View Full Version : What happened to "folding wing" 777?
I recall that when Boeing pitched the 777 many years ago, they proposed folding wings. What happened?
Alpine Flyer
22nd Nov 2000, 11:23
Apparently it carried a substantial weight and price penalty and didn't find any favours with airlines.
If I recall correctly it was designed to propose the 777 to a specific airline (which one I don't recall) whose gates at one or more of its hubs would not fit the 777 otherwise. Maybe the stretch died because this specific airline either failed to order the 777 or changed its gates.
I had a media tour of the 777 line shortly before first deliveries and we were allowed to photograph pretty much what we liked - except the mechanism of the one folding-wing example. Absolute no-no.
Never made sense on cost/benefit grounds however - I wonder what they would say today if an airline said it wanted the folding option.
Clever Bloke
22nd Nov 2000, 19:34
What happened to the only folding wing aircraft?
It was American Airlines that requested the folding wing so it would fit into it's DC-10 gates, but in the end never ordered any planes with this feature (must have upgraded their gates)
AFAIK this was only present on the static test aircraft and has been deleted as an option on the 'Longer Range' 777's