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The Boeing 747, sometimes nicknamed the "Jumbo Jet", is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body commercial airliner ever produced. Manufactured by Boeing's Commercial Airplane unit in the United States, the original version of the 747 was two and a half times the size of the Boeing 707, one of the common large commercial aircraft of the 1960s. The aircraft is so large that its wingspan is longer than the length of the Wright Brothers' first flight. First flown commercially in 1970, it held the passenger capacity record for 37 years, until it was surpassed by the Airbus A380. The four-engine 747 uses a double deck configuration for part of its length. It is available in passenger, freighter and other versions. The 747's hump created by the upper deck allows for a front cargo door on freighter versions, and serves as additional seating in most versions. The 747-400, the latest version in service, is among the fastest airliners in service with a high-subsonic cruise speed of Mach 0.85 (567 mph or 913 km/h). It has an intercontine ntal range of 7,260 nautical miles (8,350 mi or 13,450 km). The 747-400 passenger version can accommodate 416 passengers in a typical three-class layout or 524 passengers in a typical two-class layout. The 747 was expected to become obsolete after 400 were sold because of the development of supersonic airliners, but it has outlived many of its critics' expectations, and production passed the 1,000 mark in 1993. As of December 2007, 1,399 aircraft had been built, with 122 more in various configurations on order. The latest version of the aircraft, the 747-8, is scheduled to enter service in 2009.

The Boeing 747 project 97-2003

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ABOUT THE 747 FAMILY

Instantly recognized by passengers around the world, theBoeing 747 is in a class by itself. The 747-8 continues the 747

family legacy by integrating advanced technology into one of the world's most modern and fuel-efficient airplanes.

The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental and 747-8 Freighter are thenew, high-capacity 747s that offer airlines the lowest operatingcosts and best economics of any large passenger or freighterairplane-while providing enhanced environmental performance.This latest family of 747 jetliners meets airline requirements fora passenger airplane that serves the 400- to 500-seat market

between the 555-seat Airbus A380 and the 365-seat Boeing777-300 Extended Range airplanes, and for a freighter thatcontinues the leadership of the 747 Freighter family in the worldcargo market.Boeing launched the airplane on Nov. 14, 2005, with firm ordersfor 18 747-8 Freighters: 10 from Cargolux of Luxembourg and 8from Nippon Cargo Airlines of Japan. The combined list pricevalue of the orders is approximately $5 billion.Boeing studied the market feasibility of a new 747 for some

time, working with operators to establish their requirements foran incrementally larger 747 to continue the profitability of current 747 fleets. By working together with customers andapplying the innovative new technologies of the 787 Dreamliner,Boeing created the 747-8 family. In fact, the designation 747-8was chosen to show the technology connection between the 787and the new 747.Both the passenger and freighter versions of the 747-8 willallow operators to maximize their profitability. Seat-mile costs

for the 747-8 Intercontinental are 13 percent lower than for the747-400, with 2 percent lower trip costs. The 747-8Intercontinental is more than 10 percent lighter per seat thanthe Airbus A380 and consumes 11 percent less fuel perpassenger. That translates into a trip-cost reduction of 21

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percent and a seat-mile cost reduction of more than 6 percentcompared to the A380.The 747-8 should be able to operate safely at any airport thatcurrently has 747-400 service. The 747-8 will build on the

current 747's capability to fly into most airports worldwide,using the same pilot type ratings, services and most groundsupport equipment. With a range of 8,000 nautical miles(14,815 km), the 747-8 Intercontinental can connect nearly anymajor city pair in the world.The 747-8 family provides new revenue opportunities that willallow airlines to maximize profits. For example, the passengerairplane has 51 additional seats to accommodate 467passengers in a typical three-class configuration, and it also

offers 26 percent more cargo volume. The 747-8 Freighteroffers a range of 4,390 nautical miles (8,130 km) and has 16percent more cargo volume than the 747-400, which allows it tohold seven additional pallets with the same nose-door loadingcapability, industry-standard 10-foot (3-m) -high pallets andreal-world cargo density capability at 9.9 pounds per cubic foot(159 kg/m3).Both airplanes represent a new benchmark in fuel efficiency andnoise reduction, allowing airlines to lower fuel costs and fly into

more airports at more times of the day. The 747-8Intercontinental is 16 percent more fuel efficient than the 747-400, 11 percent more fuel efficient than the A380 and offersQC2 departures.Compared one on one, the 747-8 Freighter has no competitors.With a maximum structural payload capacity of 154 tons (140tonnes), the 747-8 Freighter offers 16 percent more revenuecargo volume than the 747-400 Freighter. The additional 4,221cubic feet (120 m3) of volume means the airplane can

accommodate four additional main-deck pallets and threeadditional lower-hold pallets. The 747-8 Freighter enablesoperators to choose between carrying greater revenue payload-up to an additional 22 tons (20 tonnes)-or flying up to 1,400nautical miles (2,593 km) farther in markets where cargodensity requirements are lower. The airplane upholds itspredecessor's legendary efficiency, with nearly equivalent trip

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costs and 16 percent lower ton-mile costs than the 747-400Freighter. In fact, the 747-8 Freighter will enjoy the lowest ton-mile costs of any freighter, giving operators unmatched profitpotential.

The 747-8 is the right size for the large airplane market,lowering risk for airlines in a highly variable operatingenvironment.

Instantly recognized by passengers around the world, theBoeing 747 is the world's favorite airplane as well as the world'sonly 400-seat airplane.The 747-400 is a proven performer with high reliability.It incorporates major aerodynamic improvements over earlier

747 models, including the addition of winglets to reduce drag,new avionics, and a new flight deck.The 747 fits into today's infrastructure, serving more than 210airports around the world; is the world's best freighter; and isalso the world's fastest commercial jetliner.

With the lowest operating cost per ton-mile in the industry, thenew-technology Boeing 747-400 Freighters are the all-cargo

transport members of the 747-400 family.They can carry twice as much cargo, twice as far, as thecompetitor's leading freighter. Along with earlier versions, 747Freighters -- nearly 300 in all -- carry half the freighter aircargo in the world.With the enhanced 747-400ER Freighter, the airplane offers aneven more unbeatable combination of payload, range andspeed.The newest member of the family, the 747-400 Boeing

Converted Freighter, gives air cargo companies an economicalmeans to add cargo lift by converting 747-400 passenger orcombi airplanes to freighters.Seventeen customers have ordered a total of 124 747-400Freighters, including 32 747-400ER Freighters. Cargolux Airlineswas the first to put the 747-400 Freighter into service inNovember 1993.

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More than 100 747-400 Freighters have been delivered,including a record 18 in 2002.

