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The Boeing 747: the end of an era

The Boeing 747, often referred to as the “Jumbo Jet”, was a notable commercial aircraft for its time. The first wide-body aircraft produced in the world, the so-called “Queen of the Skies”, featured an upper deck and passenger capacity that remained unrivaled for decades.

The 747-100 first entered service in 1970 with the now-defunct PanAm. The -200 model followed in 1971, with more powerful engines and a higher MTOW (maximum takeoff weight). Boeing followed up with the shortened 747SP (Special Performance), which featured a longer range, and entered service in 1976.

Later, Boeing launched the -300 model in 1980, the result of studies to increase the 747’s capacity. The -300 featured fuselage plugs and a stretched upper deck. This variant, along with the -100, -200 and SP, were collectively referred to as the 747 “Classics.” Now was the time for a more significant update.

The most common version, the 747-400, entered service in 1989. This variant featured, along with the stretched upper deck of the -300, more fuel-efficient engines, and was the first to feature a 2-man glass cockpit, eliminating the requirement for a flight engineer, and it is also the most common variant in service. The -400 has a longer wingspan than the classics and was fitted with fins, which reduce drag, and is the most common aesthetic feature used to distinguish the -300 variant.

The 747-400 dominated the long distance market for the next several years. It was operated by almost all the major airlines in the world, dominating all the major international airports. It wasn’t until the late 2000s that the -400 had to face competition, after the larger Airbus A380 entered service. Boeing finally responded by launching a new, larger, more fuel-efficient variant.

The third generation 747-8 was launched in 2009, with Lufthansa, and entered service in 2012. This variant featured a composite fuselage, as featured on the 787, and more fuel-efficient engines. It also featured an increase in capacity, thanks to the stretched fuselage and upper deck. Sadly, it failed to capture the market and failed to match, let alone exceed, the -400 hit.

The time of the four-engined 747 is coming to an end, with a growing number of airlines retiring the type in favor of more efficient twin-engine jets. The latest passenger variant, -8, failed to attract as many sales as Boeing expected, as it obtained fewer than 50 orders from mainly 3 airlines, as the quad can no longer compete with the 777, 787 and Airbus A350 models.

Despite this, the 747 enjoys a great reputation as one of the most successful airliners in history. As we see an increasing number of smaller twin-engine airplanes in place, the industry will always remember the beauty and grace with which the Boeing 747 graced our skies.

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