Boeing 777X first flight postponed because of winds
Boeing's newest airliner, the 777X, will have to wait for another day to make its first flight. The company called off its planned Friday test flight because of windy conditions, after the aircraft sat on the runway for about four hours.
A next-generation model in the 26-year-old 777 family, the 777X is the first commercial aircraft with fold-up wingtips. Like Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, the aircraft is made from composite materials and has larger windows and a redesigned passenger cabin. Able to carry more people and fly farther than existing 777 models, it'll be the most efficient twin-engine plane in the world, Boeing says.
The next attempt will come on Saturday, Boeing said in a tweet:
" Update #777X First Flight: We’ll try again tomorrow starting at 10 a.m. Wind levels prevented us from flying today. We will continue to provide updates on our website and through social media "
The plane's standout feature is the movable wingtips that'll cut the aircraft's enormous wingspan from 235 feet down to just under 213 feet, letting the 777X fit on existing airport taxiways and at terminal gates where older 777s can operate. The Airbus A380's 261-foot wingspan forced airports to make expensive modifications when the double-decker plane debuted in 2007, something Boeing wants to avoid.