Leading American manufacturer GE Aerospace is building the world’s largest jet engine for Boeing’s coming 777X — and it needs a massive plane to test it.
The enginemaker bought a now-32-year-old Boeing 747-400 from Japan Airlines in 2010 to serve as its modern Flying Test Bed, or FTB. It replaced the aging Boeing 747-100 that GE had had since 1992.
The latest FTB, which Business Insider toured at the UK’s Farnborough International Airshow in July, has one main purpose: to test and prove the industry’s newest commercial engines.
Thousands of feet of cables line its cabin, all connecting to test sensors, computer stations, and giant metal boxes…
Read the full article at BUSINESSINSIDER.COM
