People tend to take for granted the technological advances inherent in today’s jet airplanes. For example, the Boeing 777, which was first flown commercially by United Airlines in 1995, has unbelievable power. Each of its gigantic GE-90 engines produces more than 111,000 horsepower, and during take-off, the engines take in 2 million cubic feet (56,634 cubic meters) of air per minute. Needless to say, transportation technology has come a long way since the days of the RMS Titanic, the state-of-the-art ocean liner completed in 1912. All together, the Titanic’s steam engines, powered by 159 coal furnaces, only produced about 46,000 horsepower.
Lucky 7s for the Boeing fleet:
- The Boeing 777 is considered to be the world's longest-range airliner, able to fly more than halfway around the globe. It holds the record for the longest distance flown non-stop by a commercial aircraft.
- The engines on the 777 are so large that they are almost the same diameter as the fuselage of the Boeing 737. Each engine costs about $24 million USD.
- The plane is the world's largest twin-engine jet and has a typical seating capacity of 314 to 396 passengers, with a range of 5,240 to 8,555 nautical miles (9,704 to 15,844 km).