Boeing 777
March 6th, 2008
Singapore Airlines is the largest operator of the Boeing 777 family with 69 in service (46 are the 777-200ER variant, 12 are 777-300s, and 11 are 777-300ERs with 8 on firm order and 13 more on option). As of February 2008, 53 customers have placed orders totaling 1,050 777s.
Direct market competitors to the 777 are the Airbus A330-300, A340, and some models of the A350 XWB, which is currently under development. The 777 may eventually be replaced by a new product family, the Y3, which would draw upon technologies from the 787. The Y3 may also replace the 747 series.
In the 1970s, Boeing unveiled new models: the twin-engine 757 to replace the venerable 727, the twin-engine 767 to challenge the Airbus A300, and a trijet 777 concept to compete with the DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. Based on a re-winged 767 design, the 275 seat 777 was to be offered in two variants: a 2,700 nautical miles (5,000 km) transcontinental and an 4,320 nmi (8,000 km) intercontinental.
The twinjets were a big success, due in part to the 1980s ETOPS regulations. However the trijet 777 was cancelled (much like the trijet concept of the Boeing 757) in part because of the complexities of a trijet design and the absence of a 40,000 lbf (178 kN) engine. The cancellation left Boeing with a huge size and range gap in its product line between the 767-300ER and the 747-400. The DC-10 and L-1011, which entered service in early 1970s, were also due for replacement. In the meantime, Airbus developed the A340 to fulfill that requirement and to compete with Boeing.
The 777 included substantial international content, to be exceeded only by the 787. International contributors included Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (fuselage panels), Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. (center wing section), Hawker De Havilland (elevators), ASTA (rudder) and Ilyushin (jointly designed overhead baggage compartment).
On April 9, 1994 the first 777, WA001, was rolled out in a series of fifteen ceremonies held during the day to accommodate the 100,000 invited guests. First flight took place on June 14, 1994, piloted by 777 Chief Test Pilot John E. Cashman, marking the start of an eleven month flight test program more extensive than that seen on any previous Boeing model.
On May 15, 1995 Boeing delivered the first 777, aircraft WA006, to United Airlines. The FAA awarded 180 minute ETOPS clearance ("ETOPS-180") for PW4074 engined 777-200s on May 30, 1995, making the 777 the first aircraft to carry an ETOPS-180 rating at its entry into service. The 777's first commercial flight took place on June 7, 1995 from London's Heathrow Airport to Washington Dulles International Airport. The development, testing, and delivery of the 777 was the subject of the documentary series, "21st century Jet: The Building of the 777."
Due to rising fuel costs, airlines began looking at the Boeing 777 as a fuel-efficient alternative compared to other widebody jets. With modern engines, having extremely low failure rates (as seen in the ETOPS certification of most twinjets) and increased power output, four engines are no longer necessary except for very large aircraft such as the Airbus A380 or Boeing 747.
Singapore Airlines is the largest operator of the Boeing 777 family with 68 in service, of which 46 are of the 777-200ER variant, 12 are 777-300s and 10 are 777-300ERs. Another 9 777-300ERs are on firm order, with 13 more on option. Although Singapore Airlines is the largest customer, Emirates Airline is set to become the largest customer of the Boeing 777 when it will have 95 Boeing 777s in its fleet by 2010, in which 54 will be 777-300ERs. At the moment, Emirates Airline has 53 Boeing 777s in their fleet, of which 31 are Boeing 777-300ERs (with 23 on order), 12 Boeing 777-300s, 1 Boeing 777-200LR, 6 Boeing 777-200ERs, and 3 Boeing 777-200s.
Boeing uses two characteristics to define their 777 models. The first is the fuselage size, which affects the number of passengers and amount of cargo that can be carried. The 777-200 and derivatives are the base size. A few years later, the aircraft was stretched into the 777-300.
The second characteristic is range. Boeing defined these three segments:
A market: 3,900 to 5,200 nautical miles (7,223 to 9,630 km) B market: 5,800 to 7,700 nautical miles (10,742 to 14,260 km) C market: 8,000 nautical miles (14,816 km) and greater These markets are also used to compare the 777 to its competitor, the Airbus A340.
When referring to variants of the 777, Boeing and the airlines often collapse the model (777) and the capacity designator (200 or 300) into a smaller form, either 772 or 773. Subsequent to that they may or may not append the range identifier. So the base 777-200 may be referred to as a "772" or "772A", while a 777-300ER would be referred to as a "773ER", "773B" or "77W". Any of these notations may be found in aircraft manuals or airline timetables.
Originally known as the 777-200IGW (for "increased gross weight"), the longer-range B market 777-200ER (772B) features additional fuel capacity, with increased MTOW range from 580,000 to 631,000 pounds (263 to 286 tonnes) and range capability between 6,000 and 7,700 nautical miles (11,000 to 14,260 km). ER stands for Extended Range. The first 777-200ER was delivered to British Airways in February 1997, who also were the first carrier to launch, in 2001, a 10 abreast economy configuration in this airframe, which had originally been designed for a maximum 9 abreast configuration.
The 777-200ER can be powered by any two of a number of engines: the 84,000 lbf (374 kN) Pratt & Whitney PW4084 or Rolls-Royce Trent 884, the 85,000 lbf (378 kN) GE90-85B, the 90,000 lbf (400 kN) PW4090, GE90-90B1, or Trent 890, or the 92,000 lbf (409 kN) GE90-92B or Trent 892. In 1998 Air France took delivery of a 777-200ER powered by GE90-94B engines capable of 94,000 lbf (418 kN) thrust. The Rolls Royce Trent 800 is the leading engine for the 777 with a total market share of 43%. The engine is used on the majority of 777-200s, ERs and 300s but is not offered for the 200LR and 300ER.