Boeing took another huge step in the continuing evolution of the

world's most recognized jetliner -- the 747 -- by launching newand more capable versions of the airplane that changed theworld.The 747-400ER (extended range) family -- available in bothpassenger and freighter versions -- provides the same size ascurrent 747-400s, but offers an even more unbeatablecombination of payload and range.With Qantas Airways' Nov. 28, 2000, order for six of these new,longer-range jumbo jets, the 747-400ER was launched into

production and entered service in November 2002.Boeing launched the 747-400ER Freighter on April 30, 2001with an order from International Lease Finance Corporation(ILFC) for five freighter airplanes, the first of which enteredservice in October 2002.

IMPROVED AERODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE

The 747-400's most noticeable aerodynamic improvement is the

6-foot (1.8 m) longer wing with a 6-foot-high winglet angledupward and slightly outward. This change reduces fuel burn andextends the airplane's range.The winglet provides the effect of having an even greaterwingspan without outgrowing the standard airport slot.The wingtip extension and winglet offer a fuel mileageimprovement of about 3 percent.The durable and lightweight winglets are made of graphite-epoxy materials, currently used on the all modern Boeing

airplanes.The composite and aluminum winglet saves 60 pounds (27 kg)per airplane compared to an all-aluminum structure.

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FACTS AND FIGURES

Parts

• A 747-400 has six million parts, half of which are fasteners.

• A 747-400 has 171 miles (274 km) of wiring and 5 miles (8km) of tubing.• A 747-400 consists of 147,000 pounds (66,150 kg) of high-strength aluminum.• The 747-400 has 16 main landing gear tires and two noselanding gear tires.

• The 747-400 tail height is 63 feet 8 inches (19.4 m),equivalent to a six-story building.

Wings

• The 747-400 wing weighs 95,000 pounds (43,090 kg),more than 30 times the weight of the first Boeing airplane, the1916 B&W.

• The 747-400 wing measures 5,600 square feet (524.9 m2 ), an area large enough to hold 45 medium-sized automobiles.• Four World War I vintage JN4-D "Jenny" airplanes could be

lined up on each of the Boeing 747 wings.• How much weight does an additional 6-foot (1.8-m) wingtipextension and winglet add to the 747-400 wing? None! A weightsavings of approximately 5,000 pounds (2,270 kg) was achievedin the wing by using new aluminum alloys, which offset theweight increase of the wing tip extension and winglet

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Engineering and Testing

• Seventy-five thousand engineering drawings were used toproduce the first 747.

The first 747 completed more than 15,000 hours of wind-tunnel testing.• The original 747 flight test program, which led to theairplane's certification for commercial service in December 1969,used five airplanes, lasted 10 months and required more than1,500 hours of flying.

Flight

• The 747 fleet has logged more than 42 billion nautical miles(77.8 billion kilometers), equivalent to 101,500 trips from theEarth to the moon and back.• The 747 fleet has flown 3.5 billion people - the equivalentof more than half of the world's population.

• The 747-400ER range is approximately 7,713 nautical miles(14,297 km).• A 747-400 typically takes off at 180 mph (290 km/h),cruises at 565 mph (910 km/h) and lands at 160 mph (260km/h).• For a typical international flight, one 747 operator usesabout 5.5 tons (5,000 kg) of food supplies and more than50,000 in-flight service items.

Engines

• Engine thrust has grown from 43,500 pounds (19,730 kg)per engine on the early 747s to as much as 63,300 pounds(28,710 kg) on the current model.

• The diameter of the 747 engine cowling is 8 feet 6 inches(2.6 m).

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Fuel

• The 747-400ER can carry more than 63,500 gallons of fuel(240,370 L), making it possible to fly extremely long routes,

such as Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia.• A 747-400 that flies 3,500 statute miles (5,630 km) andcarries 126,000 pounds (56,700 kg) of fuel will consume anaverage of five gallons (19 L) per mile.

• The 747-400 carries 3,300 gallons (12,490 L) of fuel in thehorizontal (tail) stabilizer, allowing it to fly an additional 350nautical miles.

Interior

• The award-winning Boeing Signature Interior is available onboth the 747-400 and 747-400ER.

• At 31,285 cubic feet (876 cubic meters), the 747-400 hasthe largest passenger interior volume of any commercial airliner,which is equivalent to more than three houses each measuring1,500 square feet (135 square meters).• The 747-400 has a redesigned "flexible" cabin interior thatallows airlines to rearrange seats and class configurationovernight (in eight hours). They also permit 48-hour conversion

times for changes in galley and lavatory locations.• Airline cargo handlers use the 747-400's lower-lobe cargohandling system to load or unload more than 65,000 pounds(30,000 kg) of cargo - the equivalent of 625 pieces of luggagecombined with 20 tons of revenue freight - in less than 15minutes.

• The Wright Brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C., couldhave been performed within the 150-foot (45-m) economysection of a 747-400.• There are 365 lights, gauges and switches in the new-technology 747-400 flight deck, reduced from 971 on earlier 747models.

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ENVIRONMENT

Boeing recognizes the serious challenges facing our eco-systemand is committed to improving the environmental performance

of its operations, products and services. Our greatestcontribution to meeting the challenge is to pioneer newtechnologies for environmentally progressive products andservices -- and to design, develop and build them in anenvironmentally responsible manner.Boeing has implemented aggressive targets for improving itsenvironmental performance both for its operations and thelifecycle of its products. Boeing has a record of commitment toregulatory compliance and a legacy of environmental

performance improvements in its products and services. And bylearning from and enabling its employees to drive change,Boeing is embedding environmental thought and action intoeverything we do.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

Boeing is committed to operating in a manner that promotes

environmental stewardship.Boeing will strive to:

• Conduct operations in compliance with applicableenvironmental laws, regulations, and Boeing policies andprocedures.• Prevent pollution by conserving energy and resources,recycling, reducing waste, and pursuing other source reductionstrategies.• Continually improve our environmental managementsystem.

• Work together with our stakeholders on activities thatpromote environmental protection.

BOEING (CULTURE AND VALUES)

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Boeing is a company of amazing people working in one of the most

exciting industries in the world. When you consider our many

accomplishments -- from designing and building the earliest biplanes to

creating and supporting today's supersonic aircraft and spacecraft -- you

might think we would be content with how far we've come. But a company

of our size and scope doesn't succeed by resting on its laurels; we are

constantly re-examining our capabilities and processes to ensure that our

company is as strong and vital as our heritage. In fact, our culture mirrors

the heritage of aviation itself, built on a foundation of innovation,

aspiration and imagination.

Our Values

At Boeing, we are committed to a set of core values that not only define

who we are, but also serve as guideposts to help us become the companywe would like to be. We truly live these values every day.

