BOEING IS REVISING its options for the proposed 777-100X after admitting that interest in the extra-long-range market appears to be "dormant."
The company is now studying a "short body 777-100X for all ranges," as a way of encouraging airlines to use the entire family of 777s and maximising the benefits of commonality. Boeing believes that, in its revised role, the shortened twin could be a viable Airbus A310 and A300-600R replacement, as well as successor to earlier versions of its own 767.
"The big issue we're trying to work on now is how much weight we can add to the empty weight without it being too great a penalty," says the company. The weight penalty, estimated at "several thousand kilogrammes" would be in the form of a strengthened wing structure needed to allow the -100X to be used on a long-range 15,700km (8,500nm) mission.
If the aircraft were to be assigned to medium or current inter-continental routes it would carry unnecessary structural weight, a disadvantage Boeing is seeking to minimise in its current studies.
Source: Flight International
