Boeing 747 of Pan American World Airways

MK Airlines Boeing 747. For more images of the 747 see the Image Gallery at the bottom of this article

The Boeing 747, which is also known as the jumbo jet, is the largest passenger airliner in service. The only larger airliner is the Airbus A380, currently under development. Pan Am 747 The copyright status of this image is undetermined; it may still be copyrighted. ... Pan Am 747 The copyright status of this image is undetermined; it may still be copyrighted. ... MK Airlines Boeing 747-200 (9G-MKJ) at Filton airfield, Filton, Bristol, England. ... MK Airlines Boeing 747-200 (9G-MKJ) at Filton airfield, Filton, Bristol, England. ... An airliner of Air Jamaica, the Airbus A340 An airliner is a type of aircraft initially designed for the transport of paying passengers. ... The A380s first landing following its maiden flight on April 27, 2005 The Airbus A380 is a double-decker, four-engined airliner manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. It first flew on April 27, 2005 from Toulouse, France. ...

The four-engine 747, produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, uses a two-deck configuration, where the small upper deck is usually used for business-class passengers. A typical three-class layout accommodates about 400 passengers while a one-class layout accommodates a maximum of 600 passengers. The hump created by the upper deck has made the 747 a highly recognizable icon of air travel. Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), based in Renton, Washington, is a unit of The Boeing Company, consisting of the Seattle-based former Boeing Airplane Company (the civil airliner division,) as well as the Long Beach-based Douglas Aircraft division of the former McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... A double decker is a bus, airplane, train, tram, ferry, or any public transit vehicle that has two levels for passengers, one deck above the other. ...

The 747 flies at high-subsonic speeds (typically 0.85 Mach or 565 mph or 909 km/h) and features intercontinental range (8,430 statute miles, or 13,570 km, for the 747-400 version), in some configurations sufficient to fly from New York to Hong Kong (roughly a third of the globe) non-stop. In 1989 a Qantas 747-400 flew non-stop from London to Sydney, a distance of 11,185 miles (18,000 km), in 20 h 9 min, although this was a delivery flight with no passengers or freight aboard. By May 2004, a total of 1381 aircraft have been built or ordered in various 747 configurations, making it a profitable product for Boeing [1] (http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/displaystandardreport.cfm?cboCurrentModel=747&optReportType=AllModels&cboAllModel=747&ViewReportF=View+Report). Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Qantas (pronounced Kwon-tus) (ASX: QAN) is Australias oldest and largest airline, and the worlds second oldest airline after KLM. (IATA: QF, ICAO: QFA, and Callsign: Qantas) It is often considered to be the worlds safest airline. ... The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Sydney Harbour looking south from the vicinity of the Sydney Harbour Bridge towards the CBD skyline; the Opera House is visible in the background on the left. ... 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December Deaths in May • 28 Gerald Anthony • 27 Umberto Agnelli • 22 Richard Biggs • 20 Len Murray • 17 Tony Randall • 17 Ezzedine Salim • 9 Alan King • 9 Akhmad Kadyrov • 8(?) Nick Berg • 7 Waldemar Milewicz Other recent deaths Ongoing...

History

The 747 was born from the explosion of air travel in the 1960s. The era of commercial jet transportation, led by the enormous popularity of the Boeing 707, had revolutionized long distance travel and made possible the concept of the "global village." Boeing had already developed a study for a very large airplane while bidding on a US military contract for a huge airlifter. Boeing lost the contract to Lockheed's C-5 Galaxy but came under pressure from its most loyal airline customer Pan Am to develop a giant passenger plane which would be over twice the size of the 707. In 1966 Boeing proposed a preliminary configuration for the airliner, to be called the 747. Pan Am ordered 25 of the initial 100 series. The design was a full length double decker, but due to issues with evacuation routes this idea was scrapped in favor of a wide-body design. 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Pan Am 707 The Boeing 707 is a four engined commercial passenger jet aircraft developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. ... Global village is a term, coined by Marshall McLuhan in his book The Gutenberg Galaxy, describing the trend of electronic mass media collapsing space and time barriers in human communication to enable people to communicate on a global scale. ... The Lockheed SR-71, remarkably advanced for its time and unsurpassed in many areas of performance The Lockheed U-2 first flew in 1955 providing much needed intelligence on Soviet bloc countries Lockheed Corporation was an aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta in 1995 to form... The C-5 Galaxy is one of the largest aircraft in the world. ... Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was the United States principal international airline from the 1930s until its collapse in 1991, and was credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Wide-body Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-300 A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with a fuselage diameter of about 6 metres and twin aisles. ...

