Originally Posted by
tartare
But epic flight this - I see Boeing have proposed a 777-8 variant to do it.
What mods might they make - less freight and additional belly tanks to boost the range?
The 777-8 has just been indefinitely postponed - officially by two years. It was going to be two years after the 777-9 that is now slipping to the right, so that would make any 777-8 more likely 2025 than 2024. It appears that a "777-8F" maycome before the passenger version in Boeing's plans, and that the -8 passenger version may never eventuate.
Leeham News is suggesting (
https://leehamnews.com/2019/08/22/op...f-a-787-10er/, paywalled) that Boeing may now be shifting towards a 787-10ER as their answer. Since Air NZ recently selected the 787-10 for Auckland to New York, it seems they may have been offered an as-yet-unreleased Increased Gross Weight version. It may be much easier for Boeing to build a 787-10ER based on existing plans for a 787-10IGW rather than try to deliver a variant of the 777-8 when that base aircraft just might not be a goer.