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Boeing 747

707 · 717 · 727 · 737 · 747 · 757 · 767 · 777 · 787
Japan Airlines Boeing 747
Type Airliner
Manufacturer Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Designed by Joe Sutter
Maiden flight 1969-02-09[1]
Introduction 1970 with Pan Am and TWA[1]
Status In development (747-8)
Primary users Japan Airlines (70)
Air France-KLM (58)
British Airways (57)
Korean Air (42)
Produced 1969–present
Number built 1,380 as of 2006
Unit cost 747-100 $24,000,000 (1967)
747-200 $39,000,000 (1976)
747-300 $82,000,000 (1982)
747-400 $230,000,000 (2006)
Variants Boeing 747SP
Boeing VC-25
Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-8
Boeing 747 LCF

The Boeing 747, commonly nicknamed the "Jumbo Jet", is a long-haul, widebody commercial airliner manufactured by Boeing. Known for its impressive size, it is among the world's most recognizable aircraft. First flown commercially in 1970, it held the passenger capacity record for 35 years and was the first commercial wide-body aircraft.

The four-engine 747, produced by Boeing's Commercial Airplane unit, uses a double decker configuration for part of its length. A typical three-class layout accommodates 416 passengers, while a two-class layout accommodates a maximum of 524 passengers. The hump created by the upper deck has made the 747 a highly recognizable icon of air travel.

The 747 was expected to become obsolete after sales of 400 units, but it outlived many of its critics' expectations and production passed the 1,000 mark in 1993. As of the end of 2006, 1380 planes had been built with 120 more in various configurations on order. The latest incarnation of the aircraft will be the 747-8.[2]

[edit] Introduction

The 747-400, the latest version in service, flies at high-subsonic speeds of Mach 0.85 (567 mph or 913 km/h), and features an intercontinental range of 7,260 nm (8,355 mi, 13,446 km).[3] In some configurations this is sufficient to fly non-stop from New York to Hong Kong—a third of the way around the globe. In 1989, a Qantas 747-400 flew non-stop from London to Sydney, a distance of 9,720 nm (11,185 mi, 18,001 km) in 20 hours and 9 minutes, although this was a delivery flight with no passengers or freight aboard.[4]

The 747 is the second largest passenger airliner, after the Airbus A380. The 747 is the largest airliner presently in regular service. The Antonov An-225 cargo transport remains the world's largest aircraft by maximum gross takeoff weight in service, while the Hughes H-4 Hercules has a larger wing-span.[5] Only one each of the latter two aircraft were produced, while the 747 and A380 are for serial production.

[edit] History

[edit] Development

The prototype 747, City of Everett, at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.

The prototype 747, City of Everett, at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.

The 747 was born from the massive increase in air travel in the 1960s. The era of commercial jet transportation, led by the enormous popularity of the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, had revolutionized long distance travel. Boeing had already developed a study for a very large fixed-wing aircraft while bidding on a US military contract for a huge cargo plane.[6] Even before it lost the contract to Lockheed's C-5 Galaxy in September 1965 Boeing came under pressure from Juan Trippe, president of its most loyal airline customer Pan Am, to build a giant passenger plane that would be over twice the size of the 707.

In 1965 Joe Sutter was transferred from Boeing's 737 development team to manage the studies for new airliner, already assigned its model number 747. The original design was a full-length double-decker fuselage seating eight across (3–2–3) on the lower deck and seven across (2–3–2) on the upper deck.[7] However, concern over evacuation routes and limited cargo carrying capability caused this idea to be scrapped in early 1966 favor of wider single deck, becoming the first wide-body airliner.[8]

One of the principal technologies which enabled an airplane as large as the 747 to be conceived was the high-bypass turbofan engine. This promised to deliver double the power of the earlier turbojets, while consuming one third less fuel. General Electric had pioneered the concept but were fully committed to developing the engine for the C-5 Galaxy. Pratt & Whitney were also working on the same principle, and by late 1966 Boeing, Pan-Am and Pratt & Whitney agreed that Pratt would develop a new engine, designated JT9D to power the 747. Four of these engines were mounted in pods below the 747's wings.

Cargolux 747-400F with the nose cone loading door open

Cargolux 747-400F with the nose cone loading door open

At the time, it was widely thought that the 747 would be superseded in the future by supersonic transport (SST) aircraft. So Boeing designed the 747 so that it could easily be adapted to carry freight, knowing that if and when sales of the passenger version dried up, the plane could remain in production as a cargo transport. The cockpit was therefore placed on a shortened upper deck so that a nose cone loading door could be included, thus creating the 747's distinctive "bulge". However, supersonic transports, including the Concorde and Boeing's never-produced 2707, were not widely adopted. SSTs were less fuel efficient at a time when fuel prices were soaring, very noisy during takeoff and landing, and their ability to operate at supersonic speeds over land was limited due to regulations against their sonic booms.[9]

To appease concerns about the safety and flyability of such a large passenger aircraft, the 747 was designed with multiple structural redundancy, four redundant hydraulic systems, and quadruple main landing gear with 16 wheels which provided a good spread of support on the ground and safety in the event of tire blow-outs. In addition, the 747 had split control surfaces, and sophisticated triple-slotted flaps that minimised landing speeds allowing it to use standard-length runways. The wing was swept back at an unusually high angle of 37.5 degrees which was chosen in order to minimize the wing span, thus allowing the 747 to use existing hangars.[8][10]

In April 1966, Pan Am ordered 25 of the initial 100 series for US$550 million. During the ceremonial 747 contract signing banquet in Seattle, concurrent to Boeing's 50th Anniversary, Juan Trippe predicted the 747 as "...a great Weapon for peace, competing with intercontinental missiles for mankind's destiny.", according to an interview with Malcolm T. Stamper.[11] As launch customer,[1][12] and because of its early involvement before placing a formal order, Pan Am enjoyed unprecedented influence over the design and development of the 747, to an extent not seen by a single airline before or since.[13]

