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The Boeing 747 entered service with Pan American Airlines in January 1970 and became the workhorse of the world’s long-haul, high-capacity fleet. To-date, Boeing has delivered 1,365 747s in four basic types, the 747-100/-200/-300/-400.
In November 2005, after many false starts, Boeing finally launched the 747-8 Intercontinental to serve the 400-500-seat markets and the Boeing 747-8 Freighter.
The Boeing 747 was the first passenger jet to have a twin-aisle cabin section and a staircase leading to an upper deck in the nose section. The 747 also achieved considerable success as a freighter and has an important military application in the form of the Boeing 747-E4 airborne emergency command and control post.
Two Boeing 747s form the presidential Air Force One transport, and a 747 was also converted to transport the Space Shuttle. A number of Boeing 747s have also been converted into luxury business aircraft..
Powered by four Pratt & Whitney/General Electric/Rolls-Royce turbofans the Boeing 747 remains the world’s fastest subsonic passenger jet. It has carried more than 3.5 billion passengers on 35 billion miles of revenue-earning service with 80 airlines.
Rolled out at Boeing’s Everett plant in Seattle in September 1968, the Boeing 747-100 originated from Boeing’s failed entry for the US air force’s C-5 military transport competition. The 747 was Boeing’s response to a requirement for a 400-seat long-range transport and was launched in April 1966 with an order for 25 aircraft.
Powered initially by four 43,000lb thrust Pratt & Whitney JT9D turbofans the Boeing 747 was developed into freighter and passenger/freighter versions, with General Electric and eventually Rolls-Royce developing engines. A shortened version, the 747SP, was designed to fly higher and further than the standard aircraft.
The 440-seat Boeing 747-200B appeared in 1970 with higher take-off weights and more powerful engines. Next, Boeing introduced the stretched upper deck 747-300 which first flew in October 1982, with Swissair the first customer.
The most recent version, the Boeing 747-400, introduced major aerodynamic improvements, including winglets, new avionics and an all- new flight deck. After delivery to Northwest Airlines in January 1989 Boeing was rolling out a new 747-400 every six days. The 1,100th 747 was delivered to Virgin Atlantic in January 1996.
Read more about the history of Boeing 747 in the Flight Archive
First Flight Date | 29 April 1988 |
Certification Date: | 10 January 1989 |
Principal Dimensions | |
Fuselage width: | 6.5 m |
Fuselage height: | 9.8 m |
Fuselage length: | 68.63 m |
Cabin length: | 57.64 m |
Cabin width: | 6.1 m |
Cabin height: | 2.41 m |
Hold volume: | 171 m3 |
Weights | 2.41 m |
Empty operating: | 179,015 kg |
Max zero fuel: | 246,074 kg |
MTOW: | 396,894 kg |
MLW: | 285,764 kg |
Standard fuel capacity: | 216,824 kg |
Max fuel capacity | 216,824 kg |
Speeds | |
Normal cruise: | 875 km/h |
Max cruise: | 982 km/h/h |
Performance | |
Long Range Cruise alt: | 35,000 ft |
Max Ceiling: | 45,100 ft |
Take Off field length: | 3,400 m |
Landing field length: | 2,060 m |
Max payload range: | 10,695 km |
Max passengers: | 660 |
Typical passengers: | 416 |
Boeing Pushes Back 747-8F Rollout by Three Months to Close 747-400F Line
Boeing 747 programme chief moved, apparently
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