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Boeing's folding wingtips get the FAA green light
Passengers on Boeing's new line of 777 planes might not have to take a bus from the gate across the tarmac, despite much larger wings potentially making it difficult for the aircraft to navigate terminals. That's because the company received Federal Aviation Administration approval today for its folding wingtips -- those will let the planes stop at airport gates big enough to accommodate typical 777 models.
GE test-flies the world's largest jet engine
Airliners are growing ever bigger to haul more people per flight, which means they need appropriately massive engines -- and GE Aviation is happy to oblige. It recently conducted the first test flight of the GE9X, widely billed as the world's largest jet engine. It's easy to believe the claim from a glimpse (it's as wide as a Boeing 737), but the specs back it up as well: it has a whopping 11.2ft diameter front fan that, combined with carbon fiber blades, a next-gen high-pressure compressor and a new combustor, puts out over 100,000 pounds of thrust. For comparison, some of the earliest GE90 engines aboard Boeing 777s kicked out 'just' 74,000 pounds.