[edit] Production

Boeing did not have a facility large enough to assemble the giant aircraft, so it had to build a new one. The company looked at a number of locations including Walnut Creek, California and Tacoma, Washington. In the end, it decided to build the new plant some 30 miles north of Seattle on a site ajoining a military base at Paine Field near Everett, Washington,[14] which had a 9,500 foot runway. In June 1966, Boeing purchased the 780 acre site.[1]

While developing the 747 had been a major challenge, constructing the plant in which to build it was also a huge undertaking. Boeing president William M. Allen asked Malcolm T. Stamper, then head of the company's turbine division, to lead construction of the Everett factory and start up production of the 747. "How would you like to build an airplane — in fact, the biggest airplane in the world?" Allen asked him in 1966, according to "Legend and Legacy", a Boeing history by Robert Serling.

"Mr. Allen, the only airplane I ever built had rubber bands on it," Stamper said.

"Do you or do you not?" demanded Allen.

"I'd welcome the challenge," Mr. Stamper replied.

In order to level the site, over four million cubic yards of earth had to be moved.[15] Such was the shortage of time that the 747's full-scale mock-up had to be built even before the factory roof had been constructed above it.[16] The plant is the largest building by volume ever built.[6]

Boeing had promised to deliver the 747 to Pan Am by 1970, meaning that it had less than four years to develop, build and test the aircraft. Work progressed at such a breakneck pace that all those who worked on the development of the 747 were given the nickname "The Incredibles".[6] The massive cost of developing the 747 and building the Everett factory meant that Boeing had to borrow, and gambled its very existence on the 747's success; had the project failed, it would have taken the company along with it.[12] However, the gamble paid dividends and Boeing enjoyed a monopoly in the very large passenger aircraft segment until the arrival of the Airbus A380.[17]

[edit] Testing

Before the first 747 was even fully assembled, testing began on numerous components and systems. One of the most anxiously anticipated tests was the emergency evacuation. This entailed seeing how long it took for 560 volunteers to exit from a cabin mock-up using the plane's emergency chutes. The first full-scale test took two and a half minutes instead of the maximum 90 seconds mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration, and resulted in several injuries to the volunteers. Subsequent tests achieved the 90 second limit, albeit at the cost of more injuries. Most problematic was evacuation from the airplane's upper deck: instead of a slide there were an escape harness attached to a reel.[18]

Prior to the 747's first flight, Boeing built an unusual training device known as "Waddell's Wagon" (named after the 747 test pilot, Jack Waddell) which consisted of a mock-up cockpit mounted on the roof of a truck. It was intended to train pilots on how to taxi the plane from the high upper deck position.[6]

Uniformed flight attendants representing each of the 747's initial 26 airline customers.

Uniformed flight attendants representing each of the 747's initial 26 airline customers.

On September 30, 1968 the first 747, N7470, was rolled out of the assembly building before the world's press and representatives of the twenty-six airlines that had ordered the plane.[19] Over the following months preparations were made for the first flight which took place successfully on February 9, 1969 with test pilot Jack Waddell at the controls.[20] In spite of a minor problem with one of the flaps, the flight confirmed that the 747 handled extremely well; the plane was found to be largely immune to "dutch roll", a phenomenon that had been a major hazard to the early swept-wing jets.[21]

Later stages of the flight test program revealed some problems: flutter testing showed that the wings suffered oscillation in certain conditions. These difficulties were partly solved by reducing the stiffness of some wing components. However, a particularly severe high-speed flutter problem was only resolved by inserting depleted uranium counterweights as ballast in the outboard engine nacelles of the early 747s.[22] This measure caused some anxiety when several of these aircraft were lost, such as the 1992 crash of El Al Flight 1862 at Amsterdam.[23][24]

The flight test program was considerably hampered by problems with the plane's JT9D engines: these included engine stalls caused by rapid movements of the throttles, and distortion of the turbine casings after a short period of service.[25] The problems caused 747 deliveries to be delayed by several months, resulting in up to 20 planes at one time being left stranded at the Everett plant awaiting engines.[26] The program was further set back when the third of five test aircraft suffered serious damage while attempting to land at Boeing's Renton plant where it was being taken to have its test equipment removed and a cabin installed; pilot Ralph Cokely undershot the short runway and sheared off the aircraft's landing gear.[27] However, these difficulties did not prevent Boeing taking one of the test aircraft to the 28th Paris Air Show in the summer of 1969 where it was displayed to the general public for the first time.

The 747 finally achieved its FAA airworthiness certificate in December 1969, paving the way for the jet's introduction into service.

[edit] In service

Flightdeck of the 747-200.

Flightdeck of the 747-200.

On January 15, 1970, First Lady Pat Nixon officially christened a Pan Am Boeing 747 at Washington Dulles International Airport in the presence of Pan Am chairman Najeeb Halaby. Red, white, and blue water was sprayed on the aircraft, rather than breaking a bottle of champagne. The first commercial flight involving the Boeing 747 took place on January 22, 1970 operated by Pan Am between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and London Heathrow Airport. Pan Am added 747 service to London from Boston, Washington, and other cities during the spring and summer of 1970. Overnight, a new standard of air travel had been created and other airlines rushed to bring their own 747 jets into service. Trans World Airlines, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, BOAC, and Northwest Orient would be among the first carriers to offer 747 service on long-haul flights. American Airlines initiated 747 service between New York and Los Angeles by the summer of 1970, and in September 1970 added nonstop 747 flights between Washington and Los Angeles. Soon afterward American Airlines added 747 service from Boston to Chicago and on to Los Angeles. In addition to its foreign destinations, TWA offered 747 flights between San Francisco and New York by early 1971.