At the time, it was widely thought that the 747 would be replaced in the future with an SST (supersonic transport) design. Boeing took the shrewd move and designed the 747 so that it could easily be adapted to carry freight, knowing that when sales of the passenger version dried up, it could remain in production as a cargo aircraft. The cockpit was moved to a shortened upper deck so that a nose cone loading door could be included, creating the 747's distinctive "bulge." However, the supersonic transports such as Boeing's failed SST and the Concorde never lived up to their promise, being too expensive to operate profitably at a time when fuel prices were soaring. The upper deck was initially used as a luxurious first-class lounge/bar area, but is now most often used for extra seating capacity. After being expected to become obsolete with only 400 sales, the 747 outlived many of its critics and production passed the 1,000 mark in 1993. The expected slow-down in sales of the passenger version in favor of the cargo derivative has only happened in the early 2000s. A supersonic transport (SST) is a civil aircraft designed to transport passengers at speeds greater than the speed of sound. ... The Boeing 2707 was intended to be the first American supersonic airliner. ... The Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde supersonic transport (SST) was one of only two models of supersonic passenger airliners to have seen commercial service. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Major controversy over U.S. presidential election, 2000 September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on New Yorks World Trade Center and Virginias Pentagon killing almost 3000 people. ...

The development of the 747 was a huge undertaking. Boeing did not have a factory large enough to assemble the giant aircraft, so the company built an all-new assembly building near Everett, Washington. This factory is the largest building ever built. Pratt and Whitney developed a massive high-bypass turbofan engine, the JT9D, that was, in the beginning, exclusively for the 747. To appease concerns about the safety and flyability of such a massive aircraft, the 747 was designed with four backup hydraulic systems, split control surfaces, multiple structural redundancy, and sophisticated flaps which allow it to use standard-length runways. Everett High School Everett Station Everett is a city located in Snohomish County, Washington. ... Pratt & Whitney is an American owned aircraft engine manufacturer whose products are widely used in both civil and military aircraft. ... A high-bypass turbofan engine is a turbofan with a bypass ratio of at least 5. ... The Pratt & Whitney JT9D engine is the first high-bypass-ratio engine to power a wide-bodied aircraft. ... Hydraulics is a branch of science and engineering concerned with the use of liquids to perform mechanical tasks. ...

Initially, many airlines regarded the 747 with skepticism. Boeing's rivals, McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed, were working on wide-body three-engine "tri-jets", which were significantly smaller than the proposed 747. Many airlines believed the 747 would prove too large for an average long distance flight and instead invested in tri-jets. Furthermore, there was worry about whether the 747 would be compatible with existing airport infrastructure. DC-10, retired from American Airlines fleet at gate McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. ... The Lockheed SR-71, remarkably advanced for its time and unsurpassed in many areas of performance The Lockheed U-2 first flew in 1955 providing much needed intelligence on Soviet bloc countries Lockheed Corporation was an aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta in 1995 to form...

Another issue raised by the airlines was fuel efficiency. A three-engine airliner burns significantly less fuel per flight than a four-engine, and with airlines trying to lower costs, fuel efficiency was an important issue that would return to haunt Boeing in the 1970s.

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 airplane. Work progressed at such a breakneck pace that all those who worked on the development of the 747 were given the nickname "The Incredibles". The massive cost of developing the 747 and building the Everett factory meant that Boeing had gambled its very existence on the 747's success, and the company was nearly bankrupted in the early 1970s. The gamble paid off, however, and Boeing enjoyed a monopoly on very large passenger transports that was only broken 35 years later with the advent of the Airbus A380. 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution... The Airbus A380 manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. is a double-decker, four engined airliner capable of flying 800 passengers in a high density format or 555 passengers in a typical three-class configuration. ...

Variants

The 747 exists as several variants, to address the specific needs of it numerous customers.

747-100

The first edition of the jet, the 747-100, rolled out of the new Everett facility on 2 September 1968. The 747-100 entered service on 1 January 1970 with launch customer Pan American World Airways. It was later replaced by the 747-100B, a very similar aircraft with a stronger airframe and undercarriage design. Another 100 variant, the 747-100SR, has a capacity of up to 550 passengers and is used on domestic flights in Japan. The basic 100 has a range of about 4,500 miles (7200 km) with full load. September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years). ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Missing image Pan American World Airways A Pan Am Clipper - Boeing 747 Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the United States principal international airline from the 1930s until its collapse in 1991, and was credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry. ... The undercarriage or landing gear is equipment which supports an aircraft when it is not flying. ...

747-100 aircraft can be distinguished from other aircraft by the upper deck, which normally has only three windows. There are exceptions, however. Also, some airlines purchased "SUD," or "stretched upper deck" modifications, which make the upper deck almost identical to a 747-300.

747-200

Introduced in 1971, and further improved over successive years, the 747-200 has higher thrust and weight-lifting capability than the 747-100, allowing it to fly further. It can usually be distinguished by its eight-window upper deck (but, again, some airlines have given their 200 aircraft SUD, and a few early 200s had just 3 windows). The last models of the 200, built in the late 1980s, have a full load range of about 6,700 miles (10,800 km). 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ...

