There are planes that have marked history and are tightening their bow. After the end of production of the Airbus A380, it is the turn of the equally mythical Boeing 747 to enter the Aviation Hall of Fame.
The US planemaker announced Wednesday that the latest assembled plane has rolled out of its US megafactory in Everett, near Seattle, to join its latest customer, airline Atlas Air.
It is a 747-8 Freighter whose payload can carry 10,699 solid gold bars on board, or about 19 million ping-pong or golf balls, the American giant laughs in a statement.
Entering service in 1970, the aircraft and its variants were produced in nearly 1,600 units over more than 50 years.
The “Queen of Heaven”
“For more than half a century, tens of thousands of dedicated Boeing employees have designed and built this amazing aircraft that has truly changed the world. We are proud that the 747 will continue to take to the skies around the world for years to come,” he said. Kim. Smith, vice president and general manager of Boeing’s 747 and 767 programs.
The 747 made history because it was the world’s first twin-aisle aircraft and was a milestone in passenger and cargo transportation.
Nicknamed “the Queen of the Skies”, this 330-ton aircraft reigned supreme until the 1990s. Capable of carrying up to 580 passengers and 3,400 pieces of luggage, it distinguished itself above all in freight transport with its 100-ton capacity. It is the plane that carried the American space shuttle on its back to propel it into space.
king of disaster movies
The Boeing 747 has also lived through the golden years of disaster movies (“747 in danger”, “The castaways of the 747”) and of course it has become the favorite plane of American presidents with the Air Force One model.
Only with these 4 engines and its consumption worthy of a barge, it ended up cooling the airlines.
Air France left him in 2016, the American companies in 2017. The arrival of the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A350 marked the end of his reign. Then came smaller single-aisle planes like the A320 and 330.
But just like the A380, the end of production doesn’t mean we won’t see the 747 in the sky anymore. 400 aircraft, most of them cargo, are still active around the world.
Source: BFM TV
