The Boeing 747 is one of the most recognizable and loved aircraft in the world. At the time
of its launch, it changed the economics and possibilities of aviation in many
ways. In this article, we take a look back at the introduction of the 747,
and how a combination of airline needs and previous plans from Boeing led to its development.
One of the most popular aircraft ever introduced the 747 made its first scheduled flight with Pan
American World Airways in 1970 and has remained in service, and in production, ever since.
The 747 came about following the success of the earlier Boeing 707,
and the desire of one airline, in particular, to build on this. The 707 was launched in 1958,
and whilst not the first jet aircraft to be made, it was the first to reach widespread use,
often credited as marking the start of the jet age.
Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was the launch customer for the Boeing 707, and one types of
the largest operators. It was a great success for the airline, allowing it to operate transatlantic
services with profitable loads, and to operate round the world flights with the same aircraft.
The success with the 707 led to Pan Am requesting a larger aircraft from Boeing.
The airline believed that the way forward lay in an aircraft with 2.5 times the passenger capacity,
allowing them to operate longer flights and, critically,
reduce the price per seat. In 1966, the airline placed an order for 25 of these aircraft
for $525 million, and the 747-100 was born. Before the interest in a passenger aircraft,
Boeing had already worked on the design for a new, high capacity,
freight aircraft for military use. It lost this contract to Lockheed with the C5A Galaxy
but these plans were then amended when the need arose for a similarly large passenger aircraft.
A key part of the design was the inclusion of a second deck.
This not only expanded passenger capacity, but it also allowed the
full use of the main deck for freight and the addition of a lifting nose for loading.
Boeing saw this as an important feature, partly as a major alternate focus at the time was on
supersonic aircraft. Boeing was also working on a supersonic aircraft, the Boeing 2707,
to compete with the Concorde. If passenger aircraft demand moved in this direction, the 747
could still find a place as a heavy freighter. The original design was to have a full-length
second deck, but this was not feasible due to safety requirements at the time.
For passenger operation, it gave problems with evacuation routes and times. The solution of
course was to shorten the upper deck, leaving its iconic ‘hump’ and upper deck seating area.
The final hurdle to get the new, larger aircraft flying was to develop sufficiently powerful
engines. Boeing worked with Pratt & Whitney to develop a new high bypass turbofan engine.
This was more powerful, but also quieter and more fuel-efficient
than existing low-bypass or turbojet engines. All of these developments would lead to Boeing
assembling a highly successful jet that changed the way the world travels long distances.
Over the past 40 years, Boeing would continue to improve upon the original design
with newer technologies, resulting in the -200, -300, -400, and finally -8 variants.
While the Queen of the Skies’ place in airline fleets as a long-distance
people-mover has been succeeded by more efficient,
large twinjets, it will always be known as one of the pioneers of modern air travel.
What are your thoughts about the Boeing 747? Let us know what you think in the comment section.