global briefing
WORLD
test update
// BOEING 777X
COMPLETES FIRST FLIGHT
Boeing’s latest airliner, the 777X,
which is the largest twin-engined
jet ever developed, made its
maiden flight at the start of 2020,
signalling that the aircraft
is entering the next phase of its
test program.
Test aircraft WH001 took off
from Paine Field in Everett,
Washington at 10:09 local time
on January 25 for a three hour, 51
minute flight over Washington
state before landing at Seattle’s
Boeing Field. The flight was
postponed twice on January 23
and 24 due to high winds.
WH001 is the first of
four 777-9 flight test
airplanes and will
now undergo checks
before resuming
testing. Ground testing of
all the test aircraft began in
Everett last year.
The 777X is Boeing’s first
commercial jet to feature folding
wingtips, which extend its
wingspan from 212ft (64.8m) to
235ft (71.8m) while taking-off and
in the air.
Washington, USA
6 MARCH \\ AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM
// FIRST FULLY AUTOMATIC
VISION BASED TAKE-OFF
Airbus has performed the first
fully automatic vision-based
take-off with a test aircraft at
Toulouse-Blagnac Airport.
The test crew comprised of
two pilots, two flight test
engineers and a test flight
engineer. A total of eight
automatic, vision-based
take-offs were conducted over
four and a half hours.
The test aircraft used for
the test program was
fitted with an
autonomous system
that used cameras and
image recognition to
guide it during take-off.
Airbus’ Autonomous Taxi,
Take-Off and Landing project was
launched in June 2018 and is one
of the projects being developed
by the company to better
understand the impact of
autonomy on aircraft. The next
steps will see automatic visionbased
taxi and landing
sequences taking place by the
middle of 2020.
The company’s stated aim is
to develop autonomous
technologies with the pilot “at
the heart of operations”.
Toulouse, France
// WRIGHT ELECTRIC
MOVES PREMISES
USA-based startup Wright
Electric is scaling up
development of the hybrid
electric propulsion system for its
186-seat aircraft.
The 10-person company is
moving its headquarters and is
to build a laboratory in Albany,
New York to test the 1.5MW
electric motor and 3kV inverter
that will be used in its electric
commercial passenger airliner.
Wright Electric is partnering
with European airline EasyJet
and business aviation services
provider Jetex to develop the
narrowbody aircraft for entry
into service during 2030.
New York, USA
// TRUSS-BRACED WING
TESTED IN WIND TUNNEL
Researchers at NASA’s Ames
Research Center in the USA are
testing a truss-based wing
concept for transport aircraft in
wind tunnels.
The research program, which
is being undertaken with Boeing
aims to develop a longer, thinner
and lighter wing that uses a
brace for support.
Boeing and NASA have been
researching and testing similar
designs for almost a decade.
The researchers predict that
the lower drag truss-braced
wing will reduce fuel burn and
carbon emissions by at least
50% when compared to current
generation transport aircraft and
by 4 to 8% compared to
equivalent advanced technology
conventional configurations with
unbraced wings. The wind
tunnel model tested has a 50%
greater wingspan than a
comparable aircraft.
Engineers are using computer
modeling of aerodynamics to
iterate the design in order to
minimize aerodynamic drag and
increase lift.
California, USA
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