Initially, many airlines regarded the 747 with skepticism. McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed were working on wide-body three engine "tri-jets", which were smaller than the proposed 747. Many airlines believed the 747 would prove too large for an average long distance flight, investing instead in tri-jets. There were also concerns that the 747 would not be compatible with existing airport infrastructure—an issue which has resurfaced with the Airbus A380, due to its double-deck feature.[28]

Fuel efficiency was another concern, and this became more critical after the Arab oil crisis which led to economic stagnation in the United States. This lowered the number of airline passengers and made it difficult for airlines to fill their new 747s, so American Airlines replaced coach seats on its 747s with piano bars in an attempt to attract more customers. Eventually, it relegated its 747s to cargo service and then sold them. Continental Airlines also removed its 747s from service after several years. The advent of smaller, more efficient wide bodies, starting with the trijet DC-10 and L-1011 and followed by the twinjet 767 and A300, took away much of the 747's original market, especially as airline deregulation made point-to-point international service more common. Other airlines that have removed 747s from their fleet include Air Canada, Aer Lingus, Avianca, SAS, TAP, America West, and Olympic Airways.

However, many international carriers continued to use the 747 on their busiest routes. The type remained popular among Asian airlines for short and medium-range flights between major cities: in Japan, domestic airlines continue to pack 747s to their maximum passenger capacity. Elsewhere, 747s remain popular on long-range trunk routes, such as transoceanic flights and the Kangaroo routes between Europe and Australia. The largest fleet of 747s today belongs to Japan Airlines, at approximately 78 (series -200s, -300s and 44 -400s). British Airways has the next largest fleet of 747s, comprising 57 747-400s.

United Airlines 747-400 parked at Denver International Airport.

United Airlines 747-400 parked at Denver International Airport.

[edit] Future of the 747

Since the arrival of the 747-400 in 1989, several stretching schemes for the 747 have been proposed, but the only design to be adopted is 2005's 747-8. The 747-X program was launched in 1996 as Boeing's response to the Airbus A3XX proposal. The 747-X would have consisted of the 747-500X and 747-600X, seating up to 800 passengers and powered by the Engine Alliance GP7200 turbofan developed for the Airbus A380. However, the airlines preferred Boeing to develop an all-new design instead of an updated 747, and the plan was dropped after a few months.

After development of the Airbus A380 formally began in 2000, Boeing reexamined its 747-X studies but instead focused on the Sonic Cruiser,[29] and then on the 787 after the Sonic Cruiser program was put on hold indefinitely.[30] Some of the ideas developed for the 747-X were, however, used on the 747-400ER.

In early 2004, Boeing rolled out tentative plans the 747 Advanced. Similar in nature to the 747-X plans, the stretched 747 Advanced uses advanced technology from the 787 to modernize the design and its systems. On November 14, 2005, Boeing announced it was launching the 747 Advanced as the 747-8.[31] Due to long delays in production of the Airbus A380, two customer signed additional orders,[32][33] two customers cancelled their orders and several launch customers deferred delivery, or considered switching their order to the 747-8 and 777F aircraft.[34][35]

Eventually, the 747 (in all forms) may be replaced by a clean-sheet aircraft dubbed "Y3".

[edit] Variants

There are five major variants of the 747. The 747-100 was the original and launched in 1966. The 747-200 followed soon after with an order in 1968. The 747-300 was launched in 1980, and was followed in 1985 by the 747-400. Lastly, the 747-8 was launched in 2005. Several versions of each variant have been produced, and many of the early variants were in production at the same time, especially in the 1980s.

[edit] 747-100

An Iran Air Boeing 747-100B on approach to London Heathrow Airport

An Iran Air Boeing 747-100B on approach to London Heathrow Airport

The first model of the jet, the 747-100, rolled out of the new Everett facility on 2 September 1968. The prototype, named City of Everett, first flew on February 9, 1969,[36] and on January 22, 1970 the 747-100 entered service with launch customer Pan American World Airways on the New York-London route.[37] The flight was supposed to occur on January 21, but engine overheating made the original plane unusable and it had to be substituted, creating a more than 6-hour delay to the next day.[37] The basic -100 has a range of about 4,500 miles (7,242 km) with full load.[38]

The very first 747-100s off the line were built with six (three per side) upper-deck windows to accommodate upstairs lounge areas. A little later, as airlines began to use the upper-deck for premium passenger seating instead of lounge space, Boeing offered a ten window upper deck as an option, and it quickly became the standard. Some -100s were even retrofitted with the new configuration.

With a MTOW of 735,000 lb compared to the 833,000 lb of the 747-200, no freighter model of this aircraft was offered directly by Boeing. However, upon airline retirement, many 747-100s have been converted to freighters over the years. Their cheap acquisition costs more than compensate for lack of carrying capacity. They are also ideal for parcels since volume is paramount to weight. A 747-100 is owned by General Electric and used as a testbed for their engines such as General Electric GEnx.

Total production was 250. Of these, 167 were 747-100, 45 were SP, 29 were SR, and 9 were 100B.

