Video - B-777 wing load test at Boeing
 

A short video of Boeing doing the wing load test on the B-777. The wing failed at 154% of design load. The engineers expected it to go at 150%. Does anyone remember where the A-380 wing failed during its load test? I seem to recall it was barely over 100%. This was done back in 95 but I just found it and thought that since FDX is getting this plane next year, it might be ineteresting to see again.

YouTube - Boeing 777 Wing Load Test

It is amazing to see that.

The wings are required to demonstrate 1.5 times (150%) the normal load to get certified. If I remember correctly the A380 was short by a little, less than 5%. I would assume that they had to make changes, but don't recall it being discussed after the initial failure.

It makes me sort sick to see the wings bent up like that.

Interesting, the video highlights Alan Mulally who was representing Ford this week before Congress with hat in hand. Seems his wing did better than Ford. Sure would have liked the economy to have been able to withstand 154% of anticipated stress
:eek:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Mulally

You beat me to it OKLATEX. I am no engineer but I think 150% is a target for engineering and the A-380 came in at like 145% which is still good for certification. What this video does is confirm my feelings that Boeing is superior in engineering construction and design.

As they say:

Airbus builds TIME.

Boeing builds AIRPLANES.

Convair buidls SPEED.

Douglas builds CHARACTER.

What Boeing did was impressive only because it showed that with the use of computers you can get so close to the minimum FAA limits. Don't want to risk putting an extra pound into that strength if you don't need to!

Older designs, including the MD-11, were able to go over 200% during the same type of testing. Why? Because they did not have computers capable of being that accurate, so they overbuilt it.

the number i heard for the 380 was 149.5% or so. they just rounded it up to 150%, meeting regs.

If I remember correctly the original test on the 380 it failed at 1.3something and had to be somewhat redesigned=delayed