The 747-200C and 200F variants were designed to carry air freight. The 747-200F is a pure freighter, while the 747-200C is a "convertible" aircraft that can carry either passengers or freight. A sub-variant is unofficially called the 747-200M and is a "combi" aircraft that can carry both at the same time. Like the 100, many 200s have been given a new lease on life as freight aircraft.

747SP

The 747SP, or "Special Performance," was first delivered in 1976. The SP was largely a stop-gap model to compete with the Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. The 747 was simply too big for many routes, and Boeing did not have a mid-sized widebody to compete in the segment of the market that the DC-10 and TriStar had created. Crippled by the huge costs it had incurred in developing both the 737 and 747 in the late 1960s, Boeing could not afford to develop an all-new design, so instead it shortened the 747 and reoptimized it for speed and range at the expense of capacity. The SP could only accommodate 220 passengers in a 3-class cabin, but could fly over 6,500 miles (10,500 km) at speeds of up to 610 mph (980 km/h). Some airline insiders call it the "74 Short" or "Baby Jumbo" because of its shortened fuselage, and stubby appearance. Originally designated 747SB (standing for Short Body), by Boeing, the airlines had Boeing change the production designation to 747SP. 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Biman Bangladesh Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engined long-range airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer. ... Orbital Sciences Stargazer Lockheed L-1011 The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar was the third widebody passenger jet airliner to reach the marketplace, following the Boeing 747 jumbo jet and the Douglas DC-10. ... Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ...

The 747SP was the longest-flying airliner available until the Airbus A340, and found its way into the fleets of American Airlines, Pan Am, and Qantas, airlines that needed its range for trans-South Pacific routes. (American later used its 747SP's for services to Tokyo.) The 747SP was also used by South African Airways on flights from Johannesburg to London, during the Apartheid years, when that airline's aircraft were not allowed to fly over African countries and had to fly around the Bulge of Africa. The extra range allowed aircraft to cover the additional distance. Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340. ... Note: For the arenas named after this company, see American Airlines Arena (Miami, Florida), or American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas). ... Missing image Pan American World Airways A Pan Am Clipper - Boeing 747 Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the United States principal international airline from the 1930s until its collapse in 1991, and was credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry. ... Qantas (pronounced Kwon-tus) (ASX: QAN) is Australias oldest and largest airline, and the worlds second oldest airline after KLM. (IATA: QF, ICAO: QFA, and Callsign: Qantas) It is often considered to be the worlds safest airline. ... Long a symbol of Tokyo, the Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace. ... South African Airways (SAA), known simply as South African on their aircraft colour scheme, is South Africas largest domestic and international airline company. ... Johannesburg skyline at night with the Crown Interchange in the foreground Johannesburg is the most populous city in South Africa and the second most populous city in Sub-Saharan Africa, behind Lagos. ... The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster which contains Big Ben London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Apartheid (International Phonetic Alphabet or in English and in Afrikaans) is the policy and the system of laws implemented and continued by White minority governments in South Africa from 1948 to 1990; and by extension any legally sanctioned system of racial segregation. ...

For all its technical achievements, the SP never sold as well as Boeing hoped, only 45 were ever built and most that are still in service are used by operators in the Middle East and Africa. A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ...

The SOFIA astronomical observatory is a 747SP modified to carry a 2.5-meter-diameter infrared reflecting telescope. Originally delivered to Pan Am and titled "Clipper Lindbergh". NASA has displayed the name in Pan Am script on models of the plane. It will fly again in late 2005. The city of Sofia (Bulgarian: София), at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, has a population of 1,208,930 (2003), and is biggest city and the capital of the Republic of Bulgaria. ... Image of a small dog taken in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than visible light, but shorter than microwave radiation. ... Ritchey 24 reflecting telescope A reflecting telescope (reflector) is an optical telescope which uses mirrors, rather than lenses, to reflect light. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (established 1958) is the government agency responsible for the United States of Americas space program and long-term general aerospace research. ...

747-300

The first incarnation of the 747-300 would have been a trijet version of the 747SP, intended to compete with the DC-10 and L-1011 TriStar. This plan was scrapped due to insufficient demand. Biman Bangladesh Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engined long-range airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer. ... Orbital Sciences Stargazer Lockheed L-1011 The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar was the third widebody passenger jet airliner to reach the marketplace, following the Boeing 747 jumbo jet and the Douglas DC-10. ...