[edit] 747-100B

The 747-100 was later superseded by the 747-100B, which has a stronger airframe and undercarriage design.[38] This increased maximum take-off weight to 750000 lb (340194 kg). The 747-100B was only delivered to Iran Air and Saudia (now Saudi Arabian Airlines).[39]

[edit] 747-100SR

With requests from Japanese airlines, Boeing developed the 747SR as a 'Short Range' variant of the 747-100. The SR has a lower fuel capacity, but can carry more passengers – up to 498 passengers in early versions and more than 550 passengers in later models. The 747SR has a modified body structure to accommodate the added stress accumulated from a greater number of take-offs and landings. Later on, short range versions were developed also of the -100B and the -300. The SR aircraft are primarily used on domestic flights in Japan.[40]

Two 747-100B/SRs were delivered to Japan Airlines (JAL) with a stretched upper deck to accommodate more passengers. This is known as the "SUD" (stretched upper deck) modification.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) operated 747SR on domestic Japanese routes with 455-456 seats but retired the aircraft on 10 March 2006. JAL operates its 747-100B/SR/SUD aircraft with 563 seats on domestic routes and plans for retirement in the third quarter of 2006. JAL and JALways have also been operating the -300SRs on domestic leisure routes and to other parts of Asia. With the arrival of the much more economical Boeing 777-300, the SRs are now being replaced, with just a very few still in operation.

In August 2006 a total of 38 Boeing 747-100 aircraft (all versions) were in airline service with Iran Air (1), Japan Airlines (1), Orient Thai Airlines (2), Saudi Arabian Airlines (7), Evergreen International Airlines (6), Kalitta Air (6), Polar Air Cargo (1) and United Parcel Service (7).[41]

[edit] 747SP

Main article: Boeing 747SP

The 747SP was a shortened version of the 747-100. It was introduced into service in 1976 with Pan AM. Apart from the upcoming 747-8 the SP is the only 747 with a modified length fuselage. It was designed to fly higher, faster, and longer than the 747-100. Boeing hoped that the abilities of the SP would compete and take orders from the Douglas DC-10 and create a niche market, however in the end only a total of 45 were built.

As of August 2006 a total of 12 Boeing 747SP aircraft were in airline service with South African Airways (1), Iran Air (2), Iraqi Airways (2), Kinshasa Airways (1), Palace Air (1), Saudi Arabian Airlines (1), Syrian Arab Airlines (2) and Transatlantic International Airlines (2).[41]

[edit] 747-200

Air France 747-200 in landing configuration

Air France 747-200 in landing configuration

Entering service in 1971, and further improved over successive years, the 747-200 had more powerful engines and higher takeoff weights than the -100, allowing it to fly farther. Optional engine models by GE (CF6) and Rolls-Royce (RB211)were offered for the first time. A few early build -200s retained the three window configuration of the -100, but most were built with a ten window per side configuration. As on the -100, a stretched upper deck (SUD) modification was offered much later. KLM remains the only airline to retrofit their -200s with the SUD option. Today, many -200s are still in passenger operation, though in recent years retirement and conversion to freighters has accelerated.

[edit] 747-200B

The 747-200B is an improved version of the 747-200, with increased fuel capacity and more powerful engines. Qantas took delivery of these from 1971. It comes in a combi version as well. The -200B aircraft have a full load range of about 6,700 miles (10,700 km).

[edit] 747-200C

The 747-200C Convertible is essentially a passenger aircraft that can be converted to a freighter and back when needed. The seats are removable and the fuselage has a much bigger door on the maindeck for cargo entry. The -200C could be fitted with a nose door.

[edit] 747-200M

This type can carry both freight and passengers, but unlike the 200C, it can do so at the same time. A wall half way through the main deck, separates the cargo in the back from passengers on the front. This type carries cargo throughout the lower deck, and on half the main deck, along with roughly 200 passengers. Also known as the 747-200 Combi.

[edit] 747-200F

This is a freighter version of the -200 model. It could be fitted with or without the nose door. It has a 105 ton capacity and a MTOW of 833,000 lb. It entered service in 1972 with Lufthansa.

Total production was 393. Of these, 225 were 747-200, 78 were M, 73 were F, 13 were C, and 4 were military. In August 2006 a total of 239 Boeing 747-200 aircraft (all versions) were in airline service. Major operators include: Japan Airlines (13), Nippon Cargo Airlines (10), Air Atlanta Icelandic (15), Air France (9), Atlas Air (16), Kalitta Air (10), Northwest Airlines (28), Cathay Pacific Airways (7) and Southern Air (9). Some 41 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type.[41]

[edit] 747-300

Pakistan International (PIA) 747-300 on final approach to London Heathrow Airport

Pakistan International (PIA) 747-300 on final approach to London Heathrow Airport

Following the aborted 747-300 Trijet, Boeing explored increasing the capacity of the 747 by using fuselage plugs to stretch the entire aircraft to seat around 600 passengers, or stretching the upper deck the entire length of the fuselage, however these plans were dropped in favor of a more simple stretch of the upper deck part way along the length of the fuselage.[42] The 747-300 name was revived for this new aircraft, which was introduced in 1980. It was the first 747 model to feature a "stretched upper deck", which was 23 ft 4 inches (7.1 m) longer than earlier variants. The -300 also had a straight staircase for the upper deck rather than the spiral, and this created more room both below and above for more seats. With minor aerodynamic changes, Boeing increased the cruise speed of the -300 to Mach 0.85 from Mach 0.84 on the -100/-200. Also, with improved fuel economy, range improved to 7,700 mi (12,392 km).

Swissair was the launch customer for the 747-300, however, the first plane was delivered to French airline UTA on March 1, 1983.[43] Boeing never launched a 747-300F as it had no operating advantage over the 747-200F. The most significant change between the 747-300 and the 747-200 was the stretched upperdeck which was useless in freighter configuration as no cargo is placed on this deck.

Despite the -300's improvements, only 81 aircraft were ordered, 56 for full passenger use, 21 M and 4 SR. One reason for its limited sales was the imminent launch of the much more advanced 747-400 in 1985 (just two years after the -300 entered service) for which most airlines were prepared to wait. Today, most of the -300 versions are still in passenger operation, mostly in south and west Asia.

