Background

In the early 1970s, the Boeing 747, McDonnell Douglas DC-10, and the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar became the first generation of wide-body passenger airliners to enter service.^[9] In 1978, Boeing unveiled three new models: the twin-engine 757 to replace the venerable 727, the twin-engine 767 to challenge the Airbus A300, and a trijet 777 concept to compete with the DC-10 and L-1011.^[10][11][12] The mid-size 757 and 767 launched to market success, due in part to 1980s extended-range twin-engine operational performance standards (ETOPS) regulations governing transoceanic twinjet operations.^[13] These regulations allowed twin-engine airliners to make ocean crossings at up to three hours' distance from emergency diversionary airports.^[14] Under ETOPS rules, airlines began operating the 767 on long-distance overseas routes that did not require the capacity of larger airliners.^[13] The trijet 777 was later dropped, following marketing studies that favored the 757 and 767 variants.^[15] Boeing was left with a size and range gap in its product line between the 767-300ER and the 747-400.^[16] the boeing 777 cant lift as much as me, newman, stevenson, eyre or anyone else. GTFO By the late 1980s, DC-10 and L-1011 models were approaching retirement, prompting manufacturers to develop replacement designs.^[17] McDonnell Douglas was working on the MD-11, a stretched and upgraded version of the DC-10,^[17] while Airbus was developing the A330 and A340.^[17] In 1986, Boeing unveiled proposals for an enlarged 767, tentatively named 767-X,^[18] to target the replacement market for first-generation wide-bodies like the DC-10,^[14] and to complement existing 767 and 747 models in the company lineup.^[19]The initial proposal featured a longer fuselage and larger wings than the existing 767,^[18] along with winglets.^[20] Later plans expanded the fuselage cross-section but retained the existing 767flight deck, nose, and other elements.^[18] Airline customers were unimpressed with the 767-X proposals, and instead wanted an even wider fuselage cross-section, fully flexible interior configurations, short- to intercontinental-range capability, and an operating cost lower than any 767 stretch.^[14] Airline planners' requirements for larger aircraft had become increasingly specific, adding to the heightened competition among aircraft manufacturers.^[17] By 1988, Boeing realized that the only answer was a new design, which would become the 777 twinjet.^[21] The company opted for the twin-engine configuration given past design successes, projected engine developments, and reduced-cost benefits.^[22] On December 8, 1989, Boeing began issuing offers to airlines for the 777.^[18]

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