When was boeing 747 invented

A stretched fuselage also makes it the longest passenger aircraft in the world at feet. Boeing is still building freighter models, but it expects to close the passenger version production line. The has also enjoyed tremendous success as a cargo aircraft, the Freighter. In fact, the whole reason the cockpit was placed on a second deck was to allow the nose to open like a door for easy loading.

The versatile Combi accommodated passengers in the front half of the aircraft and cargo in the back. A wall divided the two sections and cargo was loaded through a large door on the left side behind the wing you can barely see the door outline around the "Asiana Group" writing on the fuselage.

The Combi allowed airlines to fly the but utilize the space more efficiently with a smaller passenger load. This Combi was a Boeing had a big pun intended problem when it was designing the The company had no facility large enough to build it.

The site in Everett, Washington, required moving 4 million cubic yards of earth, and the factory was completed in At It's so big that clouds actually formed inside until Boeing installed an air circulation system. More than 30, people are employed in the Everett building, and you can take a public tour. A modified , the Dreamlifter has a 65,cubic foot cargo hold the aft end of the plane swings open like a giant door to allow access to the bay.

Boeing uses the four Dreamlifters, the first of which flew in , to transport the wings and fuselage sections of Dreamliner aircraft to final assembly plants in Washington state and Charleston , South Carolina. Airbus has a comparable aircraft with the Beluga. The most exclusive in the sky has carried the president of the United States since Officially designated as the VC, the has everything the president needs to lead the country while in the air.

Each plane there are two has a private bedroom and office for POTUS, a communications room, a conference area, a large galley, a medical facility, and seating for staff and press. The plane's wiring is heavily shielded against nuclear electromagnetic pulse, it carries electronic countermeasures and it can be refueled in the air. But no matter what a certain film tells you "Get off my plane! Officially, at least. As the current VCs are nearing the end of their lifespans, two unused s currently in storage in the California desert will be converted into new presidential aircraft by Operated by the US Air Force, the Boeing E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post is designed to serve as a mobile command post for the president, the secretary of defense and senior military leaders during a crisis or emergency.

Currently, there are four E-4s, all of which are remodeled s. Each aircraft has global communications equipment the bulge behind the upper deck houses a satellite antenna , shielding from nuclear blasts and the ability to refuel in air.

The only aircraft of its kind in the world, the Supertanker is a powerful firefighting tool. The first order for the began with a December conversation between Boeing President William Allen and Pan Am President Juan Trippe, and was said to have gone something like this:.

At the height of the project in , some 20, Boeing employees were at work on the project. The debuted on its first test flight on February 9, Over the next ten months an extensive flight test program followed, involving five airplanes and over 1, hours of flying. The was certified by the FAA for commercial passenger service on December 30, The entered service with Pan Am on January 22, Pan Am introduced its first service on January 22, Originally scheduled for January 21, the inaugural flight was delayed when technical difficulties grounded the aircraft that had been slated to make the journey.

George M. Foster Timetable Collection. The in-flight menu shown below, collected on an August flight, is one of a run from that era that featured the paintings on their covers. Transportation Library Menu Collection. Lawrence M. Most airlines of the time including Pan Am and Qantas used their upper decks for as bars, lounges, or restaurants. They were a glamorous place where passengers could steal away while flying high in an enclosed tube. It was the most exclusive club in the sky.

The aircraft allowed airlines to fly more people further, with normal passenger capacity for the aircraft growing to upwards of seats in later variants. The range of the aircraft gradually increased over the years with the variant - one of its more modern bestsellers - having the ability to fly over 7, nautical miles, enough to connect New York with nearly every continent with a non-stop flight.

A testament to its popularity, Boeing produced numerous variants of the aircraft over a half-century beyond the initial model. After the came the And the LCF Dreamlifter.

The jets have been used for passenger and cargo flying, as well as military usage, making it incredibly versatile. Even to this day, the Boeing continues to outlive most of its rivals from the time period, including the supersonic and similarly iconic European Concorde. Its supremacy went unmatched for decades despite a long list of competitors until Airbus unveiled a dual-level and quad-engine aircraft of its own, the Airbus A With the rise of fuel-efficient, dual-engine aircraft such as the Boeing Dreamliner and Airbus A XWB, the need and desire for the quad engine aircraft such as the and A has dwindled over the years, despite Boeing's best efforts with the larger and more modern i.

Most operators of the more recent variant have retired or are in the process of retiring their fleets, with only a handful opting to upgrade to the i variant. Only three airlines purchased the Boeing i for passenger service: Korean Air And Air China. The rest were cargo airlines such as UPS Airlines Qatar Airways Cargo And Atlas Air.

Planning for eventual donation to the Museum began in the mids. The aircraft's final flight occurred on April 6, , when Boeing officially donated RA to the Museum after 5, flight hours. Still configured in its flight test configuration, it was extensively restored in and Cockpit Lounge Lower Bay. Boeing Matterport 3D Tour. Complete Site Navigation. Buy Tickets. Museum Store. Private Events. Close Popup.