[edit] 747-300M

The -300M had similar cargo capacity as the -200M, however with the stretched upperdeck it could carry more passengers. This proved popular in the fleet of KLM on their Africa routes that had few passengers, yet considerable air freight.

[edit] 747-300SR

The Japanese airlines again asked for a high capacity domestic model and Boeing offered the SR. JAL operated such aircraft with over 600 seats on Okinawa-Tokyo route as well as others.

Airlines (at August 2006) operating the Boeing 747-300 include JAL/JALways (12), Saudi Arabian Airlines (9), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) (6), Qantas (6), and Air Atlanta Icelandic (6). Some 16 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type and a total of 72 Boeing 747-300 aircraft (all versions) were in airline service.[41]

[edit] 747-400

Main article: Boeing 747-400
Qantas Airways 747-400 landing at London Heathrow Airport.

Qantas Airways 747-400 landing at London Heathrow Airport.

The 747-400 was offered in several versions discussed on the main page article. It added 6 feet (1.8 m) wing tip extensions and 6 feet (1.8 m) winglets, tail fuel tanks, revised engines, an all-new interior, and an all-new glass cockpit which dispensed with the need for a flight engineer.

The passenger version first entered service in February 1989 with Northwest Airlines on the Minneapolis to Phoenix route.[44] The combi version entered service in September 1989 with KLM. The freighter version entered service in November 1993 with Cargolux. The extended range freighter (ERF) entered service in October 2002. The next month, the extended range (ER) passenger version entered service with Qantas, the only airline ever to order the passenger version of the 747-400ER. Qantas uses the aircraft on its Melbourne-Los Angeles flights, which are too long to operate using a standard 747-400.

In August 2006 a total of 627 Boeing 747-400 aircraft (all versions) were in airline service, with 46 further firm orders. Major operators include: Air China (12), Air India (12), Air New Zealand (8), All Nippon Airways (23), Asiana Airlines (14), Cathay Pacific (30, plus 6 on order), China Airlines (34, plus 2 on order), EVA Air (18), Japan Airlines (44), Korean Air (43), Malaysia Airlines (19), Qantas (30), Singapore Airlines (23), Singapore Airlines Cargo (15), Thai Airways International (18), Air France (21), British Airways (57), Cargolux (14, plus 2 on order), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (25, plus 1 on order), Lufthansa (30), Virgin Atlantic Airways (13), Atlas Air (11), Northwest Airlines (16) and United Airlines (31). Some 24 airlines also operate the type, but in smaller numbers.[41]

Production of the 747-400 passenger version was officially over on March 15, 2007.[45] The last to order was China Airlines in November 2002, and the last passenger version 747-400 constructed in 2005. However, thirty six 747-400F aircraft are still yet to be delivered.[45]

[edit] 747 LCF "Dreamlifter"

Main article: Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter

Four used Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft are to be converted into an outsize configuration, in order to ferry Boeing 787 sub-assemblies to Everett, Washington for final assembly.[46] The first 747 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF) flew for the first time, unpainted, on September 9, 2006.[47] The LCF is not a Boeing production model and will not be sold to any customers or see any airliner operation, and will be for Boeing's exclusive use.

[edit] 747-8

Artist's impression of a Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental in the colors of Lufthansa, the launch customer.

Artist's impression of a Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental in the colors of Lufthansa, the launch customer.
Main article: Boeing 747-8

Boeing announced a new 747 variant, the 747-8 (referred to as the 747 Advanced prior to launch) on November 14, 2005, which will use same engine and cockpit technology as the 787 (It was decided to call it the 747-8 because of the technology it will share with the 787 Dreamliner). Boeing claims that the new design will be quieter, more economical and more environmentally friendly.

The 747-8 is 251 feet long (76.4 m), and therefore would surpass the Airbus A340-600 to become the world's longest airliner once the aircraft is in service.

[edit] 747-8I

The passenger version, dubbed 747-8 Intercontinental or 747-8I, will be capable of carrying up to 467 passengers in a 3-class configuration and fly over 8000 nm (14816 km) at Mach 0.86 (1054 km/h). As a derivative of the already common 747-400, the 747-8 has the economic benefit of similar training and interchangeable parts. The 747-8I is also stretched to add more capacity/payload, which involved a lengthening from 232 to 251 feet (70.8 to 76.4 m). The 747-8I is scheduled to enter service in 2010.

As of March, 2007, there were a total of 24 firm orders for the Boeing 747-8I aircraft: 4 from Boeing Business Jets and 20 from Lufthansa.

[edit] 747-8F

Coincident with launching the 747-8I, Boeing also announced a new freighter model, the 747-8F, which is to be a derivative to the 747-400ERF. The 747-8F is 251 feet (76.4 m) long, and provides capacity of 132 tons of cargo. To aid the loading and unloading of cargo, it features an overhead nose-door. Compared to the 747-400F, it has 16 percent more payload capacity and can hold seven additional standard pallets. It is a competitor to the Airbus A380 Freighter. The 747-8F is scheduled to enter service in 2009.

As of March 2007, there was a total of 57 firm orders for the Boeing 747-8F aircraft from Atlas Air (12) Nippon Cargo Airlines (8), Cargolux (13), Emirates air cargo (10), Volga-Dnepr (5), Guggenheim Aviation Partners (4), and Korean Air (5).[41]

[edit] Undeveloped variants

Boeing has studied a number of 747 variants which have not gone beyond the drawing board.

