Cold weather = hot tests.

• Author: Peirce, Merrick
• Position: Testing of aircraft in cold weather in Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks' frigid winter temperatures help companies test their products for cold weather. Last January, Boeing Aircraft flew its newest jumbo aircraft, the 777, to this Interior city to measure its performance in temperatures far below zero.

Boeing Aircraft arrived at Fairbanks International Airport in January 1995 to conduct cold-weather tests on its newest airplane, the 777. Wearing United Airlines markings, the $116 million airplane, one of five that Boeing is flight testing, passed the five-day series of tests with "flying colors," says Boeing engineer Jeffrey Goedhard.

Fortunately for Boeing, Fairbanks' weather cooperated during the testing by plunging to as low as minus 48. Originally, Boeing planned to test the 777 in Fairbanks for one day, using six takeoffs and landings. The frigid Fairbanks air changed that plan.

To get the most advantage out of the cold snap, Boeing's engineers and pilots embarked on a three-day testing marathon that included 18 landings and takeoffs at the Fairbanks International Airport. Each flight lasted about 30 minutes. After each flight, the engineers surrounded the 777 to confirm that the various aircraft systems operated as designed.

Tests included such maneuvers as a ground test conducted at minus 48, which required that the 777 be parked on the tarmac overnight while an auxiliary power unit kept it warm. Tests like these are essential, says Goedhard, because, like a house, the 777 has various systems that will freeze if its interior temperature is not adequately maintained.

A Technology Wonder

It took Boeing four years and more than $4 billion to bring the 777 into development. The company incorporated new methods into the design of the aircraft, such as customer input early on in the concept cycle, a new team-oriented approach to design and production, and the most sophisticated testing ever conducted on a Boeing airplane, like the testing which took place in Fairbanks.

Smaller than Boeing's venerable 747, the 777 is larger than the company's 767. Depending on the model ordered, it can carry between 305 and 440 passengers. Boeing widened the body of the aircraft's fuselage by 5 inches, providing more passenger space, wider aisles and up to 80 additional seats more than on other medium-sized jets.

A flexible seating arrangement aboard the 777 allows airlines to move seats, galleys and lavatories in a matter of hours to adapt to changing market conditions. Seating configurations range from six abreast...