The 747-300 name was revived for a new aircraft, which was introduced in 1980, and was the first 747 model to feature a "stretched upper deck," which increased its capacity over earlier models. Combi (747-300M) and Japanese domestic (747-300SR) models were also built. The upper deck was now accessed via a straight staircase, rather than the spiral steps that featured in the 100 and 200. 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

747-400

British Airways 747-400 on the approach to San Francisco Airport

The 747-400 is the latest model of the 747, and also the only series still in production. It added 6ft(2m) wing tip entensions and 6ft(2m) winglets, an all-new glass cockpit which dispensed with the need for a flight engineer, tail fuel tanks, revised engines, an all-new interior, and newer in-flight entertainment to the basic design of the -300 series. It first entered service in 1989 with Northwest Airlines. Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1744 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 1744 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A winglet is a device used to improve the efficiency of aircraft by lowering the lift-induced drag caused by wingtip vortices. ... Glass cockpit is a system of aircraft cockpit electronic displays and its underlying electronics. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Northwest Airlines (IATA: NW, ICAO: NWA, and Callsign: Northwest) (NASDAQ: NWAC) is an airline headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, with three major hubs in the United States: Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and Memphis International Airport. ...

The -400 is available in the all passenger, combi (747-400M) and freighter (747-400F) variants. The Japanese domestic variant, the 747-400D, is the highest-capacity passenger aircraft in the world, and will be until the Airbus A380 officialy enters service. The -400D lacks the wing tip entensions and winglets included on other variants, allowing for increased number of takeoffs and landings by lowering wing stresses. The -400D may be converted to the long range version when needed.

The 747-400ER is 400's extended range version: it also comes in an all-freight version, the 747-400ERF. Plans to develop a newer model, the 747-400XQLR, which stood for Quiet Long-Range (the X being a designator for an aircraft derivative which is still a design study and has not been officially launched), have evolved into the 747 Advanced. Boeing Commercial Airplanes is working with airlines to create a new, enlarged version of the 747-400 which will use same engine and cockpit technology as the 787. ...

747 Large Cargo Freighter

Boeing announced in October 2003 that air transport will be the primary method of transportation for 7E7/787 parts (as opposed to shipping). Boeing will convert four passenger 747-400 aircraft into an outsize configuration, in order to ferry subassemblies to Everett, Washington for final assembly. It has a bulging fuselage like the Super Guppy or Airbus Beluga cargo planes used for transporting wings and fuselage sections. Boeing 787-8 in Northwest Airlines colors The Boeing 787, or Dreamliner, is a mid-sized passenger airliner currently under development by Boeing Commercial Airplanes and scheduled to enter service in 2008. ... Everett High School Everett Station Everett is a city located in Snohomish County, Washington. ... State nickname: The Evergreen State Other U.S. States Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Governor Christine Gregoire Official languages None Area 184,824 km² (18th)  - Land 172,587 km²  - Water 12,237 km² (6. ... The Super Guppy is a large, wide-bodied cargo aircraft used for ferrying outsized cargo components. ... The Airbus A300-600ST or Beluga is a version of the standard Airbus A300 wide-body airliner, modified to carry over-sized cargo. ...

Delivery times will be reduced from around 30 days to one day with the 747 transporter. This is extremely important for the 787 as the wings are being produced by Japanese subcontractors.

[2] (http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2003/q4/nr_031013g.html)

[3] (http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/q1/nr_050222g.html)

747X

The 747X was a proposed aircraft design that was similar to the proposed 747-500 among other 747 Stretches. The proposal was dropped now the 747Adv, or the 747 Advanced is being developed.

747 Advanced

Boeing is now working with airlines to create a new 747 called the Boeing 747 Advanced which will use same engine and cockpit technology as the 787 . The new 747 will be quieter, more economical and more environmentally friendly. It will be capable of carrying up to 500 passengers in a 3-class configuration and fly over 8,000 nautical miles (14,816 km) at .86 Mach. It is rumoured that British Airways, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific are said to be interested in this model. None of them have purchased the Airbus A380 as of yet. Boeing Commercial Airplanes is working with airlines to create a new, enlarged version of the 747-400 which will use same engine and cockpit technology as the 787. ... Boeing Commercial Airplanes is working with airlines to create a new, enlarged version of the 747-400 which will use same engine and cockpit technology as the 787. ...

Government and military

The current U.S. Presidential aircraft, VC-25A, is among the most famous 747 models. It is popularly known as Air Force One, even though that name refers to any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President. VC-25A is based on the civilian Boeing 747-200. Other special 747s include the E-4B airborne emergency command and control post, modified 747s to transport the Space Shuttle (Shuttle Carrier Aircraft), and aerial refueling tankers. A recent addition to the military's 747 arsenal is the experimental Airborne Laser, a component of the National Missile Defense plan. Seal of the President of the United States The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. ... This article is about the aircraft. ... Air Force One is the air traffic control callsign of any U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... The E-4B, also known as NAOC (National Airborne Operations Center), is a Boeing 747 aircraft refitted to serve as a command post for the United States armed forces during a nuclear war. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia seconds after engine ignition, 1981 (NASA). ... Atlantis transported by a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft Schematic 3-view A Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) is one of two extensively modified Boeing 747 jetliners that NASA uses to transport a space shuttle orbiter. ... Aerial refueling, also called in-flight refueling (IFR) or air-to-air refueling (AAR), is the practice of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight. ... A tanker is usually a vehicle carrying large amounts of liquid fuel. ... The Airborne Laser (ABL) weapons system is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in their boost stage. ... A payload launch vehicle carrying a prototype exoatmospheric kill vehicle is launched from Meck Island at the Kwajalein Missile Range on Dec. ...

