See inside a Boeing 747 used as a 'flying laboratory' to test new engines

GE Aerospace is using a modified Boeing 747-400 as a flying testbed to certify next-generation engines, including the GE9X planned for the Boeing 777X. GE bought the now-32-year-old 747 from Japan Airlines in 2010, replacing an earlier 747-100 used since 1992. The aircraft—touring at Farnborough’s International Airshow in July—has thousands of feet of cabling and extensive instrumentation, with data-gathering hardware filling much of the first floor. So far, the testbed has helped certify engines powering aircraft such as the Airbus A320, Boeing 737, and China’s Comac narrowbodies. The GE9X is rated at 110,000 pounds of thrust and hit 134,300 pounds in testing, while certification was awarded by the FAA in 2020.