Boeing (photo PR)
Boeing’s 747, the original and arguably the most aesthetically pleasing “jumbo jet,” revolutionized air travel only to see its more than five-decade reign as “queen of the skies” ended by more efficient twinjets.
Boeing’s last commercial jumbo will be delivered to Atlas Air in its surviving freighter version on Tuesday, 53 years after the 747’s instantly recognizable humpbacked silhouette captured global attention as a Pan Am airliner.
More in-
“On the ground it’s majestic, it’s impressive,” said Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson, who piloted a special animal 747 dubbed “Ed Force One” during the British heavy metal band’s 2016 tour. “And in the air it is surprisingly agile for this massive aircraft”
Now, two previously delivered 747s are being adapted to replace US presidential jets known worldwide as Air Force One. When the first 747 took off from New York on January 22, 1970, after a delay due to engine failure, it more than doubled the plane’s capacity to -350-400 seats, in turn redesigned the design of the airport.
“It was the people’s plane, the one that really provided the ability to be mass market,” said aviation historian Max Kingsley-Jones. “It was a revolution in all aspects of the industry,” added the senior consultant at Ascend by Cirium. Nevertheless, the latest version of the 747-8 should grace the skies for years, mainly as a freighter, having outlived Europe’s Airbus A380 double-decker in production.
This week’s latest 747 delivery leaves questions about the brand’s future, but Everett’s sprawling production plant outside Seattle is now underutilized as Boeing continues to struggle after the coronavirus pandemic and 737 MAX safety crisis. CEO Dave Calhoun said Boeing may not design a new airliner for at least a decade.
Comments to the article(0):
Your response has been received and will be published subject to the system policy.
Thanks.
for a new comment
Your response was not sent due to a communication problem, please try again.
Return to comment