CIVIL NEWS
8 Aviation News incorporating Jets November 2018
Cathay Paci c and Boeing have donated the
rst-built Boeing 777 to the Pima Air & Space
Museum in Arizona. The 777-200 aircraft (line
number WA001, registered B-HNL) was own
from Cathay Paci c’s base in Hong Kong to
Arizona. It arrived in the US on September- The jet will now be displayed permanently
at the museum alongside more than 350
other aircraft.
Cathay Paci c CEO Rupert Hogg said: “As
the world’s very rst 777, B-HNL holds a very
special place in the history of both our airline
and that of commercial aviation, and we are
very pleased it will soon bring enjoyment to
enthusiasts at its new home in Arizona.
“Our 777-200 aircraft have served us
exceptionally well over the last two decades,
and as we progressively retire these over themonths ahead, we eagerly look forward to
welcoming the state-of-the art 777-9s into our
eet from 2021,” he added.
Boeing rst ew the aircraft on June 12,
1994 and continued to use it for testing until
it joined Cathay Paci c’s eet in 2000. It was
retired from service this May after 18 years
of service and 20,519 ights, during which it
recorded 49,687 hours of ying time.The rst Boeing 777 to be built, line number WA001, is now
on permanent display in Arizona. Pima Air & Space MuseumFirst 777 Built is Donated to Pima Museum777X BreaksCover
The rst of Boeing’s new twin-aisle aircraft
family has rolled off the nal assembly line
at Everett, Washington State. Although
not destined for the skies, the rst 777X
was towed to a nearby building where it
will be prepared for a 12-month testing
programme, which is scheduled to start
towards the end of the year.
The manufacturer says that 777X
testing has been under way since 2015 in
laboratories, wind tunnels and simulations,
but a full-scale example is needed to verify
the design strength and accuracy of the
analytical model used during the type’s
design process. As part of previous static
testing, the aircraft’s all-new carbon- bre
wings – the largest Boeing has ever built- at 235ft 5in (71.78m), were subjected to
150% of their design load, resulting in a
wing ex of 26ft (7.9m).
Doreen Bingo, Boeing test & evaluation
777X test programme manager, explained:
“Static test is our opportunity to verify the
design of the structure and load bearing
components of the aeroplane, ensuring
that the nal product is safe for our
customers and the ying public. Using a
full-scale aircraft, we’ll run various load
conditions on the wings, landing gear,
struts and the fuselage.”
Boeing has con rmed initial aircraft are
already in production, and the ight test
programme is scheduled to start late next
year, with customer deliveries beginning
after the type’s certi cation in 2020.
CIVIL ORDERS
Purchaser Aircraft Number Order Placed Notes
CIB Leasing Q400 5 September 4 Converted from CRJ900s
Biman Bangladesh Q400 3 September 10
Aerofl ot SSJ-100 100 September 11
Air Peace 737 MAX 10 10 September 12
Helvetic Airways E190-E2 12 September 26 Order confi rmed
Lufthansa A320/1neo 24 September 28 Converted from options
Qatar Airways 787-10 9 October 1
United Airlines A350-900 5 October 1 Conversions from -The ULM Blois exhibition in France over
September 1 and 2 included a ying
demonstration of the new Pegaso. This high
wing side-by-side two-seat light aircraft
is manufactured by the Italian company,
Aerospace (formerly Promecc). The Pegaso
boasts an all-carbon composite design
with a cantilever wing enabling it to cruise
at 122kts (225km/h). Carrying the Italian
ultra-light registration, I-D060, the aircraft
made its rst ight at the end of July and hadcompleted nine hours’ ying when it arrived
at Blois. It has the same wings and tail unit
as Aerospace’s low-wing Freccia and is
also powered by the 100hp Rotax 912ULS
engine. Unlike the Freccia however, this
aircraft has a xed tricycle undercarriage.
Testing is under way and deliveries should
start in mid-2019. Rod SimpsonDeliveries of the new Aerospace (formerly
Promecc) Pegaso are expected to start in
mid-2019. Rod SimpsonFlying Debut for Aerospace Pegaso