Following WH001’s successful first flight on January 25th, Boeing has offered additional details about the flight test campaign for its newest widebody.
So far (February 7th), N779XW (WH001) has performed 5 flight tests out of Boeing Field (BFI), where it is based. Over the next year, WH001 will be used to test avionics and related systems, brakes, flutter, icing, stability, control and low-speed aerodynamics. According to Boeing, three more 777X, all of them currently on the Everett flight line, will join the flight test program by the second quarter.
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WH002 (N779XX) will test auto-land, ground effects, stability and control, while WH003 (N779XY) will test the auxiliary power unit, avionics, flight loads and propulsion performance. As for WH004 (N779XZ), it will be used to test the environmental control system, extended twin-engine operations, noise and general functionality and reliability.
VIDEO / Watch Boeing’s 777X performing its first flight on January 25th.
Boeing intends to certify the 777X as a 777 variant, not as an entirely new aircraft. Although Boeing won’t give a specific timeline, certification of the 777X is expected to take place in January 2021. “We’re taking the lessons learned from the 737 MAX and applying them to the 777X to ensure we are as prepared as possible for 777X certification”, Boeing says. “Given the unknowns around development programmes, as well as the certification process, we do not want to be overly specific about hours of testing or timing.” via FlightGlobal
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