Leadership

We will be a world-class leader in every aspect of our business: in

developing our team leadership skills at every level, in our management

performance, in the way we design, build and support our products, and in

our financial results.

Integrity

We will always take the high road by practicing the highest ethical

standards, and by honoring our commitments. We will take personal

responsibility for our actions, and treat everyone fairly and with trust and

respect.

Quality

We will strive for continuous quality improvement in all that we do, so that

we will rank among the world's premier industrial firms in customer,

employee and community satisfaction.

Customer Satisfaction

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Satisfied customers are essential to our success. We will achieve total

customer satisfaction by understanding what the customer wants and

delivering it flawlessly.

People Working TogetherWe recognize our strength and our competitive advantage is -- and always

will be -- people. We will continually learn, and share ideas and knowledge.

We will encourage cooperative efforts at every level and across all

activities in our company.

We value the skills, strengths and perspectives of our diverse team. We

will foster a participatory workplace that enables people to get involved in

making decisions about their work that advance our common business

objectives.

Good Corporate Citizenship

We will provide a safe workplace and protect the environment. We will

promote the health and well-being of Boeing people and their families. We

will work with our communities by volunteering and financially supporting

education and other worthy causes.

Enhancing Shareholder Value

Our business must produce a profit, and we must generate superior

returns on the assets entrusted to us by our shareholders. We will ensure

our success by satisfying our customers and increasing shareholder value.

OUR VISION

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The Boeing Vision is: People working together as a global enterprise for

aerospace leadership. How will we get there?

• Run healthy core businesses

• Leverage our strengths into new products and services• Open new frontiers

In order to realize our vision, we consider where we are today and where

we would like to be tomorrow. There are certain business imperatives on

which Boeing places a very strong emphasis.

• Detailed customer knowledge and focus that understand, anticipateand respond to customer needs.• Large-scale systems integration that continually develops and

advances technical excellence.• A lean enterprise characterized by efficiency, supplier management,short cycle times, high quality and low transaction costs.

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Development

BackgroundIn 1963, the US Air Force started a series of study projects on a very large

"strategic" transport aircraft. Although the C-141 Starlifter was in theprocess of being introduced, they felt that a much larger and more capableaircraft was needed, especially the capability to carry "outsized" cargo thatwould not fit in any existing aircraft. These studies led to the "CX-X"(Cargo, Experimental, no number) design that called for a load capacity of 180,000 pounds (81,600 kg) and a speed of Mach 0.75 (500 mph/805km/h), and an unrefueled range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 km) with apayload of 115,000 pounds (52,200 kg). The payload bay had to be 17 feet(5.18 m) wide by 13.5 feet (4.11 m) high and 100 feet (30.5 m) long with

access through doors at the front and rear.

The initial design was met by a series of proposals featuring six engines.However the designs were all considered not enough of an advance over the C-141 to be worthwhile committing to development. A new set of criteria was finalized and an official Request for Proposal was sent out on27 April 1964 for the "Heavy Logistics System" (CX-HLS). Featuring onlyfour engines, the design also required new engine designs with greatlyincreased power and better fuel economy. On 18 May 1964, airframeproposals arrived from Boeing, Douglas, General Dynamics, Lockheed and

Martin Marietta; while engine proposals were submitted by GeneralElectric, Curtiss-Wright and Pratt and Whitney. After a downselect, Boeing,Douglas and Lockheed were given additional study contracts for theairframe, along with General Electric and Pratt and Whitney for theengines.

All three of the airframe proposals shared a number of features, but one inparticular would become iconic on the 747. As the CX-HLS aircraft wasdesigned to carry heavy cargo, a cockpit at a conventional location in thenose represented a serious risk during a crash landing, as the cargo wouldmove forward and potentially crush the pilots. All of the companies took thisproblem into account by moving the cockpit above the cargo area; Douglashad a small "pod" just forward and above the wing, Lockheed used a long"spine" running the length of the aircraft with the wing spar passing throughit, while Boeing blended the two, with a longer pod that ran from just behindthe nose to just behind the wing.

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Airliner proposal

The 747 was conceived while air travel was increasing in the 1960s. Theera of commercial jet transportation, led by the enormous popularity of theBoeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, had revolutionized long-distance travel.Even before it lost the CX-HLS contract, Boeing was pressed by JuanTrippe, president of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), one of its mostimportant airline customers, to build a passenger airplane more than twicethe size of the 707. During this time, airport congestion, worsened byincreasing numbers of passengers carried on relatively small planes,became a problem that Trippe thought could be addressed by a large newaircraft.

In 1965, Joe Sutter was transferred from Boeing's 737 development teamto manage the studies for a new airliner, already assigned the modelnumber 747. Sutter initiated a design study with Pan Am and other airlines,in order to better understand their requirements. At the time, it was widelythought that the 747 would eventually be superseded by supersonictransport aircraft. Boeing responded by designing the 747 so that it couldbe adapted easily to carry freight and remain in production even if sales of the passenger version declined. In the freighter role, the clear need was tosupport the containerized shipping methodologies that were being widelyintroduced at about the same time. Standard containers are 8 feet squareat the front (slightly higher due to attachment points) and either 20 or 40feet long. This meant that it would be possible to support a 2-wide 2-highstack of containers two or three ranks deep with a fuselage size similar tothe earlier CX-HLS project.

In April 1966, Pan Am ordered twenty-five 747-100 aircraft for US$525million. During the ceremonial 747 contract-signing banquet in Seattle onBoeing's 50th Anniversary, Juan Trippe predicted that the 747 would be "...a great weapon for peace, competing with intercontinental missiles for 

mankind's destiny", according to Malcolm T. Stamper, one of the senior management for the 747 program at the time. As launch customer, andbecause of its early involvement before placing a formal order, Pan Amwas able to influence the design and development of the 747 to an extentunmatched by a single airline before or since.

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Design effort

Ultimately, the high-winged CX-HLS Boeing design was not used for the

747, although technologies developed for their bid had an influence. Theoriginal design included a full-length double-deck fuselage with rows of eight-across seating and two aisles on the lower deck and seven-acrossseating and two aisles on the upper deck. However, concern over evacuation routes and limited cargo-carrying capability caused this idea tobe scrapped in early 1966 in favor of a wider single deck design. Thecockpit was, therefore, placed on a shortened upper deck so that a freight-loading door could be included in the nose cone; this design featureproduced the 747's distinctive "bulge". In early models it was not clear whatto do with the small space in the pod behind the cockpit, and this was

initially specified as a "lounge" area with no permanent seating.

One of the principal technologies that enabled an airplane as large as the747 to be conceived was the high-bypass turbofan engine. The enginetechnology was thought to be capable of delivering double the power of theearlier turbojets while consuming a third less fuel. General Electric hadpioneered the concept but was committed to developing the engine for theC-5 Galaxy and did not enter the commercial market until later. Pratt &Whitney was also working on the same principle and, by late 1966, Boeing,Pan-Am and Pratt & Whitney agreed to develop a new engine, designatedJT9D, to power the 747.