[edit] 747-300 Trijet

During the 1970s, Boeing studied the development of a shorter body, three-engined 747 to compete with the Lockheed L-1011 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, which were both smaller than the existing 747-100/-200 and had lower trip costs than the 747SP. The 747-300 Trijet would have been bigger than either of the competing trijets, with more payload, range and passenger capacity. The center engine would have been located in the tail with an s-duct intake similar to the L-1011’s. Wind tunnel testing showed that the upper deck interfered with the airflow into the center engine, and the design was not pursued. The 747-300 designation was later used for an improved 747-200 with a stretched upper deck.

[edit] 747-500X/-600X/-700X

Boeing announced the 747-500X/-600X at the 1996 Farnborough Airshow[48] in an effort to offer a competitor to the Airbus A3XX. The aircraft would combine the 747's fuselage with a new 251 ft (77 m) span wing derived from that of the 777. Other changes included new engines similar to those being developed at the time for the A3XX, and increasing the number of tires from 2 to 4 on the nose landing gear, and from 16 to 20 on the main landing gear[49]. The 747-500X concept featured a slight stretch of the 747-400's fuselage, and would have been capable of carrying 462 passengers over ranges of up to 10,000 miles (8,700 nm/16,100 km), with at least 10 tons of extra payload capacity. The 747-600X concept featured a greater stretch of the 747-400's fuselage, allowing it to carry 548 passengers over ranges of up to 8,900 miles (7,700 nm/14,300 km). If it had been developed, the 747-600 would have been the longest commercial airliner, at 279 ft (85 m), which is longer than the ICAO standard 80 m x 80 m box for large aircraft. While studies concentrated on these two derivatives, a third was also being considered. The 747-700X would have combined the wing of the 747-600X, with a widened fuselage, allowing it to carry 650 passengers over the same range as a 747-400.

Due to the extent of modifications over the previous 747 models, in particular the new wing, the 747-500X/-600X would have cost in excess of $5 billion to develop. This proved to be prohibitive, and Boeing was unable to attract enough interest to launch the aircraft.

[edit] 747X/X Stretch

Artist's impression of the 747X and 747X Stretch

Artist's impression of the 747X and 747X Stretch

As Airbus progressed with its A3XX study, in 1999 Boeing again offered the market a 747 derivative as an alternative. This was a more modest proposal than the previous -500X/-600X, which would retain the 747's overall wing design, albeit with a relofted center section increasing the span to 229 ft (70 m)[50]. Power would have been supplied by either the Engine Alliance GP7172 or the Rolls-Royce Trent 600, which were also proposed for the 767-400ERX. A new flight deck based on the 777’s would be used. The 747X concept featured a slight stretch over the 747-400’s fuselage, allowing it to carry 430 passengers over ranges of up to 10,000 miles (8,700 nm/16,100 km). The 747X Stretch would be stretched to a length of 263 ft (80 m), allowing it to carry 500 passengers over ranges of up to 9,000 miles (7,800 nm/14,500 km). Both would feature an interior based on the 777’s signature architecture. In addition, a freighter model of the 747X was envisaged.

Like the predecessor, the 747X family was unable to garner enough interest to justify production, and was shelved along with the 767-400ERX in March of 2001, when Boeing announced the Sonic Cruiser concept. While the design had been less costly than the 747-500X/-600X, it was criticized for not offering a sufficient advance from the existing 747-400. While the 747X did not make it beyond the drawing board, the 747-400X, which was being developed concurrently, did move into production to become the 747-400ER.

[edit] 747-400XQLR

Following the termination of the 747X program, Boeing continued to study improvements which could be made to the aircraft. The 747-400XQLR (Quiet Long Range) would have featured longer range than the 747-400ER, at 7980 nm (14,800 km), along with improvements to improve efficiency and reduce noise.[51] Improvements studied included raked wingtips similar to those used on the 767-400ER, and a sawtooth engine nacelle for noise reduction. While the 747-400XQLR did not move to production, many features were picked up for the 747 Advanced, which has now been launched as the 747-8.

[edit] Government and military variants

20-1101 Japanese Airforce One, one of the two customized Boeing 747-400s that have been part of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force since 1993

20-1101 Japanese Airforce One, one of the two customized Boeing 747-400s that have been part of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force since 1993
  • C-19 - the US military version of 747-100.
  • VC-25 - the US military version of 747-200B. The US Air Force operates two in VIP configuration as the VC-25A. These are among the most famous 747 models with tail numbers 28000 and 29000. They are popularly known as Air Force One, although that name is technically the call sign for any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the U.S. President. Although based on the 747-200B, they contain many of the innovations introduced on the 747-400, such as an updated flight deck and engines.
  • C-33 - the US military version of 747-400, which was intended to augment the C-17 fleet. However the plan was cancelled in favor of purchasing additional C-17 military transports.
  • KC-33A - The 747 was also adapted as an aerial refueling tanker, and was bid against the DC-10-30 during the 1970s Advanced Cargo Transport Aircraft (ACTA) program which resulted in the KC-10A Extender. Iran prior to the Khomeini-led revolution acquired four 747-100 aircraft with air refueling boom conversions to support the fleet of F-4 Phantoms. It is not known whether these aircraft remain usable as tankers at this time. Since then other proposals have emerged for adaptation of later 747-400 aircraft for this role.[52]
  • E-4B - formerly known as National Emergency Airborne Command Post (referred to colloquially as "Kneecap"), now referred to as National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC).
  • YAL-1 - the experimental Airborne Laser, a component of the National Missile Defense plan.
  • Shuttle Carrier Aircraft - Two 747s were modified to carry the Space Shuttle. One is a 747-100 (N905NA) that was acquired in 1974 from American Airlines. The other is a 747-100SR (N911NA) that was acquired from Japan Airlines in 1988 and first carried a shuttle in 1991.
  • T/Space has discussed the use of a 747 for its CXV space capsule proposal.
  • A number of other governments also use the 747 as a VIP transport, including Bahrain, Brunei, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. Recently, several new Boeing 747-8 have been ordered by Boeing Business Jet for conversion as VIP Transport for several unidentified customers.[53]

