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Boeing's first 777 twinjet successfully completed its first flight on June 12, 1994 (correction: not June 14) from Everett, launching what the company says will be the most comprehensive flight test programme in history. The flight lasted three hours and 48 minutes, the Pratt & Whitney PW4074 powered airliner (uprated to PW4084 for production) being put through a number of manoeuvres, although bad weather kept the 777 to a maximum altitude of 19,000ft. During the flight, the fly-by-wire flight controls behaved as advertised, and only two minor malfunctions were detected. The first 777 (registration N7771, line number WA001) has been christened 'Working Together', reflecting the new approach Boeing, its suppliers, and customers took in developing the 777. The aircraft was due to make a further five test flights from Everett before being based at Boeing Field in Seattle for the majority of its certification programme. (Boeing)
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Us Cancels Mls:
The US Federal Aviation Administration has cancelled further work on the Microwave Landing System (MLS) in favour of the Global Positioning System (GPS). The move comes a year before the scheduled decision as to which system was to be pursued as a replacement for the long established ILS. The decision was due to be made next year at an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) meeting but the American MLS programme has beensales terminated early to save money. Contracts with the companies involved have been cancelled as have the FAA’s plans to purchase 1250 Category II and III MLSs. These were expected to be worth up to $US2.6bn. The FAA says that GPS has “greater potential to do a better job” and the move has pleased the US airlines which have always opposed the replacement of ILS by MLS. The USA’s unilateral decision on MLS affects only airports in that part of the world and could therefore create some confusion, especially as ICAO is yet to make a ruling. Europe is at the moment committed to introducing MLS from 1998 as the only system which will be available on time to meet its requirements. There is no guarantee that GPS will work, as conclusive trials with Category III equipment have yet to be carried out. If it is not successful, the FAA says MLS can be acquired “on the open market”, although analysts have questioned what incentives manufacturers now have to continue development of MLS. The FAA’s decision also seems to make the MLS trials which have been conducted at Canberra Airport over the last couple of years now somewhat irrelevant.
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