On March, 1997, China Southern Airlines made history by flying the 1st Boeing 777 scheduled transpacific route, which was the flagship Guangzhou-Los Angeles route. On April 2, 1997, a Boeing 777-200ER, tail registration 9M-MRA (dubbed the "Super Ranger") of Malaysia Airlines, broke the Great Circle Distance Without Landing record for an airliner by flying east (the long way) from Boeing Field, Seattle, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a distance of 20,044 km (10,823 nmi), in 21 hours, 23 minutes, more than a scheduled range of B777-200LR. The flight was non-revenue with no passengers on board. The plane is also recognized for another feat; the longest ETOPS-related emergency flight diversion (192 minutes under one engine power) was conducted on a United Airlines' Boeing 777-200ER carrying 255 passengers on March 17, 2003 over the southern Pacific Oceanâ€â€not without causing regulatory consternation.
The direct equivalents to the 777-200ER from Airbus are the Airbus A340-300 and the proposed A350-900.
As of August 2007, a total of 397 Boeing 777-200ER aircraft were in airline service, with 34 further firm orders.
The 777 Freighter (777F) is an all-cargo version of the 777-200 which is expected to enter service in late 2008. It amalgamates features from the 777-200LR and the 777-300ER, using the -200LR's structural upgrades and 110,000 lbf (489 kN) GE90-110B1 engines, combined with the fuel tanks and undercarriage of the -300ER.
With a maximum payload of 103 tons, the 777F's capacity will be similar to the 112 tons of the 747-400F, with a nearly identical payload density. As Boeing's forthcoming 747-8 will offer greater payload than the -400F, Boeing is targeting the 777F as a replacement for older 747F and MD-11F freighters. It was launched on May 23, 2005.
The 777F promises improved operating economics compared to existing 100+ ton payload freighters. With the same fuel capacity as the 777-300ER, the 777F will have a range of 4,895 nmi (9,065 km) at maximum payload, although greater range will be possible if less weight is carried. For example, parcel and other carriers which are more concerned with volume than weight will be able to make non-stop trans-Pacific flights.
Airbus currently has no comparable aircraft but is developing two models with similar specifications to the 777F. The A330-200F will carry less payload but is a smaller and a cheaper alternative. With a capacity of around 90 tons the proposed A350-900F will be a more capable competitor, although slightly smaller than the 777F. The MD-11F is another comparable aircraft but with less range than the 777F. When the 777F enters service in 2008, it is expected to be the longest-range freighter in the world. The 747-400ERF can carry more cargo and travel farther than the 777F, but the 747-8F replacing it will have less range than the 747-400ERF in the interest of more payload.
On November 7, 2006, FedEx Express canceled its order of ten Airbus A380-800Fs, citing the delays in delivery. FedEx Express said it would buy 15 777Fs instead, with an option to purchase 15 additional 777Fs. FedEx's CEO stated that "the availability and delivery timing of this aircraft, coupled with its attractive payload range and economics, make this choice the best decision for FedEx."
Air Canada and Air France-KLM have signed on as the 777F launch customers. The order for seven aircraft, (five for Air France and two for Air Canada) is worth US$1.5 billion at list prices, and the first delivery will be in 2008. In August 2007, there were firm orders for a total of 54 777 Freighters from 7 airlines.
Incidents
As of February 2008, a total of six incidents involving 777s had occurred, resulting in no fatalities among passengers or crew.
The only known fatality involving a Boeing 777 occurred in a refueling fire at Denver International Airport on September 5, 2001, during which a ground worker sustained fatal burns. Although the aircraft's wings were badly scorched, it was repaired and put back into service with British Airways. On October 18, 2002, An Air France Boeing 777-200 on route from Paris to Los Angeles made an emergency landing in Churchill, Manitoba when a small fire broke out by the front left windshield in the cockpit. Interestingly, passengers in rows 42-44 were the first to notice the odor and alert the flight crew. The aircraft dumped fuel over Hudson Bay before landing at Churchill. Because Churchill's airport does not regularly handle aircraft the size of a 777-200 the passengers deplaned using the slides. On August 24, 2004, A Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-312 had an engine explosion on takeoff at Melbourne Airport. This was due to erosion of the high pressure compression liners in the Rolls-Royce engines. On March 1, 2005, after a PIA Boeing 777-200ER landed at Manchester International Airport, UK, fire was seen around the left main landing gear. The crew and passengers were evacuated and fire was extinguished. Some passengers suffered minor injuries and the aircraft sustained minor damage. On August 1, 2005, Malaysia Airlines Flight 124, a 777-200ER had instruments showing conflicting reports of low airspeed on climb-out from Perth, Western Australia en route to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, then overspeed and stalling. The plane started to pitch up at 41,000 feet, and the pilots disconnected the autopilot and made an emergency landing at Perth. No one was injured. Subsequent examination revealed that one of the aircraft's several accelerometers had failed some years before, and another at the time of the incident. On January 17, 2008, British Airways Flight 38, a 777-200ER flying from Beijing to London, crash-landed approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) short of London Heathrow Airport's runway 27L, and slid onto the runway's threshold. This resulted in damage to the landing gear, wing roots and the engines resulting in the first hull loss being declared for the type. The initial report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch stated that the Rolls-Royce Trent 895 engines repeatedly failed to respond to commands for more thrust from both the autothrottle system and from manual intervention, beginning when the aircraft was at an altitude of 600 feet (180 m) and 2 miles (3.2 km) from touchdown. An adequate fuel quantity was on board the aircraft and the autothrottle and engine control commands were performing as expected prior to, and after, the reduction in thrust.
