Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the Boeing Company has long symbolized technologic prowess. It is in fact the United State's number one exporter. The development of the 777 transport family represents a major evolutionary advance for both the company itself and aviation in general.

The Boeing Company's long-term sales strategy involves using advanced design and manufacturing techniques to "hold the line on price and progressively reduce the operating cost of its transports" (Proctor, 1994, pp. 48-49). The 777 family of aircraft are an integral part of that plan. In order to meet continuously changing market conditions, the Boeing Company has designed several different models. The "A-market" and "B-market" 777s are available in a total of six gross weights, and can carry between 305 and 375 passengers from 3,550 to 7,380 nautical miles (Proctor, 1994, pp. 48-49). In addition, an all-economy configuration is available which can carry 440 passengers.

At first glance, the 777 appears similar to other Boeing transports. It has lightly swept wings, a standard tail, and two wing-mounted turbofan engines (Gottschalk, 94, pp. 50, 52). The initial model, the Boeing 777-200, was introduced in May 1995 (Main, 1992, pp. 102-104, 108, 112, 116-117). It has an overall length of about 209 feet and a fuselage diameter of 20 feet 4 inches. It offe

"The jumbo war". (1991, June 15). The jumbo war. The Economist, 319, 65-66.

rs two-class seating for 328 passengers. The Boeing 777-200's standard take-off weight is 506,000 lbs., although its structural design allows for an optional maximum take-off weight of 515,000 lbs. The aircraft's range is 4,950 nautical miles (Tortolano, 1991, pp. 122-134).

"A paper dart against Boeing". (1994, June 11). The Economist, 331, 61.

"777's fly-by-wire flight control system configured for good handling and ease of pilot transition". (1991, June 3). Aviation Week & Space Technology, 134, 58.

"A330 flies with Trent 700s". (1994, February 7). Aviation Week & Space Technology, 140, 17.

The 777's flight deck is essentially an enhanced version of the 747-400 cockpit. Boeing's primary objectives included the following: (1) to optimize pilot's situational awareness both inside and outside the aircraft; (2) to keep crew attention focused outside the cockpit; and (3) to design in growth potential for future informational needs. The instrument panel contains six 8 x 8-inch color electronic displays. Two are positioned in front of each pilot: One for primary flight information, and the other for navigation (Scott, 1991, pp. 52, 57-58). In addition, there are also two multifunction displays stacked in the center of the panel (Hughes, 1995, pp. 42-43, 46-48). Rather than using cathode-ray tubes, the Boeing 777 employs advanced Honeywell color liquid crystal flat panels (Scott, 1991, pp. 52, 57-58).

One event that focused considerable attention on the Airbus Flight Management System and the Flight Envelope Protection System was the crash of an A330 at Toulouse, France on June 30, 1994. The accident--which occurred during a test flight, 45 seconds after takeoff--killed seven. The test pilots were simulating left en