Boeing Preparing 777X For Flight Testing Written 2 January 2019

The Seattle Times reported that assembly of The Boeing Company’s “first 777X flight test plane is all but complete.” Engineers and mechanics expect to “roll out this majestic jet for its public debut as early as February.” According to Boeing Vice President of 777 Operations Jason Clark, “In the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing the airplane to life.” The aircraft is powered by GE’s new GE-9X engines, the second of which will be installed in early 2019. The 777X will replace the 777-300ER, “an all-metal airplane that has long been Boeing’s star widebody airplane.” The 777-9X is the first planned variant, and is the larger of the two. While “similar in weight to the -300ER, it’s more fuel efficient and flies 250 miles further, giving it an 8,750-mile range.” The increased performance “comes from the enormous new fuel-efficient GE engines and the new super-aerodynamic wings.”
More Info (Seattle Times)