A number of other governments also use the 747 as a VIP transport, including Bahrain, Iran, Japan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.

Powerplants

(For the last versions of each series offered)

• 747-100
  • four Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A turbofans
• 747-200/300
  • four Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4G2 turbofans or
  • four Rolls-Royce RB211-524D4 turbofans or
  • four General Electric CF6-50E2 turbofans
• 747-400
  • four Pratt & Whitney PW4062 turbofans or
  • four Rolls-Royce RB211-524H turbofans or
  • four General Electric CF6-80C2B5F turbofans

The Pratt & Whitney JT9D engine is the first high-bypass-ratio engine to power a wide-bodied aircraft. ... The Pratt & Whitney JT9D engine is the first high-bypass-ratio engine to power a wide-bodied aircraft. ... Rolls-Royce RB211 engine The Rolls Royce RB.211 family is a family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines made by Rolls-Royce capable of generating 37,400 to 60,600 pound (166 to 270 kN) thrust. ... The General Electric TF39 and CF6 family of high-bypass turbofan engines are the most popular large aircraft turbines in the world, powering civil and military widebodies from a variety of manufacturers. ... The Pratt & Whitney PW4000 is a family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines with certified thrust ranging from 52,000 to 99,040 lbf (230 to 440 kN). ... Rolls-Royce RB211 engine The Rolls Royce RB.211 family is a family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines made by Rolls-Royce capable of generating 37,400 to 60,600 pound (166 to 270 kN) thrust. ... The General Electric TF39 and CF6 family of high-bypass turbofan engines are the most popular large aircraft turbines in the world, powering civil and military widebodies from a variety of manufacturers. ...

Technical data

Unit Load Devices, or ULDs, are pallets and containers used to load luggage, freight, and mail on wide-body aircraft. ...

Facts & trivia

• A 747-400 has six million parts (half of which are fasteners) made in 33 different countries.
• Just one engine on a 747 produces more thrust than all four engines on an early model Boeing 707 combined.
• When pressurised, a 747 fuselage holds over a ton of air.
• The 747-400 is about 25 percent more fuel efficient than the 747-100, and twice as quiet.
• Early model 747s have more than seven hundred pounds (300 kg) of depleted uranium molded into the engine nacelles. Its purpose is as ballast to prevent the wing from fluttering.
• One of the original 747 design proposals was a full double decker, similar to the Airbus A380. Boeing dropped the idea at the eleventh hour, arguing that a wide single decker would be both more economical to operate and safer.
• During the flight certification period, Boeing built a bizarre 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 aircraft from the high upper deck position.
• At the time of its launch, the term "jumbo jet" had already been coined by the media to describe a general class of new wide-bodied airliners then being developed, including the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar and Douglas DC-10. Boeing was quite keen to discourage the media and the public using the term "jumbo jet" for the 747, but their efforts were in vain, and now the term is synonymous with the 747.
• The 747SP was originally intended to be known as the 747SB (the SB logically standing for "Short Body", before it was nicknamed "Sutter's Balloon" by Boeing employees, being named after 747 chief engineer Joe Sutter). The eventual name "Special Performance" was used instead.
• Due to its immense length, there is a very small flexure of the fuselage in flight. This effect was not anticipated in the design of the autopilot on early models, and so there is a very slow oscillation in yaw when flying on autopilot. This was first discovered on an overseas flight to the Paris Airshow, when some of the people in the rear got air sick. Upon return, the plane went through a shake test for two weeks to sort out the problem and adjust the yaw damper system. This solved the problem and the effect is now too small to be noticeable by passengers.
• To enable easy transportation of spare engines between sites by airlines, the 747 includes the ability to attach a non functioning fifth-pod engine under the port wing of the aircraft, between the nearest functioning engine and the fuselage. Photographs of planes flying in this configuration are highly prized by aircraft enthusiasts.

Pan Am 707 The Boeing 707 is a four engined commercial passenger jet aircraft developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Uranium, U, 92 Chemical series Actinides Period, Block 7, f Density, Hardness 19050 kg/m3, 6 Appearance silvery-white metal Atomic properties Atomic weight 238. ... The A380s first landing following its maiden flight on April 27, 2005 The Airbus A380 is a double-decker, four-engined airliner manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. It first flew on April 27, 2005 from Toulouse, France. ... Orbital Sciences Stargazer Lockheed L-1011 The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar was the third widebody passenger jet airliner to reach the marketplace, following the Boeing 747 jumbo jet and the Douglas DC-10. ... Biman Bangladesh Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engined long-range airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer. ...