The project was designed with a new methodology called fault treeanalysis, which allowed the effects of a failure of a single part to be studiedto determine its impact on other systems. To address concerns aboutsafety and flyability, the 747's design included structural redundancy,redundant hydraulic systems, quadruple main landing gear and dual controlsurfaces. Additionally, some of the most advanced high-lift devices used inthe industry were included in the new design, in order to allow it to operate

from existing airports. These included leading-edge slats running almostthe entire length of the wing, as well as complex three-part slotted flapsalong the rear. The wing's low mounting allows the flaps to capture airflowunder them, increasing ground effects.

Boeing agreed to deliver the first 747 to Pan Am by the end of 1969. Thedelivery date left 28 months to design the aircraft, which was two-thirds the

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normal time. The schedule was so fast that the people who worked on itwere given the nickname "The Incredibles". Developing the aircraft wassuch a technical and financial challenge that management was said to have"bet the company" when it started the project.

Production plant

Because Boeing did not have a plant large enough to assemble the giantairliner, it chose to build a new one. The company considered locations inabout 50 cities, and eventually decided to build the new plant some 30miles (48 km) north of Seattle on a site adjoining a military base at PaineField near Everett, Washington. It bought the 780 acre (316 hectare) site inJune 1966.

Developing the 747 had been a major challenge, and building its assemblyplant was also a huge undertaking. Boeing president William M. Allenasked Malcolm T. Stamper, then head of the company's turbine division, tooversee construction of the Everett factory and to start production of the747. To level the site, more than 4 million cubic yards (3.1 million m³) of earth had to be moved. Time was so short that the 747's full-scale mock-upwas built before the factory roof above it was finished. The plant is thelargest building by volume ever built.

Development and testing

Before the first 747 was fully assembled, testing began on manycomponents and systems. One important test involved evacuation of 560volunteers from a cabin mock-up via the plane's emergency chutes. Thefirst full-scale evacuation took two and a half minutes instead of themaximum of 90 seconds mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration,and several volunteers were injured. Subsequent test evacuationsachieved the 90-second goal but caused more injuries. Most problematic

was evacuation from the airplane's upper deck; volunteer passengers,instead of using a conventional slide, escaped by using a harness attachedto a reel.

Boeing built an unusual training device known as "Waddell's Wagon"(named for a 747 test pilot, Jack Waddell) that consisted of a mock-upcockpit mounted on the roof of a truck. While the first 747s were still being

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built, the device allowed pilots to practice taxi maneuvers from a highupper-deck position.

On 30 September 1968, the first 747 was rolled out of the Everett assemblybuilding before the world's press and representatives of the 26 airlines thathad ordered the plane.

Over the following months, preparations were made for the first flight, whichtook place on 9 February 1969, with test pilots Jack Waddell and BrienWygle at the controls and Jess Wallick at the flight engineer's station.Despite a minor problem with one of the flaps, the flight confirmed that the747 handled extremely well. The plane was found to be largely immune to"Dutch roll", a phenomenon that had been a major hazard to the earlyswept-wing jets.

During later stages of the flight test program, flutter testing showed that thewings suffered oscillation under certain conditions. This difficulty was partlysolved by reducing the stiffness of some wing components. However, aparticularly severe high-speed flutter problem was solved only by insertingdepleted uranium counterweights as ballast in the outboard engine nacellesof the early 747s. This measure caused anxiety when these aircraftcrashed, as did China Airlines Flight 358 at Wanli in 1991 and El Al Flight1862 at Amsterdam in 1992.

The flight test program was hampered by problems with the plane's JT9Dengines. Difficulties included engine stalls caused by rapid movements of the throttles and distortion of the turbine casings after a short period of service. The problems delayed 747 deliveries for several months andstranded up to 20 planes at the Everett plant while they awaited engineinstallation. The program was further delayed when one of the five testaircraft suffered serious damage during a landing attempt at RentonMunicipal Airport, site of Boeing's Renton plant. The test aircraft was beingtaken to have its test equipment removed and a cabin installed when pilotRalph C. Cokely undershot the short runway and sheared off the 747'slanding gear. However, these difficulties did not prevent Boeing from takingone of the test aircraft to the 28th Paris Air Show in mid-1969, where it wasdisplayed to the general public for the first time. The 747 achieved its FAAairworthiness certificate in December 1969, making it ready for introductioninto service.

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The huge cost of developing the 747 and building the Everett factory meantthat Boeing had to borrow heavily from a banking syndicate. During thefinal months before delivery of the first airplane, the company had torepeatedly request additional funding to complete the project. Had thisbeen refused, Boeing's survival would have been threatened. Ultimately,the gamble succeeded, and Boeing held a monopoly in very largepassenger aircraft production for many years.

Entry into service

On 15 January 1970, First Lady of the United States Patricia Nixonchristened Pan Am's first 747 at Dulles International Airport (later renamedWashington Dulles International Airport) in the presence of Pan Am

chairman Najeeb Halaby. Instead of champagne, red, white and blue water was sprayed on the plane. The 747 entered service on 22 January 1970,on Pan Am's New York–London route; the flight had been planned for theevening of 21 January, but engine overheating made the original airplaneunusable. Finding a substitute delayed the flight by more than six hours tothe following day.

The 747 enjoyed a fairly smooth introduction into service, overcomingconcerns that some airports would not be able to accommodate an airplanethat large. Though technical problems occurred, they were relatively minor 

and quickly solved. After the aircraft's introduction with Pan Am, other airlines that had bought the 747 in order to stay competitive began to puttheir own planes into service. Boeing estimated that half of the early 747sales were to airlines requiring the airplane's long range rather than itspayload capacity. But though the 747 had the lowest potential operatingcost per seat, this could only be achieved when the aircraft was fullyloaded; costs per seat increased rapidly as occupancy declined. Fuelconsumption for a moderately loaded 747, one with only 70 percent of itsseats occupied, used more than 95 percent of the fuel needed by a fully

occupied 747.When economic problems in the United States and other countries after the1973 oil crisis led to reduced passenger traffic, several airlines found theydid not have enough passengers to fly the 747 economically, and theyreplaced them with the recently introduced and smaller McDonnell DouglasDC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 tristar wide bodies (and later the twinjet 767

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and A300). Having tried replacing coach seats on its 747s with piano barsin an attempt to attract more customers, American Airlines eventuallyrelegated its 747s to cargo service and in 1983 exchanged them with PanAm for smaller aircraft; Delta Airlines also removed its 747s from serviceafter several years.

