More than half a century later, Boeing rolled out the last 747 from a factory in Washington state on Tuesday.
The jumbo jet, which debuted in 1969, has served as a cargo plane, as a commercial jet carrying nearly 500 passengers and as Air Force One’s presidential plane. It is the largest commercial aircraft in the world and the first to be equipped with two aisles, which still stands taller than most other aircraft.
The 747’s design included a second deck that stretched back from the cockpit into the front third of the plane, giving it a distinctive hump that made the plane instantly recognizable and inspired its nickname, the whale. More elegantly, the 747 is known as the Queen of the Sky.
It took more than 50,000 Boeing employees less than 16 months to produce the first 747.
Production of the 747, the world’s first twin-aisle aircraft, began in 1967 and took 54 years to produce 1,574 aircraft.
At 250 feet 2 inches (76.2 meters) long, the 747-8 is the longest commercial airplane in service. At typical cruise speeds, the 747-8 flies about the length of three FIFA or NFL football fields per second.
Boeing 747 aircraft are seen during an event at the company’s factory in Everett, Washington, U.S., Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. Late Tuesday, Boeing rolled out its last 747 jumbo jet, ending production of the plane after more than 50 years.
Image source: Bloomberg
The last flight was a 747-8 Freighter. The model has a revenue payload of 133.1 tonnes, enough to transport 10,699 solid gold bars or approximately 19 million ping pong balls or golf balls.
“For more than half a century, tens of thousands of dedicated Boeing employees designed and built this magnificent airplane that truly changed the world. We are proud of this airplane,” said Kim Smith, Boeing vice president and general manager of the 747 and 767 programs. Will continue to fly around the world for years to come. “
Over the past 15 years or so, Boeing and its European rival Airbus have released new wide-body planes with two engines instead of the 747’s four. They are more fuel efficient and more profitable.
Delta was the last U.S. carrier to use the 747 for passenger flights, which ended in 2017, although some other international airlines continue to use the 747, including Lufthansa.
The final customer is cargo airline Atlas Air, which ordered four 747-8 Freighters earlier this year.
Boeing has its roots in the Seattle area and has assembly plants in Washington state and South Carolina. The company announced in May that it was moving its headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia.
The move to Washington, D.C., puts executives closer to key federal government officials and the Federal Aviation Administration, which certifies Boeing passenger and cargo planes.
Boeing’s relationship with the FAA has been strained since fatal crashes of its best-selling plane, the 737 Max, in 2018 and 2019. It took the FAA nearly two years — far longer than Boeing expected — to approve the design changes and allow the plane to return to air.