Preserved aircraft

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

• Boeing 747-100 N7470, the first 747 prototype Museum of Flight, Seattle
• KLM 747-200(SUD) PH-BUK at Lelystad
• Qantas 747-200 VH-EBQ at Longreach Airport, Queensland
• South African Airways 747-200 ZS-SAN at Rand Airport, Johannesburg
• Lufthansa 747-200 D-ABYM at Speyer, Germany
• Air France 747-100 F-BPVJ at Le Bourget, Paris

For the Museum of Flight in East Lothian, Scotland, see Museum of Flight (Scotland). ... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area   - Total   - Land   - Water   - % water 369. ... KLM (in full: Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, literally Royal Aviation Company; usual English: Royal Dutch Airlines) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before its (agreed) take-over by Air France, KLM was the national airline of the Netherlands. ... Lelystad is a municipality and a city located in the centre of the Netherlands, and it is the capital of the province of Flevoland. ... Qantas (pronounced Kwon-tus) (ASX: QAN) is Australias oldest and largest airline, and the worlds second oldest airline after KLM. (IATA: QF, ICAO: QFA, and Callsign: Qantas) It is often considered to be the worlds safest airline. ... Longreach Airport is situated in rural Queensland, Australia. ... Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Nickname: Sunshine State/Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ... South African Airways (SAA), known simply as South African on their aircraft colour scheme, is South Africas largest domestic and international airline company. ... Johannesburg skyline at night with the Crown Interchange in the foreground Johannesburg is the most populous city in South Africa and the second most populous city in Sub-Saharan Africa, behind Lagos. ... Lufthansa Boeing 737-300 Lufthansa Airbus A300-B4 Lufthansa Avro RJ85 Lufthansa (Deutsche Lufthansa AG) is the largest German airline company, headquartered in Cologne. ... Speyer (English formerly Spires) is a city in Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate) with approx. ... Air France Boeing 747 Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before the take-over of KLM, it was essentially the national airline of France, employing over 64,000 people. ... Le Bourget airport (Aéroport du Bourget) is an airport, located in Le Bourget, close to Paris, France, nowadays only used for general aviation (business jets) as well as air shows. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...

Disasters

Specific accidents

The 747 has been involved in a number of air disasters. However, very few have been due to design flaws in the aircraft itself: most have been because of pilot error, improper maintenance, or in a few cases, terrorist or military action. Terrorism is a controversial term with multiple definitions. ...

• Lufthansa flight 540, Nairobi, 1974
• Tenerife Airport Disaster, 1977
• Air-India flight 855, Arabian Sea, 1978
• Korean Air flight 007, Sea of Okhotsk, 1983
• Avianca flight 011, Madrid, 1983
• Air-India flight 182, Atlantic Ocean, 1985
• Japan Airlines flight 123, Tokyo, 1985
• South African Airways flight 295, Indian Ocean, 1987
• Pan Am flight 103, Lockerbie, 1988
• China Airlines flight 358, Taiwan, 1991
• El Al cargo flight 1862, Amsterdam 1992
• Philippine Airlines Flight 434, Okinawa, 1994
• TWA Flight 800, Long Island, 1996
• Saudia flight 763, Delhi, 1996
• Korean Air flight 801, Guam, 1997
• Singapore Airlines flight 006, Taipei, 2000
• China Airlines flight 611, Penghu Islands, 2002

Lufthansa Flight 540, registered as D-ABYB, was a commercial Lufthansa Boeing 747-130, carrying 157 persons (140 passengers and 17 crew members), operating final segment of its routing Frankfurt–Nairobi–Johannesburg. ... The Tenerife disaster took place at 17:07 on March 27, 1977, when two Boeing 747s collided on the island of Tenerife, killing 583 people. ... Air India Flight 855 was a flight that crashed on 1 January 1978. ... Korean Air Flight 007 (KAL007, KE007) was the flight number of a civilian airliner shot down by Soviet fighters on September 1, 1983, over international waters just west of Sakhalin island, killing all 269 passengers and crew. ... Avianca Airlines Flight 011, registration HK-2910, was a Boeing 747-283B on an international scheduled passenger flight from Paris to Bogota with an intermediate stop in Madrid. ... Air India Flight 182 was a flight that flew on a Montreal-Mirabel International Airport, Montreal, Quebec - London Heathrow Airport, London _ Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi - Sahar International Airport (now Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport), Bombay (now Mumbai) route. ... Japan Airlines flight 123 (JAL123, JL123), a Boeing 747-100SR-46, JA8119, crashed into the ridge of Mount Takamagahara in Gunma Prefecture, Japan (about 100 km from Tokyo), on August 12, 1985. ... On November 28, 1987, Flight 295, a Boeing B-747-244B Combi, registered ZS-SAS, called the Helderberg and flying the colors of South African Airways, took off from Chiang Kai Shek International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan, on a flight to Johannesburg via Plaisance International Airport in the Republic of... The nose, containing the flight crew and first-class section, landed in a farmers field near a tiny church in Tundergarth, Scotland Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan Ams daily Frankfurt-London-New York-Detroit evening flight. ... China Airlines Flight 358 was a Boeing 747_2R7F that crashed on Dec. ... The Bijlmerramp (in English: Bijlmer disaster) was an airplane crash. ... Philippine Airlines Flight 434 was the route designator of a flight that flew on a Ninoy Aquino International Airport near Manila, Philippines - Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Cebu - New Tokyo International Airport (Now Narita International Airport), Narita, Japan near Tokyo route. ... TWA Flight 800 (TW800,TWA800) was a passenger flight from JFK (Jamaica, Queens, New York, New York) to Charles De Gaulle International Airport (near Paris). ... Plane and Flight Information November 12, 1996 1. ... Korean Air Flight 801 (KE801, KAL801) crashed on August 6, 1997 on approach to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam. ... DUPLICATE ARTICLE WITH Singapore Airlines Flight 6 - DELETE Singapore Airlines Flight 006 was a Boeing 747 departing from Taiwan for Los Angeles. ... China Airlines Flight 611 (CAL611, CI611) flew from Chiang Kai Shek International Airport in Taipei, Taiwan to Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, China. ...

