The new 777 SWAT
 

. . . and this, just in from Boeing:

Boeing Announces New Super-Wide-Aisle Transport (SWAT)...

Boeing Commercial Airplane Group president Alan Mulally last week announced that the 747 and 777 production lines will be merged at the company's Everett, Wash., facility. The
move is the latest in belt-tightening at the U.S.'s largest civil transport manufacturer and comes in a month when its popular 737 model is under fire for rudder control
problems. "Sales of the 747 are just not where we need them to be to maintain the line's profitability," Mulally said. "Our product development folks have been working on this problem for some time. We feel we have the correct airplane that our customers will want to purchase and operate well into the next century."

...Offering 777 Technology Plus 747 Hump

Boeing announced firm orders from United Airlines, British Airways and Singapore Airlines for the company's new 777-SWAT model. The new airplane is basically a 777-300 with the forward one-third of the fuselage widened by the addition of lateral bulges, increasing the width of the First Class section by nearly 50%. "Extensive discussions with our airline customers
indicated that the only feature they would miss if we discontinued the 747 would be the characteristic 'hump' on the forward fuselage." The 777-SWAT will have approximately the same range as the current 777-300, but will have a heavier gross
weight to accommodate the new wider forward cabin area. Sources tell AVweb that some airport jetways may need to be shortened to serve the newest Boeing.

[not original to me]

That definitely looks like an "April 1" news release ...

I noted on the AVWEB site that it had a release date of Thursday, March 32, 1999!

KatW, the poker player....

The last sentence gives it away.

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