International flights that bypassed traditional hub airports and landed atsmaller cities became more common throughout the 1980s, and thiseroded the 747's original market. However, many international carrierscontinued to use the 747 on Pacific routes. In Japan, 747s on domesticroutes are configured to carry close to the maximum passenger capacity.

The 747 rapidly achieved iconic status, appearing in various filmproductions such as the Airport series of disaster films, Air Force One and

Executive Decision.

Further developments

After the initial 747-100 model, Boeing developed the higher MaximumTakeoff Weight -100B variant and higher passenger capacity -100SR(Short Range) variant. Increased maximum takeoff weight, or MTOW, canallow an aircraft to carry more fuel and have longer range. The -200 modelfollowed, entering service in 1971. It featured more powerful engines andhigher takeoff weight. Passenger, freighter and combination passenger-

freighter versions were produced. The shortened 747SP (specialperformance) with a longer range was also developed in the mid-1970s.

The 747 line was further developed with the launching of the 747-300 in1980. The -300 resulted from Boeing studies to increase the seatingcapacity of the 747. Solutions such as fuselage plugs and extending theupper deck over the entire length of the fuselage were rejected. The earlydesignation of the -300 was 747SUD for "stretched upper deck" then 747-200 SUD, followed by 747EUD, before the 747-300 designation was used.

The 300 model was first produced in 1983. It included a stretched upper deck (SUD), increased cruise speed and increased seating capacity.Passenger, short range and combination freighter-passenger versions wereproduced.

In 1985, development of the longer range 747-400 was begun. The newvariant had a new glass cockpit, which allowed for a cockpit crew of two

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instead of three. Development cost soared, and production delays occurredas new technologies were incorporated at the request of airlines.Insufficient workforce experience and reliance on overtime contributed toearly production problems on the 747-400. The -400 entered service in1989.

Since the arrival of the 747-400, several stretching schemes for the 747have been proposed. Boeing announced the larger 747-500X and -600Xdesigns in 1996. The new variants would have cost more than $5 billion todevelop, and interest was not sufficient to launch the program. Boeingoffered the more modest 747X and 747X stretch derivatives in 2000 asalternatives to the Airbus A3XX. However, the 747X family was unable toattract enough interest to enter production. Boeing switched from the 747Xstudies to pursue the Sonic Cruiser in 2001 and, after the Sonic Cruiser 

program was put on hold, the 787. Some of the ideas developed for the747X were used on the 747-400ER. After several variants were proposedbut later abandoned, some industry observers became skeptical of newaircraft proposals from Boeing. However, in early 2004, Boeing announcedtentative plans for the 747 Advanced that were eventually adopted. Similar in nature to the 747-X, the stretched 747 Advanced used technology fromthe 787 to modernize the design and its systems.

On 14 November 2005, Boeing announced it was launching the 747Advanced as the Boeing 747-8. Long delays in production of the Airbus

A380 helped the 747-8 order book. Two Airbus customers signed additional747-8 orders; two customers cancelled their A380 orders, and severallaunch customers deferred delivery or considered switching to the 747-8and 777F aircraft.

The 747 remained the largest passenger airliner in service until the AirbusA380 began airline service in 2007. In 1991, a record-breaking 1,087passengers were airlifted aboard a 747 to Israel as part of OperationSolomon. The 747 was the heaviest airliner in regular service until the use

of the Antonov An-124 Ruslan in 1982. The 747-400ER model regainedthat distinction in 2000. The Antonov An-225 cargo transport remains theworld's largest aircraft by several measures (including the most acceptedmeasures of maximum gross takeoff weight and length). The Hughes H-4Hercules is the largest aircraft by wingspan, but it only flew once. Only twoAn-225 aircraft have been produced, and only one is still flying as of 2007,while the 747 and A380 are made for serial mass production.

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Some 747 aircraft have been converted for special uses. A 747-100 ownedby General Electric is used as a testbed for their engines such as GeneralElectric GEnx. A firefighting prototype has been constructed by EvergreenInternational. Eventually, the 747 may be replaced by a new design dubbed"Y3".

Design

The Boeing 747 is a large, wide-body (two-aisle) airliner with four wing-mounted engines. The wings have a high sweep angle of 37.5 degrees for a fast, efficient cruise of Mach 0.84 to 0.88, depending on the variant. Thesweep also allows the 747 to use existing hangars. Seating capacity ismore than 366 with a 3-4-3 seat arrangement (a cross section of 3 seats,an aisle, 4 seats, another aisle, and 3 seats) in economy class and a 2-3-2

arrangement in first class on the main deck. The upper deck has a 3-3 seatarrangement in economy class and a 2-2 arrangement in first class.

Raised above the main deck, the cockpit creates a hump. The raisedcockpit is to allow front loading of cargo on freight variants. The upper deckbehind the cockpit provides space for a lounge or extra seating. The"stretched upper deck" became available as an option on the 747-100Bvariant and later as standard on the 747-300.

The 747's maximum takeoff weight ranges from 735,000 pounds (333,400kg) for the -100 to 970,000 lb (439,985 kg) for the -8. Its range hasincreased from 5,300 nautical miles (6,100 mi, 9,800 km) on the -100 to8,000 nmi (9,200 mi, 14,815 km) on the -8I.

The 747 has multiple structural redundancy including four redundanthydraulic systems and four main landing gears with 16 wheels, whichprovide a good spread of support on the ground and safety in case of tireblow-outs. The redundant main gear allows for landing on two opposinglanding gears if the others do not function properly. In addition, the 747 has

split control surfaces and sophisticated triple-slotted flaps that minimizelanding speeds and allow the plane to use standard-length runways. For transportation of spare engines, early 747s could accommodate a non-functioning fifth-pod engine under the port wing of the aircraft between thenearest functioning engine and the fuselage.

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Variants

The 747-100 was the original variant launched in 1966. The 747-200 soonfollowed, with an order in 1968. The 747-300 was launched in 1980 andwas followed in 1985 by the 747-400. Lastly, the 747-8 was announced in2005. Several versions of each variant have been produced. Many of theearly variants were in production simultaneously.

Boeing 747-100The first 747-100s were built with six upper-deck windows (three per side)to accommodate upstairs lounge areas. Later, as airlines began to use theupper-deck for premium passenger seating instead of lounge space,Boeing offered a 10-window upper deck as an option. Some -100s wereretrofitted with the new configuration.

A 747-100B version, which has a stronger airframe and undercarriagedesign as well as an increased maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 750,000 pounds (340,000 kg) was offered. The 747-100B was deliveredonly to Iran Air and Saudia (now Saudi Arabian Airlines). Optional engine

models were offered by Rolls-Royce (RB211) and GE (CF6), but onlySaudia ordered the Rolls-Royce option.