[edit] Specifications

Measurement 747-100 747-200B 747-300 747-400 747-400ER 747-8I
Cockpit Crew Three Two
Seating capacity 366 (3-class) 416 (3-class) 467 (3-class)
Length 231 ft 10 in (70.6 m) 250 ft 8 in (76.4 m)
Wingspan 195 ft 8 in (59.6 m) 211 ft 5 in (64.4 m) 224 ft 9 in (68.5 m)
Height 63 ft 5 in (19.3 m) 63 ft 8 in (19.4 m) 63 ft 6 in (19.4 m)
Weight empty 358,000 lb
(162,400 kg)		 383,000 lb
(174,000 kg)		 392,800 lb
(178,100 kg)		 393,263 lb
(178,756 kg)		 361,640 lb
(164,382 kg)		 410,000 lb
(185,972 kg)
Maximum take-off weight 735,000 lb
(333,390 kg)		 833,000 lb
(377,842 kg)		 833,000 lb
(377,842 kg)		 875,000 lb
(396,890 kg)		 910,000 lb
(412,775 kg)		 970,000 lb
(439,985 kg)
Cruising speed Mach 0.84
(555 mph, 895 km/h, 481 knots at 35,000 ft cruise altitude)		 Mach 0.85
(567 mph, 913 km/h,
487 knots at same altitude)		 Mach 0.855
(567 mph, 913 km/h, 490 knots at same altitude)
Maximum speed Mach 0.89
(587 mph, 945 km/h, 510 knots)		 Mach 0.92
(608 mph, 977 km/h, 527 knots)
Takeoff run at MTOW N/A 10,466 ft (3,190 m) 10,893 ft (3,320 m) 9,902 ft (3,018 m) 10,138 ft (3,090 m) N/A
Range fully loaded 5,300 nm
(9,800 km)		 6,850 nm
(12,700 km)		 6,700 nm
(12,400 km)		 7,260 nm
(13,450 km)		 7,670 nm
(14,205 km)		 8,000 nm
(14,815 km)
Max. fuel capacity 48,445 US gal
(183,380 L)		 52,410 US gal (199,158 L) 57,285 US gal
(216,840 L)		 63,705 US gal
(241,140 L)		 57,285 US gal
(216,840 L)
Fuel cap./range fully loaded (18.7 L/km) (15.7 L/km) (16.1 L/km) (16.1 L/km) (17.0 L/km) (14.6 L/km)
Engine models (x 4) PW JT9D-7A
GE CF6-45A2
RR RB211-524B2		 PW JT9D-7R4G2
GE CF6-50E2
RR RB211-525D4		 PW JT9D-7R4G2
GE CF6-80C2B1
RB211-524D4		 PW 4062
GE CF6-80C2B5F
RR RB211-524H		 PW 4062
GE CF6-80C2B5F		 GEnx-2B67
Engine thrust (x 4) 46,500 lbf PW
46,500 lbf GE
50,100 lbf RR		 54,750 lbf PW
52,500 lbf GE
53,000 lbf RR		 54,750 lbf PW
55,640 lbf GE
53,000 lbf RR		 63,300 lbf PW
62,100 lbf GE
59,500 lbf RR		 63,300 lbf PW
62,100 lbf GE		 68,000 lbf (estimated)

Sources: [1], [2]

The parasitic drag is given by ½ f ρair v² in which f is the product of a drag coefficient CDp and the wing area. For the 747, CDP is 0.022, and the wing area is 5500 square feet, so that f equals about 121 ft² or 11.2 m². [3]

[edit] 747 Deliveries

2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988
5 14 13 15 19 27 31 25 47 53 39 26 25 40 56 61 64 70 45 24
1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968
23 35 24 16 22 26 53 73 67 32 20 27 21 22 30 30 69 92 4 0

[edit] Preserved aircraft

As increasing numbers of 'classic' 747-100 and 747-200 series have been retired, some finding their way into aircraft museums. They include:

[edit] Incidents

Despite all these, very few crashes have been attributed to design flaws of the 747. The Tenerife disaster was a result of pilot error, ATC error and communications failure, while Japan Airlines Flight 123 the consequence of improper aircraft repair. United Airlines Flight 811, which suffered an explosive decompression mid-flight on February 24, 1989, subsequently had NTSB issuing a recommendation to have all similar 747-200 cargo doors modified. TWA Flight 800, a 747-100 that exploded mid-air on July 17, 1996, led to the Federal Aviation Administration proposing a rule requiring the installation of an inerting system in the center fuel tank for most large aircraft.

As of May 2006, there were a total of 44 hull-loss occurrences involving 747s, with 3707 fatalities.

[edit] Facts and Figures

[edit] References

A size comparison between four of the largest aircraft; the Spruce Goose, an Antonov An-225, an Airbus A380, and a 747-8.

