777X Powers ON

Or as Aero Space Testing puts it,

"Boeing powers up first 777x test aircraft"

So goes the march towards its first flight. The 777X has become one gigantic poker hand for potential customers. In that some are holding its hand before making a play for ordering the giant. Will more 777X orders come forward for Boeing? Boeing thinks so, but to be perfectly clear, Boeing is depending more on "Seattle's Best Coffee" then a new 777X order at this time. It is nervous until this thing flies and bragging will continue making airlines flinch once more with a business plan for a jet holding 400+ passengers flying 7,600 miles. Could it go farther? Ah, yeah, but the airline would have to toss some passengers and its luggage for more fuel loaded, but the 777-8X may have already done that for the customer with its 350" seat configuration. Even if Boeing sends out a 290 seat aircraft it would approach 9,000 miles of travel comfortably and Qantas is ready to Punch on its Project Sunrise as soon as Boeing comes back after first test flight and says this beast is a modern marvel it can do better than what was promised!

"Power on", is a step in that scenario. Below is the 777-9X airframe thousands of hours before a push out for the cameras and Boeing employees crowding around the airframe on a clear sunny  Everett, Wa day in about sixty days. That's right, only 1,440 hours for Ave Geeks to fix their computers for the big roll-out ceremony having a cheesing Boeing PR person speaking about how many things were accomplished to make this roll-out possible. 

Courtesy of Aero Space Testing Published Photo of its Author

The power on step shown above, is to light up all electrical systems found on the aircraft as if an engine were hung on the wing and supplying its power. Do all the electrical components work as entended? This won't be the last  time Boeing will light-up. Every time something is added, even the paint. an eltrical power on test will occur. The 777X won't fly until everything works and works over and over again. Power cycling this airplane is much like your home computer. Every time it power cycles it resets electronics or it confirms the wiring remains solid as intended. The first power-on checks for smoke, fire and burnoutof everything electrical as that is a common step for all new 777-300ER's coming off the production line. However, this a completly new design and the this airplane requires the power tests that are analysed and recorded for further study. Once those checks are completed it may fly.

In the mean time, other activitie from now until the middle of Frebruary 2019, Boeing will install the enterior components including work stations and corresponding testing equipment and its corresponding seats. First flight is for systems checks and over-all flight characteristics before the road of daily flying occurs for its year long testing period. Sixty days is not far off.