Commercial jets are getting bigger but airports aren't. To solve this problem, the Boeing 777-9x's wing will fold.
At 235 feet, 5 inches (71.8 meters) the 777-9x has the biggest wingspan of any aircraft to come out of Boeing. As CNN noted, "It's wider than four 53-foot (16-meter) semi-truck trailers parked end to end."
Reportedly, the twin-engine passenger jet will have hinged wingtips - measuring 12 feet - that fold so it won't hit anything while in transit on airport taxiways. In flight, locking pins secure the wingtips in place, Boeing told CNN.
The increased wingspan brings extra lift and more fuel savings compared to its rival, the Airbus A350-1000. The aerospace giant claimed the 777-9x saves 12 percent more fuel overall than its rival.
The aircraft's wings will reportedly be made at a Boeing facility in Everett, Wash. through a baking process. Those parts will be made from carbon-fiber reinforced plastic. But the rest of the plane won't be as using the material would prolong the development process, according to a Boeing spokesman.
Apart from the Boeing 777-9x wing, everything else about the aircraft will be big. CNN said at least 400 passengers can fit inside its cabin which will be 16 inches (40 centimeters) wider than the A350.
This translates to more room inside with economy-class seats up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) wide. Better views also await passengers with windows said to be 15 percent larger than other passenger jets. They will be placed on eye level for most passengers.
Powering the 777-9x will be two GE Aviation GE9X turbine engines.
"Amazingly, the engines' fuel nozzle tips will be created via a process called additive manufacturing - aka 3-D printing," CNN said.
Six carriers, including Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Luthansa, have ordered 320 aircraft, according to Boeing. The Boeing 777-9x begins production in 2017. Deliveries for the super wide body aircraft are scheduled for 2020.
