• 787-8 Dreamliner
    Boeing
    Stock Code:
    BA
    Date Founded:
    1916-07-15
    CEO:
    Dave Calhoun
    Headquarters Location:
    Chicago, USA
    Key Product Lines:
    Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787
    Business Type:
    Planemaker

Boeing has unveiled the aircraft that it will use as the platform for the next iteration of its famous ecoDemonstrator program. The jet of choice is a 20-year-old 777-200ER, which has spent most of its career at Singapore Airlines. Let's take a close look at the aircraft, and what Boeing has to say about its usage.

Going large

The mighty widebody, which bears the registration N861BC, is one of the largest aircraft that Boeing has used in the program to date. Overall, it is the fourth widebody in a total pool of nine aircraft to have been used as ecoDemonstrators, with the others being a 787-8 (2014), a 777F (2018), and a standard 777-200 (2019).

Last year, I was lucky enough to visit Glasgow to check out the 737 MAX 9 that Boeing was using as its ecoDemonstrator at the time. This time around, I also had the chance to view N861BC in person at Boeing Field, and the sheer size of the aircraft compared to its narrowbody predecessor was quite something.

The enormity of the jet will offer Boeing considerable flexibility when it comes to having space to test the 30 technologies at the heart of the new iteration of the program. These include SMART vortex generators, a water conservation system that saves around 400 lbs (180 kg) per flight, and a hands-free bathroom door and lock.

Boeing 777 ecoDemonstrator
Photo: Jake Hardiman | Simple Flying

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Why the 777-200ER?

There are various differences between the 777-200ER and the 737 MAX 9 that previously served as the latest ecoDemonstrator platform. As such, you might wonder why Boeing made such a radical change in the aircraft used. As it happens, there were several reasons for the switch. Speaking this week at Boeing Field, the company's VP of Product Development, Mike Sinnett, explained:

"We wanted a triple-seven for a number of reasons related to the navigational capability of the airplane. (...) It really just came down to which model, and where we could get something that made economic sense for us for a couple of years."

In terms of having the aircraft at its disposal for multiple years, N861BC is an ideal aircraft for Boeing. Being almost two decades old, it isn't exactly hot property for passenger-carrying airlines, but will still function well as a testbed for the manufacturer. This contrasts with the 737 MAX 9 it used last year, which was brand new, and yet to be delivered to its eventual customer (Alaska Airlines, in this case).

20220614_132728
Mike Sinnett explained that there were various reasons why N861BC was a good fit for this iteration of the program. Photo: Jake Hardiman | Simple Flying

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The aircraft in question

N861BC's next few years will represent a rather different kind of flying compared to what it was previously accustomed to. Data from ch-aviation.com shows that it initially spent more than 15 years flying passengers for Singapore Airlines, serving the carrier between November 2002 and March 2018. Then, in May that year, it transferred to Air New Zealand, where it stayed for 10 months.

After leaving the Kiwi carrier in March 2019, Surinam Airways picked it up in November that year. It served this airline for just over a year, eventually departing in March 2021. Interestingly, when Simple Flying got the chance to look inside the aircraft this week, it had only just had its seats taken out! Now, it will be fitted with test equipment, ahead of the next phase of its career.

What do you make of Boeing's latest ecoDemonstrator aircraft? Were you aware of this sustainability-driven program? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!