Accident summary

• Hull-loss Accidents: 30 with a total of 2843 fatalities
• Other occurrences: 6 with a total of 857 fatalities
• Hijackings: 29 with a total of 22 fatalities

Airlines

Most international airlines use the 747 on their busiest routes. However, as point-to-point international service between midsize cities has become more common, some major airlines have replaced their 747's with smaller and more efficient twinjet aircraft. American Airlines, and Continental Airlines are among the larger carriers to discontinue the 747. Other airlines that have removed the type from their fleet include Air Canada, Aer Lingus, SAS, TAP, and Olympic Airways. Note: For the arenas named after this company, see American Airlines Arena (Miami, Florida), or American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas). ... Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) is an American airline. ... Air Canada (TSX: ACE.RV) is Canadas flag air carrier, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ... Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland. ... Scandinavian Airlines System, now SAS AB, is an airline based in Stockholm, Sweden. ... Categories: Organization stubs | Airlines of Portugal ... Olympic Airlines Boeing 737 Olympic Airlines (Ολυμπιακές Αερογραμμές - O.A.) is the state-run, flag carrier of Greece. ...

Future development

The 747 is the only Boeing jetliner never to be stretched beyond its original design length. This has been mainly due to the uncertain economics of the commercial airline business, and the lack of suitable engines. Many different stretching schemes for the 747 have been proposed, but none have come to fruition. The 747-X program was launched in 1996, and was intended to be Boeing's response to Airbus' A3XX proposal. The 747-X would have consisted of the 747-500X and 747-600X which would have provided seating for up to 800 passengers. General Electric and P&W formed the Engine Alliance and designed the GP7200 turbofan to power the stretched 747. Airlines, however, would have preferred Boeing to develop an all-new design instead of an updated 747, and the plan was dropped after a few months. 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Airbus S.A.S. is a commercial aircraft manufacturer based in Toulouse, France. ... The A380s first landing following its maiden flight on April 27, 2005 The Airbus A380 is a double-decker, four-engined airliner manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. It first flew on April 27, 2005 from Toulouse, France. ... The Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, was formed in August 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell, and support a family of modern technology engines for new high-capacity, long-range aircraft. ... Categories: Stub | Turbofan engines ...

When the Airbus A380 was formally launched in 2000, Boeing dusted off its 747-X studies in a bid to thwart sales of the Airbus competitor. But once again airlines were not interested, and Boeing cancelled the program in 2001 after no orders were forthcoming, devoting its energies to the ill-fated Sonic Cruiser. Some of the ideas developed for the 747-X were, however, used in the production of the 747-400ER. 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Boeing Sonic Cruiser was a subsonic concept airplane proposed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in 2001. ...

