The Boeing 777X, an ambitious revamp of the company’s iconic 777 passenger aircraft, will be largest twin-engine airplane in the world—in fact, it will be too big to fit into a standard airport gate. But U.S. regulators have just approved a groundbreaking new wing design to help solve that problem.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved a design straight out of science fiction: the massive wings of the plane will fold upwards after landing so the plane can park at existing airport gates, eliminating the need for airports to build entirely new gates to accommodate the hulking aircraft.
The new wings will be made out of carbon-fiber composites, which are stronger and lighter than the aluminum currently used by large commercial aircraft. The carbon-fiber material enabled engineers to extend the width of the aircraft’s wings by 23 feet over existing aircraft designs. However, while the aircraft’s longer wings make the plane more fuel efficient and improve its aerodynamic efficiency, they also make the aircraft too wide to fit into current airport gates.
“For that reason, we developed the folding wingtip, so that in flight we can enjoy this very long, efficient span, but it will be able to operate at any airport, any gate, that today’s 777 can service,” said Terry Beezhold, the plane’s chief project engineer.
The 777X will be the only commercial jet in widespread use to employ a hinged design—a feature that to date has only been seen on military jets. Boeing claims that a set of locking mechanisms will prevent the wings from folding while the aircraft is airborne.
Current aviation design standards never envisioned an aircraft with foldable wings, so the FAA had to devise a new set of regulations.
Hinged wings could create potential safety issues, according to the regulator: if the plane tried to take off with a still-folded wing, the results could be disastrous. The FAA insisted that Boeing must have multiple automatic warning systems to ensure that pilots won’t ever try lifting off without the aircraft’s wingtips fully extended.
In addition, the FAA required Boeing to demonstrate that the wingtips could never be accidentally unlocked during flight or as a result of massive force or torque.
As innovative as this design feature is, Boeing is taking a risk in its commitment to the 777X as the demand for wide body airliners has been trending downward. In fact, the company struggled to build momentum for the 777X after its launch 2013. Foldable wings that allow the aircraft to park at existing airport gates should help boost its sales.
Boeing anticipates that its 777X planes will be ready for boarding in 2020.
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