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Aviation History
2000
2000 - 0400.PDF
ASIAN AEROSPACE 2000 Cathay Pacific pushed for the stretched 111 front the start of the project. It operates seven -300s (SIA) is Boeing's largest 777 customer, with orders and options for 61 R-R-powered exam ples, ofwhich 18 have been delivered. The air line's initial examples were the smaller -2 00, the first ofwhich was delivered in May 1997. The first -3 00 arrived in December 1998 and five are in service, with six more to be delivered through to 2001. The -300s are configured with a three- class 332- seat layout and are operated from Singapore on key Asian trunk routes such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Manila, as well as to Australia (Perth and Melbourne), Japan (Fukuoka and Hiroshima) and the Middle East (Dubai and Cairo). SIA'S EXPERIENCE SIA says it participated in ground manoeuvra bility exercises and provided feedback into the installation of the 777-300's ground manoeu vring cameras. The Singaporean carrier high lights the aircraft's spacious cabin interior, the design of the cockpit and the architecture of the avionics - which it says are "almost similar in feel and instrumentation to a 747-400" - as the 777-300's strengths. It points to ground man oeuvring restrictions on such a long aircraft as a weakness, saying that this causes problems at some airports "such as in Shanghai" when a 180° turn is required on a 150ft-wide runway. "The aircraft's performance is up to expecta tions. .. [although] the cabin noise level is high at the rear end, which is also subject to a 'fishtail- ing' effect," says SIA. It says improvements are required to reduce the rear cabin noise level and the hum, audible in the cabin, from the electric hydraulics pump in the centre fuselage. Further, the airline highlights the lack of humidifiers as a weakness. The carrier says the aircraft's fuel economy "has been satisfactory and up to expectations". As a major derivative of a design which was promoted as "service ready" at introduction, it is no surprise that the operators are generally satisfied with the 777-300's initial performance and reliability. The aircraft's recent sales success has probably not matched Boeing's original tar get, but this reflects more the Asian downturn and the current trend away from high-capacity aircraft than an underlying fault with the con cept. Developing the longer range -300X model is vital, however, if this giant twinjet is to realise its true potential as a 747 successor. • in service with JAL and ANA since mid- 1998 have been reliable, says P& W, which reports an in-flight shutdown (IFSD) rate of zero for the fleet. More PW4090s are in service with the -200s, and some problems have resulted in removals and shutdowns with their 113 engines. Dispatch reliability for the PW4090 fleet as a whole, including the -300s, is 99.93%, while unscheduled engine removal rate is 0.26% and shop visit rate 0.030%. The IFSD rate stands at 0.007%, while total engine time was 592,000h by the start of February. The engine maker encountered severe development issues with the high thrust PW4098 version, which subsequently slipped behind schedule by almost a year. P&W PW4098 model manager John Danielson reports, however, that the limited fleet of three PW4098-powered 777-300s in service with KAL has proved to be dependable in service, with a dis patch reliability of 100%. Unscheduled engine removals and IFSD rates are therefore at zero. • R-R's engine is the most popular on the -300 SIA finds the 777-300 s great length a problem at certain airports such as Shanghai where 180° turns are required ^ FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 15 - 21 February 2000
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