No freighter version of this model was developed by Boeing. However, 747-100s have been converted to freighters. A total of 250 -100s (all versions,including the 747SP) were produced; the last one was delivered in 1986. Of these, 167 were 747-100, 45 were SP, 29 were SR and 9 were 100B.

Boeing 747-100SRResponding to requests from Japanese airlines, Boeing developed the 747-

100SR as a "short range" variant of the 747-100. The SR has a lower fuelcapacity but can carry more passengers, up to 498 in early versions andmore than 550 in later models, because of increased economy classseating. The 747SR has a modified body structure to accommodate theadded stress accumulated from a greater number of takeoffs and landings.The -100SR entered service with Japan Airlines (then Japan Air Lines) on 7October 1973. Later, short range versions of the -100B and the -300 were

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also developed. The SR airplanes are used primarily on domestic flights inJapan.

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

All Nippon Airways (ANA) operated 747SRs on domestic Japanese routeswith 455 or 456 seats but retired the last aircraft on 10 March 2006. JALoperated the 747-100B/SR/SUD variant with 563 seats on domestic routes,and retired these planes in the third quarter of 2006. JAL and JALwayshave operated the -300SRs on domestic leisure routes and to other parts of Asia.

Boeing 747SPThe 747SP is 48 feet 4 inches (14.7 m) shorter than the 747-100. Exceptfor the planned 747-8, the SP is the only 747 with a fuselage of modifiedlength. Fuselage sections were eliminated fore and aft of the wing, and thecenter section of the fuselage was redesigned. Single-slotted flapsreplaced the complex triple-slotted Fowler flaps of the 100 series. Theunder-wing "canoes", which housed the flap mechanisms on full-size 747s,were eliminated entirely on the SP. The 747SP, compared to earlier variants, had a tapering of the aft upper fuselage into the empennage, adouble hinged rudder, and longer vertical and horizontal stabilizers.

The Boeing 747SP was granted a supplemental certificate on 4 February1976 and entered service with Pan American World Airways, the launchcustomer, that same year.

A total of forty-five 747SPs were built. The 44th 747SP was delivered on 30August 1982. Boeing re-opened the 747SP production line to build one last747SP five years later in 1987 for an order by the United Arab Emiratesgovernment.

As of August 2007, 17 Boeing 747SP aircraft were in service with Iran Air (3), Saudi Arabian Airlines (1), Syrian Arab Airlines (2) and as executiveversions. NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center has one modified for theSOFIA experiment.

Boeing 747-200The 747-200 has more powerful engines, higher takeoff weights (MTOW),

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and range than the -100. A few early -200s retained the three-windowconfiguration of the -100 on the upper deck, but most were built with a 10-window configuration on each side.

Several versions in addition to the -200 were produced. The 747-200B isan improved version of the 747-200, with increased fuel capacity and morepowerful engines; it first entered service in February 1971. The -200Baircraft has a full load range of about 6,857 nmi (12,700 km). The 747-200Fis the freighter version of the -200 model. It could be fitted with or without aside cargo door. It has a capacity of 105 tons (95.3 tonnes) and an MTOWof up to 833,000 lb (378,000 kg). It entered first service in 1972 withLufthansa. The 747-200C Convertible is a version that can be convertedbetween a passenger and a freighter or used in mixed configurations. Theseats are removable, and the model has a nose cargo door. The -200C

could be fitted with an optional side cargo door on the main deck.

The 747-200M is a combination version that has a side cargo door on themain deck and can carry freight in the rear section of the main deck. Aremovable partition on the main deck separates the cargo area at the rear from the passengers at the front. This model can carry up to 238passengers in a 3-class configuration if cargo is carried on the main deck.The model is also known as the 747-200 Combi. As on the -100, astretched upper deck (SUD) modification was later offered. A total of 10converted 747-200s were operated by KLM. UTA French Airlines also had

two of these aircraft converted.

A total of 393 of the -200 versions had been built when production ended in1991. Of these, 225 were 747-200s, 73 were 747-200F, 13 were 747-200C,78 were 747-200M, and 4 were military.

Many 747-200s are still in operation, although most large carriers haveretired them from their fleets and sold them to smaller operators. Largecarriers have speeded up fleet retirement following the September 11thattacks, scrapping some or turning others into freighters.

Boeing 747-300The differences between the -300 and the -200 include a lengthened upper deck with two new emergency exit doors and an optional flight-crew restarea immediately aft of the flight deck. Compared to the -200, the upper deck is 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) longer than the -200. A new straight

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stairway to the upper deck instead of a spiral staircase is another differencebetween the -300 and earlier variants. The staircase creates room belowand above for more seats. With minor aerodynamic changes, Boeingincreased the cruise speed of the -300 to Mach 0.85 from Mach 0.84 on the-100/-200. The -300 features the same takeoff weight. Two of the threeengine choices from the -200 were unchanged in the -300, but the GeneralElectric CF6-80C2B1 was offered instead of the CF6-50E2 offered on the-200.

The 747-300 name, which was proposed for a variant that was never launched, was revived for this new version, which was introduced in 1980.Swissair ordered the first 747-300 on 11 June 1980. The 747-300 first flewon 5 October 1982. Swissair was the first customer to accept delivery on 23March 1983.

In addition to the passenger version, other versions were available. The747-300M has cargo capacity in the rear portion of the main deck similar tothe -200M, but with the stretched upper deck it can carry more passengers.The 747-300SR is a short range version to meet the need for a high-capacity domestic model. Japan Airlines operated such aircraft with morethan 600 seats on the Okinawa–Tokyo route and elsewhere. Boeing never launched a newly built freighter version of the 747-300, but it modified usedpassenger -300 models into freighters starting in 2000.

A total of 81 aircraft were ordered, 56 for passenger use, 21 -300M and 4-300SR versions. The 747-300 was soon superseded by the launch of themore advanced 747-400 in 1985, just two years after the -300 enteredservice. The last 747-300 was delivered in September 1990 to Sabena.

Today, most -300 aircraft are still active, despite a significant loss of interest in the series amongst large carriers who have since sold them toother smaller airlines. A few of these aircraft have surprisingly beenconverted to cargo operations, though none of any -300s have beendelivered new as freighters. Carriers still using these aircraft include JapanAirlines, Qantas, Pakistan International Airlines, Air India and SaudiArabian Airlines.

Boeing 747-400The 747-400 is an improved model with increased range. It has wing-tipextensions of 6 ft (1.8 m), winglets of 6 ft (1.8 m), and a new glass cockpit

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designed for a flight crew of two instead of three. The use of electronicsreduced the number of dials, gauges and knobs from 971 to 365. It has tailfuel tanks, revised engines and a new interior. The longer range was usedby some airlines to bypass traditional fuel stops, such as Anchorage. The-400 was offered in passenger (400), freighter (400F), combi (400C),domestic (400D), extended range passenger (400ER) and extended rangefreighter (400ERF) versions. The freighter version does not have anextended upper deck. The 747-400D was built for short range operationsand does not include winglets, but these can be retrofitted.

