The Engineering Behind the Boeing 777
The Engineering Behind the Boeing 777 : Why Pilots Love It By a correspondent who has spent months crawling through engine nacelles There’s a moment familiar to anyone who has been in a commercial flight deck. Since entering service with United Airlines in June 1995, the 777 has built an impressive safety and reliability record that is almost embarrassing for earlier aircraft. It was the first commercial jetliner designed entirely on computer, without a single physical mock-up. Three decades later, it remains the backbone of long-haul operations at Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and many others. This only happened because of bold engineering decisions made in Everett, Washington. Let’s look at what really makes this machine stand out. Twin Engines, Widebody, Transoceanic, and the Boldness of ETOPS-180 When Boeing suggested a twin-engine widebody for transoceanic routes, regulators and competitors thought they misunderstood. Long-haul overwater flying had always belon...