A size comparison between four of the largest aircraft; the Spruce Goose, an Antonov An-225, an Airbus A380, and a 747-8.
  • Peter M Bowers, (1989), Putnam Aeronautical Books, Boeing aircraft since 1916. ISBN 0-85177-804-6
  • Clive Irving, (1994), Coronet, Wide Body: The Making of the Boeing 747. ISBN 0-340-59983-9
  • Guy Norris and Mark Wagner, (1997), MBI Publishing Co, Boeing 747. ISBN 0-7603-0280-4
  • Stewart Wilson, (1999), Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, Airliners of the World. ISBN 1-875671-44-7
  • Sutter, Joe (2006), Smithsonian Books, 747: Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures from a Life in Aviation. ISBN 978-0-06-088241-9
  1. ^ a b c d "Boeing 747-400 Program Milestones", The Boeing Company, retrieved August 27, 2005
  2. ^ "Model 747", Orders and Deliveries, The Boeing Company, retrieved November 25, 2006.
  3. ^ "Technical Characteristics -- Boeing 747-400", Boeing Commercial Airplanes, retrieved April 29, 2006.
  4. ^ "Boeing aircraft Take Qantas Further", Qantas, retrieved April 29 2006.
  5. ^ "Ask Us - Largest Plane in the World", Aerospaceweb.org, retrieved April 29, 2006.
  6. ^ a b c d History - "747 Commercial Transport", The Boeing Company, April 29, 2006.
  7. ^ Irving, p. 282.
  8. ^ a b "The Boeing 747", Judy Rumerman, U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, retrieved April 30, 2006.
  9. ^ "The Concorde Supersonic Transport", T.A. Heppenheimer, U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, retrieved April 30 2006.
  10. ^ Bowers, p. 508.
  11. ^ Discovery Channel-Great Planes-Boeing 747, Video interview - Juan Trippe comments on Boeing 747 (00:48 - 02:07)
  12. ^ a b "Passenger Planes: Boeing 747", David Noland, Infoplease (Pearson Education), retrieved April 30, 2006.
  13. ^ Irving, p. 359.
  14. ^ "Major Production Facilities - Everett, Washington", Boeing Commercial Airplanes, retrieved April 28, 2007.
  15. ^ Irving, p. 310.
  16. ^ Irving, p. 365.
  17. ^ "Airbus unveils 'superjumbo' jet", BBC News, January 18, 2005.
  18. ^ Irving, p. 383.
  19. ^ "All but off the Ground", Time, October 4, 1968. Retrieved on 2007-04-08. .
  20. ^ "The Giant Takes Off", Time, February 21, 1969. Retrieved on 2007-04-08. .
  21. ^ Irving, p. 417–418.
  22. ^ Irving, p. 428.
  23. ^ Uijt de Haag P.A. and Smetsers R.C. and Witlox H.W. and Krus H.W. and Eisenga A.H. (28 August 2000). "Evaluating the risk from depleted uranium after the Boeing 747-258F crash in Amsterdam, 1992". Journal of Hazardous Materials 76 (1): 39-58. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
  24. ^ Henk van der Keur (May 1999). Uranium Pollution from the Amsterdam 1992 Plane Crash. Laka Foundation. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
  25. ^ Irving, p. 441-446.
  26. ^ "The Trouble with Jumbo", Time, September 26, 1969. Retrieved on 2007-04-24. .
  27. ^ Irving, p. 436.
  28. ^ "How the Airbus A380 Works - Triumph or Mistake?", Howstuffworks, retrieved April 29, 2006.
  29. ^ "Boeing Shelves 747X to Focus on Faster Jet", People's Daily, March 30, 2001.
  30. ^ "Boeing's Amazing Sonic Cruiser ...", Alex Taylor III, Fortune, December 9, 2002.
  31. ^ "Boeing Launches New 747-8 Family", The Boeing Company press release, November 14, 2005.
  32. ^ "Singapore Airlines boosts Airbus fleet with additional A380 orders", Airbus S.A.S., 20 December 2006.
  33. ^ "Emirates Airlines reaffirms commitment to A380 and orders additional four", Airbus S.A.S., 7 May 2007.
  34. ^ Robertson, David. "Airbus will lose €4.8bn because of A380 delays", The Times, 3 October 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-03.
  35. ^ Big plane, big problems
  36. ^ "Boeing 747 takes maiden flight on February 9, 1969", HistoryLink, retrieved 30 April 2006
  37. ^ a b Norris, p. 48
  38. ^ a b Wilson, p. 54
  39. ^ Norris, p. 53
  40. ^ Bowers, p 516-517
  41. ^ a b c d e f Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
  42. ^ "Boeing 747-300", Airliners.net, retrieved April 10, 2007
  43. ^ Norris, p.63
  44. ^ Norris, p. 88
  45. ^ a b 747-400 passenger is no more., Seattlepi.com 17 March, 2007
  46. ^ "Ugly in the Air: Boeing's New Plane Gets Gawks, Stares." Lunsford, J. L. The Wall Street Journal. January 8, 2007.
  47. ^ "Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter Completes First Flight." Boeing Commercial Airplanes press release. September 9, 2006.
  48. ^ "Boeing Outlines The "Value" Of Its 747 Plans", The Boeing Company press release, September 2, 1996.
  49. ^ "Impact of New Large Aircraft on Airport Design", James W. Patterson, Federal Aviation Administration, retrieved April 10, 2007.
  50. ^ "Boeing 747 Celebrates 30 Years In Service", The Boeing Company press release, September 2, 1996.
  51. ^ "Aircraft Museum - Boeing 747", Aerospaceweb.org, retrieved April 10, 2007
  52. ^ KC-33 details, including prototype images
  53. ^ Seattle Times
  54. ^ "1977: Hundreds dead in Tenerife plane crash", BBC News On This Day, retrieved May 26, 2006
  55. ^ Japan marks air crash anniversary, BBC News, August 12, 2005
  56. ^ Info from AirlineSafety.com
  57. ^ Air India Flight 182 was carrying a fifth pod engine

[edit] External links

Cathay Pacific Airways Boeing 747-400 taking off

Cathay Pacific Airways Boeing 747-400 taking off

[edit] Related content


Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

See also


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