The passenger version first entered service in February 1989 withNorthwest Airlines on the Minneapolis to Phoenix route. The combi versionentered service in September 1989 with KLM. The freighter version enteredservice in November 1993 with Cargolux. The 747-400ERF entered service

in October 2002 and the 747-400ER entered service the following monthwith Qantas, the only airline ever to order the passenger version.

The last passenger version of the 747-400 was delivered in April 2005.Boeing announced in March 2007 that it had no plans to produce further passenger versions of the -400. However, orders for 36 -400F and-400ERF freighters were already in place at the time of the announcement.

In October 2007, a total of 670 of the 747-400 series aircraft had beendelivered. At various times, the largest 747-400 operator has been

Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, and British Airways.

Boeing 747 LCF Dreamlifter The 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter or Dreamlifter (originally called the 747Large Cargo Freighter or LCF) is a Boeing-designed modification of existing 747-400s to a larger configuration to ferry Boeing 787 sub-assemblies to the Boeing plant in Everett, Washington, for final assembly.Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation is completing modificationsof 747-400s into Dreamlifters in Taiwan. The aircraft flew for the first timeon 9 September 2006. The Dreamlifter's only intended purpose is totransport sub-assemblies for the Boeing 787. The aircraft is certified tocarry only essential crew and not passengers. Two aircraft have been built,and two more are on order.

Boeing 747-8Boeing announced a new 747 variant, the 747-8 (referred to as the 747

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Advanced prior to launch) on November 14, 2005, which will use sameengine 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.) Planscall for the new design to be quieter, more economical and moreenvironmentally friendly. The 747-8 is stretched to add more payloadcapacity. This involves lengthening from 232 to 251 feet (70.8 to 76.4 m),surpassing the Airbus A340-600 to become the world's longest airliner.

The passenger version, dubbed 747-8 Intercontinental or 747-8I, will beable to carry up to 467 passengers in a 3-class configuration and fly morethan 8,000 nmi (15,000 km) at Mach 0.855. As a derivative of the alreadycommon 747-400, the 747-8 has the economic benefit of similar trainingand interchangeable parts. The 747-8I is scheduled to enter service in2010.

Also offered is the 747-8 Freighter or 747-8F, which derives from the 747-400ERF. The 747-8F is 251 feet (76.4 m) long and can accommodate 154tons (140 tonnes) of cargo. To aid loading and unloading, it features anoverhead nose-door. It has 16 percent more payload capacity than the 747-400F and can hold seven additional standard air cargo containers. The747-8F is scheduled to enter service in 2009.

As of December 2007, there were 78 firm orders for the Boeing 747-8F,from Cathay Pacific (10), Atlas Air (12), Nippon Cargo Airlines (14),

Cargolux (13), Emirates SkyCargo (10), Volga-Dnepr (5), GuggenheimAviation Partners (4) and Korean Air (5). A total of 25 firm orders had beenplaced for the Boeing 747-8I; of these, 5 were from Boeing Business Jetand 20 from Lufthansa.

Government and military variants- C-19 – The U.S. Air Force gave this designation to the 747-100s used bysome U.S. airlines and modified for use in the Civil Reserve Airlift Fleet.

- VC-25 – This aircraft is the U.S. Air Force Very Important Person (VIP)version of the 747-200B. The U.S. Air Force operates two of them in VIPconfiguration as the VC-25A. Tail numbers 28000 and 29000 are popularlyknown as Air Force One, which is technically the air-traffic call sign for anyUnited States Air Force aircraft carrying the U.S. President. Although basedon the 747-200B design, they contain many of the innovations introducedon the 747-400, such as an updated flight deck and engines. Partially

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completed aircraft from Everett, Washington, were flown to Wichita,Kansas, for final assembly, in contrast with civilian aircraft, which arecompleted in Everett.

- E-4B – Formerly known as the National Emergency Airborne CommandPost (referred to colloquially as "Kneecap"), this aircraft is now referred toas the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC).

- YAL-1 – This is the experimental Airborne Laser, a component of theNational Missile Defense plan.

- Shuttle Carrier Aircraft – Two 747s were modified to carry the SpaceShuttle. One is a 747-100 (N905NA), acquired in 1974 from AmericanAirlines; the other is a 747-100SR (N911NA), acquired from Japan Airlines

in 1988. It first carried a shuttle in 1991.

-A number of other governments also use the 747 as a VIP transport,including Bahrain, Brunei, India, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan,Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Several new Boeing 747-8shave been ordered by Boeing Business Jet for conversion to VIP transportfor several unidentified customers.

- C-33 – This aircraft was a proposed U.S. military version of the 747-400intended to augment the C-17 fleet. The plan was canceled in favor of 

additional C-17 military transports.

- KC-33A – A proposed 747 was also adapted as an aerial refueling tanker and was bid against the DC-10-30 during the 1970s Advanced CargoTransport Aircraft (ACTA) program that produced the KC-10A Extender.Before the Khomeini-led revolution, Iran bought four 747-100 aircraft withair-refueling boom conversions to support a fleet of F-4 Phantoms. It isunknown whether these aircraft remain usable as tankers. Since then,other proposals have emerged for adaptation of later 747-400 aircraft for this role.

- 747 CMCA – This variant was considered by the U.S. Air Force as aCruise Missile Carrier Aircraft during the development of the B-1 Lancer strategic bomber. It would have been equipped with 50 to 100 AGM-86ALCM cruise missiles on rotary launchers. This plan was abandoned infavor of more conventional strategic bombers.

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Undeveloped variantsBoeing has studied a number of 747 variants that have not gone beyond the concept stage.

Boeing 747-300 TrijetDuring the 1970s, Boeing studied the development of a shorter body, three-engined 747 to compete with the smaller Lockheed L-1011 TriStar and McDonnell Douglas DC-10, which had lower trip costs than the 747SP. The 747-300Trijet would have had more payload, range and passenger capacity. The center engine would have been fitted in the

tail with an S-duct intake similar to the L-1011's. However, engineering studies showed that a time-consuming andcostly redesign of the 747 wing would be necessary.

Boeing 747-500X, -600X and -700XBoeing announced the 747-500X and -600X at the 1996 Farnborough Air Show. The proposed models would havecombined the 747's fuselage with a new 251 ft (77 m) span wing derived from the 777. Other changes includedadding more powerful engines and increasing the number of tires from two to four on the nose landing gear and from16 to 20 on the main landing gear.

