 February 2006.

The other aircraft delivered were VH-OKE (c/n 32712), ZK-OKF (c/n 34378), ZK-OKG (c/n 29403) and ZK-OKH (c/n 34379). One further aircraft was obtained second-hand on lease from Singapore Airlines, this aircraft, a Model 777-212ER, becoming ZK-OKI (c/n 32336 – ex 9V-SVL).

In 2018 Air New Zealand announced it was consideringt obtaining a replacement for the Boeing 777-200 series, with deliveries to commence in 2019.

A variant of the Model 777-200LR was equipped with wingtip extensions of 3.90 m (12 ft 8 in), the first of this model being delivered to Pakistan International Airlines on 26 February 2006.