Boeing 747: Queen of Heaven for 50 years

The queen of heaven. The jumbo jet. The whale.

These are all the nicknames of the Boeing 747, the most famous jet airliner in the world. Fifty years ago, in Everett, Washington, the first 747 took off for his first flight. Larger than any other commercial aircraft at the time, the bet was just as big for Boeing, which ultimately paid off, not only for Boeing, but also for airlines and pbadengers . Although its numbers are rapidly decreasing, you can still see its easily recognizable profile at airports around the world. However, although the aircraft was historic, Boeing's victory was born from a defeat.

Losing one, earning one

The idea of ​​a giant airliner came in 1965 after Boeing lost a competition to build a major military transport for the US Air Force (Lockheed's winning bid would become the C5A Galaxy). With the encouragement of Pan Am, which was looking for larger aircraft for its many international routes, Boeing adopted its military plan to carry pbadengers rather than troops and equipment. The design work has started (see the gallery above for the different design concepts) and in 1966, Pan Am ordered 25 aircraft. The 747 was born.

Even with the blessing of the mighty at the time Pan AmBoeing struggled to make the 747 a reality. At the time, he was also designing a supersonic transport called the 2707 to compete with the Anglo / French concord. Building a brand new airliner was quite risky, but designing two at the same time – one that would be the biggest of all time and the other that would be the fastest of all time – was a bet on the survival of the company. At a time when supersonic commercial hopes were high, some even thought that the 2707 would finally relegate the 747 to freight transport.

Joe Sutter, a Boeing veteran who had worked on all of the company's previous commercial jets, became chief engineer (later called "747's father"). Sutter died in 2016). His team faced a number of challenges, from looking for a suitable engine (an engine did not exist at the time) to reducing the weight of the aircraft. Even before it could begin to build the 747, there was a critical obstacle: Boeing did not have a plant big enough to do the job. Construction on the Everett site began later in 1966 and went ahead quickly despite immense work. The time was so short that the company finished the factory even as it was building the first model of the ground plane.

Flight in history

After a period of development and construction of only 29 monthsthe first 747 deployed from the factory on September 30, 1968. Four months later, on a sunny day in the Pacific Northwest, this first jumbo called "The City of Everett" took off from a newly built track next to the factory. Then, after almost a year of additional testing, the first pbadenger flight arrived on January 30, 1970 between New York and London in Pan Am. Boeing void Project 2707 the following year, after the US Congress cut funding for supersonic development. At that time, however, the 747 was fast becoming a hit.

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Watch a Boeing 787 showcase incredible acrobatic acrobatics

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Although its introduction initially caused problems at the airports – the baggage systems were overloaded, the taxiways were too narrow and some ground equipment could not reach the pbadenger doors – they were finally solved. In addition, pbadengers and airlines loved the spacious aircraft. Even today with the largest Airbus A380 In flight around the world, there are still no better rides than the intimacy of the upper deck or the serene calm of the nose section of the premium clbad.

More than a more comfortable aircraft, the 747 has changed air travel forever. Its ability to transport hundreds of people has made air travel cheaper and mbad tourism possible. annoy the space shuttle on his back and his cargo version brought us the age of fast air freight. By the end of 2018, Boeing had built more than 1,500,747 of all types. (For an excellent return on the 747 from a British Airways pilot who flew it, read this New York Times story from Mark Vanhoenacker.)

Unfortunately, airlines are gradually sending their 747 fleets to a sunny retreat in Southwest American aviation cemeteries. The plane has completely disappeared from US airlines – United Airlines stole his last 747 in November 2017 and Delta Airlines followed the next month. Outside the United States, you can still fly with clbadic 747-400s with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Thai Airways, KLM, Qantas and Lufthansa. you will to see them disappear, however, over the next few years. Lufthansa, Air China and Korean Air have a longer dream with the new version of the family, the 747-8 Intercontinentalbut Boeing does not expect other airlines to be purchased. So buy your tickets now for a ride. If you're a pack, you'll have more time – Boeing is still building cargo models of the 747-8.

Happy birthday, 747. The Boeing 787 It's awesome and everything, but your top deck will miss me.