Boeing begins 777X high-speed wind tunnel tests

High-speed wind tunnel tests have started for the Boeing 777X. Testing began last week at Boeing’s Transonic Wind Tunnel in Seattle. Last month, engineers started wind tunnel tests at QinetiQ’s facility in Farnborough, U.K., where testing of the low-speed performance of the airplane continues. Subsequent rounds of low-speed and high-speed testing will provide further design refinement and validation of overall airplane performance predictions. Also, wind tunnel tests for noise, icing and propulsion are scheduled in the coming years. Boeing continues to make progress on the 777X program and is on track to reach firm configuration in 2015. The 777X program has 280 orders and commitments from five customers worldwide.