Boeing reactivates 4th 777X prototype
The 777-9 certification program is expected to have its fourth test aircraft again.
Boeing has reactivated prototype WH004 (N779XZ) at its Everett facility. The widebody test aircraft should return to flying soon, according to @b77xlovers, who follows the aircraft.
The twin-engine aircraft has been out of service for three years and four months after joining the 777X development program in September 2020.
Without the characteristic paint job of Boeing test aircraft, WH004 features a white fuselage, with only the manufacturer’s logo applied.
The N77XZ jet is responsible for testing the environmental control system, noise and long-haul ETOPS flights.
Boeing resumed certification flights with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in January after a pause that began in August last year when cracks in the thrust struts were found.
The three other test aircraft have been flying regularly. On Friday, April 11, N779XX made a 4-hour, 16-minute flight from Seattle Boeing Field while N779XY departed from the same airport for Moses Lake.
The third 777X (N779XW) has been in Clinton, Oklahoma, since early April, after a flying season in Roswell.
Boeing plans to obtain type certification for the 777-9 between the end of the year and early 2026. There are more than 480 orders in the pipeline, according to the planemaker, including the 777-8 and 777-8F (freighter) variants.
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