The long-term future of the 747 is now in doubt—its dominance on long-haul routes has been eroded in recent years by the new generation of ETOPS-compatible twinjets such as the Airbus A330 and Boeing's own 767 and 777. Despite Boeing's claims that the A380 can never be profitable, Airbus have already sold a considerable number of the giant aircraft. Previously loyal 747 customers such as Qantas, Virgin Atlantic and Singapore Airlines have ordered the A380, and sales of the passenger 747 have dwindled to almost nothing. The most recent order for a passenger 747 was in November 2002 and only 16 have been delivered since then. Freighter versions of the 747 have kept the production line going although orders for these have also declined in recent years, many carriers preferring to convert passenger aircraft such as MD-11s to freighters. Boeing has promised that it will always be ready to produce larger, more advanced versions of the 747 when the market for such a plane develops, but industry analysts are already predicting the end for the 35-year old giant. ETOPS (Extended Twin-engine OPerationS) is an acronym for an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rule permitting newer twin-engined commercial air transports to fly routes that, at some points, are further than a distance of 60 minutes flying time from an emergency or diversion airport. ... Air Canada Airbus A330 The Airbus A330 is a large-capacity medium-to-long-range commercial passenger airliner manufactured by Airbus. ... The Boeing 767 is a commercial passenger airplane manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. ... The Boeing 777 is a family of long range widebody twin engine airliners built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. ... Qantas (pronounced Kwon-tus) (ASX: QAN) is Australias oldest and largest airline, and the worlds second oldest airline after KLM. (IATA: QF, ICAO: QFA, and Callsign: Qantas) It is often considered to be the worlds safest airline. ... Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. ... Singapore Airlines (abbreviated SIA, Chinese: 新加坡航空公司, Pinyin: Xīnjīapō Hángkōng Gōngsī, abbreviated: 新航) is the national airline of Singapore. ... Varig MD-11 The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is a Widebody Trijet powered by three engines. ...

Nonetheless, in early 2004, Boeing rolled out tentative plans for what it calls the 747-Advanced. As the first A380 prototypes edged ever closer to their first flight, this was evidence that the company was prepared to challenge to Airbus. Essentially another "recycle" of 747-X plan, the stretched 747A intends to use technology from the 787 to bring the 747 into the new millennium. Time will tell if Boeing manages to get this "paper airplane" into production. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Boeing Commercial Airplanes is working with airlines to create a new, enlarged version of the 747-400 which will use same engine and cockpit technology as the 787. ... Boeing 787-8 in Northwest Airlines colors The Boeing 787, or Dreamliner, is a mid-sized passenger airliner currently under development by Boeing Commercial Airplanes and scheduled to enter service in 2008. ...

Image Gallery

Related content

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Related development

• Boeing E-4
• Boeing VC-25
• Shuttle Carrier Aircraft

The E-4B, also known as NAOC (National Airborne Operations Center), is a Boeing 747 aircraft refitted to serve as a command post for the United States armed forces during a nuclear war. ... This article is about the aircraft. ... Atlantis transported by a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft Schematic 3-view A Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) is one of two extensively modified Boeing 747 jetliners that NASA uses to transport a space shuttle orbiter. ...

Similar aircraft

• Airbus A340
• Airbus A380
• Ilyushin Il-96
• DC-10
• MD-11

Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340. ... The A380s first landing following its maiden flight on April 27, 2005 The Airbus A380 is a double-decker, four-engined airliner manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. It first flew on April 27, 2005 from Toulouse, France. ... Aeroflots Il-96-300 The Ilyushin Il-96 is a four-engined long-range Russian widebody airliner. ... Biman Bangladesh Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engined long-range airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer. ... Varig MD-11 The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is a Widebody Trijet powered by three engines. ...

Designation series

2707 - 707 - 717 - 720 - 727 - 737 - 747 - 757 - 767 - 777 - 787 The Boeing 2707 was intended to be the first American supersonic airliner. ... Pan Am 707 The Boeing 707 is a four engined commercial passenger jet aircraft developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. ... 717 in new Boeing Colors AirTran Airways 717 at BWI The twinjet Boeing 717 is Boeing Commercial Airplanes smallest commercial airliner intended for the 100-seater market. ... Pan Am 707 The Boeing 707 is a four engined commercial passenger jet aircraft developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. ... Sun Country 727 The Boeing 727 was, for a very long time, the most popular jet-liner in the world. ... 737 in new Boeing Colors. ... The Boeing 757 is a medium-range transcontinental commercial passenger airplane manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. ... The Boeing 767 is a commercial passenger airplane manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. ... The Boeing 777 is a family of long range widebody twin engine airliners built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. ... Boeing 787-8 in Northwest Airlines colors The Boeing 787, or Dreamliner, is a mid-sized passenger airliner currently under development by Boeing Commercial Airplanes and scheduled to enter service in 2008. ...

External links

• Boeing.com (http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747family/)
• Boeing 747 e-brochure (http://www.newairplane.com/747e-brochure/) - Flash animation

• Airliners.net - Boeing 747-100 & 200 (http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=97)
• Airliners.net - Boeing 747-300 (http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=99)
• Airliners.net - Boeing 747-400 (http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=100)
• Airliners.net 747 images (http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?cnsearch=24741/787&distinct_entry=true)

• Calipso: Boeing 747 Information & History (http://www.gocalipso.com/aircraft/boeing747/boeing747.php)
• Aircraft-Info.net - Boeing 747-400 (http://www.aircraft-info.net/aircraft/jet_aircraft/boeing/747-400/)
• Planemad.net - Boeing 747 Production Lists (http://www.planemad.net/data/list/Boeing/747/)

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