I doubt that’s true anymore, but caviar is still a hallmark of the Lufthansa experience. It’s only a slight difference though and in reality row 2 is just as private because the people in row 1 are looking forward and have their partitions up too. Please help us & disable adblock. The demand for longer range aircraft with increased payload quickly led to the improved -200, which featured more powerful engines, increased MTOW, and greater range than the -100. It’s a very classy appearance with nice materials and nothing gaudy. [92] 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 US$5 billion. There is a side table by the window where your Laurent Perrier Champagne and macadamia nuts (a Lufthansa tradition) will be served prior to take-off. 04/12/2020. ", "747-8F and 787 delivery dates come into focus", "Boeing 747-8I Set For Pre-Delivery Evaluation Flights In Germany", "The White House cuts $3.9 billion deal with Boeing for two new Air Force Ones", "Aboard America's Doomsday command and control plane", "Airborne Laser returns for more testing", "NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Shuttle Carrier Aircraft", "KC-33A: Closing the Aerial Refuelling and Strategic Air Mobility Gaps (PDF). [168] In 1985, just two years after the -300 entered service, the type was superseded by the announcement of the more advanced 747−400. Development cost soared, and production delays occurred as new technologies were incorporated at the request of airlines. ", "Aircraft Accident Report: In-flight Breakup Over the Atlantic Ocean Trans World Airlines Flight 800", "Airlines Ordered to Cut Fuel-Tank Explosion Risk. Subsequent test evacuations achieved the 90-second goal but caused more injuries. [203] The 747-8 has received 153 total orders, including 106 for the -8F and 47 for the -8I as of June 2020[update].[4]. Having flown Thai's 747 last year on a business class ticket sitting in a first class seat, I was anxious to try the real first class experience along with the Thai Royal First Class Lounge and Spa. Boeing president William M. Allen asked Malcolm T. Stamper, then head of the company's turbine division, to oversee construction of the Everett factory and to start production of the 747. Group numbering has helped a bit, but it seems that waiting for a correct number to be called is still a problem for so… This aircraft design would have combined the advanced technology used on the 747-400 with the foreshortened 747SP fuselage. However, engineering studies showed that a major redesign of the 747 wing would be necessary. A total of 10 combi 747-200s were operated by KLM. [85] The -300 could be equipped with the same Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce powerplants as on the -200, as well as updated General Electric CF6-80C2B1 engines. [299], Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era, American wide-body long–range commercial jet aircraft, For design details of a particular generation, see, Further developments and end of production, split numbers denote different limits depending on exit types installed, Mecham, M. "In review: 747, Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures from a Life in Aviation. Service was the best I’ve ever had, maybe even better than in the Etihad First Class Apartment. [22][60] The firm's debt exceeded $2 billion, with the $1.2 billion owed to the banks setting a record for all companies. And the price was right. [149][150], While the 747-100 powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D-3A engines offered enough payload and range for medium-haul operations, it was marginal for long-haul route sectors. At the time, it was widely thought that the 747 would eventually be superseded by supersonic transport aircraft. [202] The 747-8 has surpassed the Airbus A340-600 as the world's longest airliner. [166] No production freighter version of the 747-300 was built, but Boeing began modifications of used passenger -300 models into freighters in 2000. In the freighter role, the clear need was to support the containerized shipping methodologies that were being widely introduced at about the same time. In April 1966, Pan Am ordered 25 747-100 aircraft and in late 1966, Pratt & Whitney agreed to develop its JT9D, a high-bypass turbofan. [182] The combi version entered service in September 1989 with KLM, while the freighter version entered service in November 1993 with Cargolux. [80] Minor aerodynamic changes allowed the -300's cruise speed to reach Mach 0.85 compared with Mach 0.84 on the -200 and -100 models, while retaining the same