Infact, The Boeing 777-200 was originally designed with a much longer folding wing option in order to use airport gates that had been built to accommodate fleets of DC-10s/767s & save on fees.
The 196 foot 11 inch wingspan, presented gate compatibility & taxiway congestion problems to many potential customers. Boeing’s solution was to offer folding wings that reduce the span by 41 feet.
Although the folding wing idea seemed practical & convenient, the folding wings would have added additional 2500 lb of weight penalty & complexity thus elevating operating costs.
As of yet, no airline has ordered this option and no 777s with it have been built, although all 777’s are equipped with provisions allowing them to be converted to folding wing configuration should the need arise.
Author – Arjun Singh ( Captain A320 )
