Boeing 747
PLANESPOTTING SPOTTERS GUIDE SPOTTING LOCATIONS AIRPORT INFO AVIATION FORUM AVIATION PHOTOGRAPHY |
AIRLINES AIRLINERS AIRPLANES TRIP REPORTS AIRSHOW INFO NEWS & ARTICLES |
RSS | Become an Aircraftspotting.net Member | Visit the Aircraftspotting.net Forum |
---|
AIRCRAFTSPOTTING.NET |
Boeing 747
|
||
The Boeing 747, commonly known as the Jumbo Jet, was the largest passenger aircraft in the world until the Airbus A380 took over that title recently. The aircraft was initially designed to be a new transport plane for the United States military forces. When Lockheed's C-5 Galaxy was chosen over Boeing's design, the Seattle-based manufacturer decided to develop a passenger version. The first flight of the Boeing 747-100 was on February 9, 1969 and the first aircraft entered service with Pan American Airways in January 1970. 747-100: The first version of the Jumbo Jet, with the characteristic upper deck. The massive airplane overshadowed the 707's and DC-8's used for long-haul travel at that time. The upper deck was used either as a crew rest area or a lounge for first class passengers. The short upper deck normally had only three windows on each side, although some airlines chose to have more windows installed. 747-200B: The first airline to use this upgraded version, with more range, higher operating weights and more powerful engines, was KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Versions developed from the -200B were the -200SR (Short Range), adapted for shorter, high-cycle routes with a strenghtened fuselage and undercarriage, and the -200C (Combi) which could be used either for passengers or freight. Then there was also the all-cargo -200F. Martinair Boeing 747-200 PH-MCE at Amsterdam Schiphol 747SP: The 747SP (Special Performance) is the only shorter version of the Jumbo Jet, designed to carry less passengers over a longer distance. The fuselage was shortened by 14.35m (47ft) and the tailfin lengthened. It flew for the first time in July 1975 and Pan Am was the first airline to receive one in March 1976. The aircraft set a number of distance records, the most important being a non-stop flight from Paine Field, near Seattle, to Cape Town (16,500km) in late March '76. This record was only broken by a Qantas 747-400 flying the 17,950km from London to Sydney non-stop in 1989. 747-300: Boeing was studying possibilities to increase passenger capacity of the 747, looking at options such as stretching the fuselage or stretching the upper deck along the entire length of the fuselage, but in the end opted for stretching the upper deck with only 7m (23ft), which allows for an economy class seating of 69. Launch customer Swissair received the first 747-300 in March 1983. Versions included the -300SR (for Japan Airlines) and the -300M (combi). KLM and UTA converted a number of older 747's by fitting them with the stretched upper deck. Thai Airways Boeing 747-300 HS-TGD 747-400: Although it resembles the 747-300 from the outside, the -400 was a completely new aircraft when it entered service in 1989. The main external difference are the winglets, while inside it is the two-crew glass cockpit instead of the three-crew classic design. Hundreds of knobs and buttons were replaced by six CRT-screens, and the flight engineer became obsolete. Variants include the -400 Domestic without winglets and strenghtened fuselage and undercarriage for the Japanese domestic market, the -400M combi and the -400F, a freighter with the short upper deck of the early 747's. Boeing also developed extended range versions, the -400ER and -400ERF. The Boeing Converted Freighter programme (BCF) was set up to convert 747-400 passenger aircraft into full-cargo versions, following a decline in popularity of the Jumbo Jet for passenger services in favour of twin-engined long haul aircraft. Japan Airlines Boeing 747-400 on final approach Global Supply Systems Boeing 747-400F at London Stansted 747-400LCF: Boeing developed the Large Cargo Freighter to ferry components of the 787 between the various production plants, much like Airbus does with the A300-600ST Beluga. Three converted 747-400's will enter service, two of them in early 2007. The aircraft have an extended upper fuselage lobe, with an increased ceiling height of about 3 metres (10 feet) and a swing-tail assembly for loading and unloading. The tail fin has been extended by 0.6m (2 feet). Future versions: Boeing has announced the 747-8, a stretched version of the 747-400 with a new type of wing with raked tips instead of winglets. The aircraft will be available in both passenger (-8 Intercontinental) and cargo (-8 Freighter) versions. The original concept of the 747-8I was for a plane with a length between the 747-400's and 747-8F's, but Boeing later decided to give it the same dimensions as the Freighter. Illustration of the 747-8I (below) and -8F (Boeing) Dimensions:
Capacity:
Powerplants:
Range:
|
||
home | aircraft | airports | photos | air shows | logbook | trip reports | news & articles | links | forum | site index | about Copyright ©2006 Aircraftspotting.net |
Make sure to have a look at my other aviation sites |
|