777 to get folding wings...

[Torquelink]

History seems to indicate that, in the end, the airports adapt to the aircraft rather than vice versa. Maybe apocryphal but legend had it that on instruction from BOAC Vickers designed the VC10 with a big high-lift wing and lots of power in order to operate into short runways at high elevations in east Africa. Boeing and Douglas, meanwhile, designed the 707/DC8 to meet the majority of major airport runway lengths and consequently gave their aircraft better economics than the VC10. Of course, in time, the east African airports just extended their runways in order to accommodate the 707and DC8 and the rest, as they say, is history (Super VC10 notwithstanding).

Given that the 777X is 8 -10 years away from service entry, I suspect the airports have enough time make adjustments to accommodate "hingeless" aircraft.

[MurphyWasRight]

Quote:
and shift to a Code F classification upon entering the runway

Yes, that would be one checklist item you really wouldn't want to overlook.

A while ago I read in Naval Aviation News (published by US Navy as I recall) that at the time the Navy had (inadvertantly of course) launched at least one of every folding wing aircraft type they had ever used with the wings still folded.

This despite assigning crew members to explicitly check before launch. (Naturally same story applies for wheels up landings)

A surprising percentage were able to unfold and recover after launch.