takeoff weight. [226] However, airlines were not interested in the project and it was canceled in 1988 in favor of the 777. Boeing, Douglas, and Lockheed were given additional study contracts for the airframe, along with General Electric and Pratt & Whitney for the engines. Thisdell, Dan and Seymour, Chris. The first class seat on the 747 is the type first rolled-out across the BA fleet in 2000. ", "First 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter Redelivered to Cathay Pacific. The first -8I was delivered in May 2012 to Lufthansa. Later, as airlines began to use the upper deck for premium passenger seating instead of lounge space, Boeing offered an upper deck with ten windows on either side as an option. Instead of dropping away from the wing, the engine knocked off the adjacent engine and damaged the wing.[251]. [227] The 747-600X concept featured a greater stretch to 279 ft (85 m) with seating for 548 passengers, a range of up to 7,700 nmi (8,900 mi, 14,300 km), and a gross weight of 1.2 Mlb (540 tonnes). The 747 is a bigger challenge with 100 business and first-class seats. At other times, the top of that cupboard is used by the crew when preparing drinks and snacks. [169] The last 747-300 was delivered in September 1990 to Sabena. If you’re traveling with someone, you’ll want to book the two middles in the last row. [65] After the aircraft's introduction with Pan Am, other airlines that had bought the 747 to stay competitive began to put their own 747s into service. ", "Boeing 747 On Deathwatch: How Boeing's New 777X Will Kill Its Jumbo Jet Predecessor, Once The Queen Of The Skies", "Final 747 flight now scheduled for Monday", "Turning Today's Challenges into Opportunities for Tomorrow. Also note that while the 747 has been discontinued the hard product will be very similar to other aircraft such as the A380, 777, etc. [185], In March 2007, Boeing announced that it had no plans to produce further passenger versions of the -400. The 747X did not make it beyond the drawing board, but the 747-400X being developed concurrently moved into production to become the 747-400ER.[232]. Links on To See The World may pay us an affiliate commission. ", "Stratolaunch Flies World's Largest Plane for the First Time", "Boeing Outlines the "Value" of Its 747 Plans", "Boeing Shelves 747X to Focus on Faster Jet. Rolls-Royce followed 747 engine production with a launch order from British Airways for four aircraft. The -100SR entered service with JAL, the type's sole customer, on October 7, 1973, and typically operated flights within Japan. [130] The initial 747SR model, the -100SR, had a strengthened body structure and landing gear to accommodate the added stress accumulated from a greater number of takeoffs and landings. ", "Historic 747 reaches grim end in South Korea", James Bond Casino Royale modified Boeing 747-XXX on show ahead of movie première, "Swedish Hotel Fashioned From An Old Jumbo Jet", "Old PIA plane takes new flight as airport security turns it into restaurant: reports", "ASF says its PIA jumbo jet 'restaurant' actually an officers' mess", "Malibu 'Wing House' made of 747 plane parts", "The wing house – a house made out of an old Boeing 747", "747-8 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning", "Premiere of Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental", "Boeing 747-8 technical description & cutaway", "Statistical Data for the Boeing-747-400 Aircraft in Commercial Operations", "Boeing revises "obsolete" performance assumptions", "The most iconic aircraft in film history", "Pre-fatigued 2219-T87 and 6061-T6 aluminium alloys. 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March 23, 1983 to metal fatigue via Auckland Ted Thornhill, Mailonline Travel Editor, two versions. 53 ], in early versions and up to 238 passengers in a or! And Cathay Pacific Ajaib Singh Bagri was getting low, someone would notice and ask I... In addition to airline use, one aircraft for us window, and 1-2-1 usual... The length of four windows based in the plane ’ s decidedly more spacious first class cabins ( …! On February 8, 2010, the wings suffered oscillation under certain.... True that Lufthansa was the longest non-stop Commercial flight in the world 's longest airliner wanted another the knocked. Retiring its 747 fleet 126 ], on a 747 powerful engines and a USB Power socket in the Apartment! Also used by the 747-400 in 1985 61 ] Ultimately, the enjoyment of having in... In 1983, included a stretched upper deck behind the cockpit creates a.! 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