The 747-500X concept featured an 18 ft (5.5 m) stretch to 250 ft (76.2 m) long, and the aircraft was to carry 462passengers over a range up to 8,700 nautical miles (10,000 mi, 16,100 km), with a gross weight of over 1.0 Mlb (450Mg). The 747-600X concept featured a greater stretch to 279 ft (85 m) with seating for 548 passengers, a range of upto 7,700 nmi (8,900 mi, 14,300 km), and a gross weight of 1.2 Mlb (540 Mg). A third study concept, 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. The cost of the changes from previous 747 models, in particular the new wing for the 747-500X and -600X, was estimated to be more than $5 billion. Boeing was not able to attract enough interest to launchthe aircraft.

Boeing 747X and 747X StretchAs Airbus progressed with its A3XX study, Boeing in 2000 offered the market a 747 derivative as an alternative. Thiswas a more modest proposal than the previous -500X and -600X that would retain the 747's overall wing design andadd a segment at the root, increasing the span to 229 ft (70 m). Power would have been supplied by either theEngine Alliance GP7172 or the Rolls-Royce Trent 600, which were also proposed for the 767-400ERX. A new flightdeck based on the 777's would be used. The 747X aircraft was to carry 430 passengers over ranges of up to 8,700nmi (10,000 mi, 16,100 km). The 747X Stretch would be extended to 263 ft (80.2 m) long, allowing it to carry 500passengers over ranges of up to 9,000 miles (7,800 nmi, 14,500 km). Both would feature an interior based on the777's signature architecture. Freighter versions of the 747X and 747X Stretch were also studied.

Like its predecessor, the 747X family was unable to garner enough interest to justify production, and it was shelvedalong with the 767-400ERX in March 2001, when Boeing announced the Sonic Cruiser concept. Though the 747Xdesign was less costly than the 747-500X and -600X, it was criticized for not offering a sufficient advance from theexisting 747-400. The 747X did not make it beyond the drawing board, but the 747-400X being developedconcurrently moved into production to become the 747-400ER.

Boeing 747-400XQLRAfter the end of the 747X program, Boeing continued to study improvements that could be made to the 747. The 747-400XQLR (Quiet Long Range) was meant to have an increased range of 7,980 nmi (9,200 mi, 14,800 km), withimprovements to improve efficiency and reduce noise. Improvements studied included raked wingtips similar to thoseused on the 767-400ER and a sawtooth engine nacelle for noise reduction. Although the 747-400XQLR did not moveto production, many of its features were used for the 747 Advanced, which has now been launched as the 747-8.

Accidents and incidents

As of October 2008, the 747 has been involved in 122 incidents, including 48 hull-loss accidents, resulting in 2,850fatalities. The 747 has been in 35 hijackings which caused 882 fatalities.

Few crashes have been attributed to design flaws of the 747. The Tenerife disaster resulted from pilot error, air trafficcontrol (ATC) error and communications failure, while the Japan Airlines Flight 123 crash stemmed from improper aircraft repair. United Airlines Flight 811, which suffered an explosive decompression mid-flight on 24 February 1989,led the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to issue a recommendation that 747-200 cargo doors similar tothose on the Flight 811 aircraft be modified. Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down by the Soviets in 1983 after ithad strayed into Soviet territory, causing U.S. President Ronald Reagan to authorize the then strictly military Global

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Positioning System (GPS) for civilian use. TWA Flight 800, a 747-100 that exploded in midair on 17 July 1996, led theFederal Aviation Administration to propose a rule requiring installation of an inerting system in the center fuel tank of most large aircraft that was adopted in July 2008, after years of research into solutions. It is expected that the newsafety system will cost $100,000 to $450,000 per aircraft and weigh approximately 200 pounds.

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Specifications

Boeing 747-100Boeing

747-200BBoeing747-300

Boeing 747-400Boeing 747-400ER

Boeing 747-8I

Cockpit Crew Three TwoTypical Seating

capacity452 (2-class)366 (3-class)

524 (2-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 empty358,000 lb

(162,400 kg)

383,000 lb(174,000 kg

)

392,800 lb(178,100 kg

)

393,263 lb(178,756 kg)

ER: 406,900 lb(184,600 kg)

410,000 lb(185,972 kg)

Maximumtakeoff weight

735,000 lb(333,390 kg)

833,000 lb(377,842 kg)

875,000 lb(396,890 kg)

ER: 910,000 lb(412,775 kg)

970,000 lb(439,985 kg)

Cruising speed(at 35,000 ft

altitude)

Mach 0.84

(555 mph, 895 km/h, 481 knots )

Mach 0.85(567 mph, 913 km/h,

487 kt)

ER: Mach 0.855(570 mph, 918 km/h,493 kt)

Mach 0.855(570 mph, 918 km/h,

493 kt)

Maximumspeed

Mach 0.89(587 mph, 945 km/h, 510 kt)

Mach 0.92(608 mph, 977 km/h,

527 kt)Takeoff run at

MTOW10,466 ft (3,190 m)

10,893 ft(3,320 m)

9,902 ft (3,018 m)ER: 10,138 ft (3,090 m)

10,138 ft (3,090 m)

Range fullyloaded

5,300 nmi(9,800 km)

6,850 nmi(12,700 km)

6,700 nmi(12,400 km)

7,260 nmi(13,450 km)

ER: 7,670 nmi(14,205 km)

8,000 nmi(14,815 km)

Max. fuel

capacity

48,445 U.S. gal(40,339 imp gal/183,380

L)

52,410 U.S. gal(43,640 imp gal/199,158

L)

57,285 U.S. gal(47,700 imp gal/216,840

L)

ER: 63,705 U.S. gal(53,045 imp gal/241,140

L)

64,225 U.S. gal(53,478 imp gal/243,120

L)

Engine models(x 4)

PW JT9D-7ARR RB211-524B2

PW JT9D-7R4G2

GE CF6-50E2

RR RB211-524D4

PW JT9D-7R4G2

GE CF6-80C2B1

RR RB211-524D4

PW 4062GE CF6-80C2B5FRR RB211-524G/H

ER: GE CF6-80C2B5F

GEnx-2B67

Engine thrust(per engine)

PW 46,500 lbf (207 kN)

RR 50,100 lbf 

(223 kN)

PW54,750 lbf (244 kN)

GE52,500 lbf (234 kN)

RR53,000 lbf (236 kN)

PW54,750 lbf (244 kN)

GE55,640 lbf (247 kN)

RR53,000 lbf (236 kN)

PW 63,300 lbf (282 kN)GE 62,100 lbf (276 kN)RR 59,500/60,600 lbf 

(265/270 kN)

ER: GE 62,100 lbf (276 kN)

66,500 lbf (296 kN)