Boeing's last 747 to roll out of Washington state factory

Old_Joe

After more than half a century, the last Boeing 747 rolled out of a Washington state factory on Tuesday.

Following are excerpts from an Associated Press report:

SEATTLE (AP) —
The 747 jumbo jet has taken on numerous roles — a cargo plane, a commercial aircraft capable of carrying nearly 500 passengers, and the Air Force One presidential aircraft — since it debuted in 1969. It was the largest commercial aircraft in the world and the first with two aisles, and it still towers over most other planes.

The plane's design included a second deck extending from the cockpit back over the first third of the plane, giving it a distinctive hump that made the plane instantly recognizable and inspired a nickname, the Whale. More elegantly, the 747 became known as the Queen of the Skies.

It took more than 50,000 Boeing employees less than 16 months to churn out the first 747. The company has completed 1,573 more since then.

But over the past 15 years or so, Boeing and its European rival Airbus released new widebody planes with two engines instead of the 747’s four. They were more fuel-efficient and profitable.

Delta was the last U.S. airline to use the 747 for passenger flights, which ended in 2017, although some other international carriers continue to fly it, including the German airline Lufthansa.

The final customer is the cargo carrier Atlas Air, which ordered four 747-8 freighters early this year. The last was scheduled to roll out of Boeing’s massive factory in Everett, Washington, on Tuesday night.

Boeing’s roots are in the Seattle area, and it has assembly plants in Washington state and South Carolina. The company announced in May that it would move its headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia.

The 747 was a dramatic and impressive major step forward in the ongoing development of large aircraft. They have a very impressive safety record, and have had very few maintenance or repair problems. For such a large aircraft they have a surprisingly good glide ratio. All in all, a remarkable airplane.

Crash

i thought they were long ago dead.

Old_Joe

The 747 is a very solid piece of equipment. With proper maintenance, they will be around for quite a while yet. Their main problem is that newer aircraft, with only two or three engines, are a lot cheaper to run.

hank

Old_Joe said:

Their main problem is that newer aircraft, with only two or three engines, are a lot cheaper to run.

Bingo! A combination of higher and higher engine reliability ratings plus more and more powerful engines has led to reduced engine numbers across aviation. It may surprise some to know that the military B-52 bomber - still in use today - has 8 engines (4 under each wing).

The early jet transports (707 / DC 8) had 4 engines each. In those days I suspect that’s the degree of reliably needed to certify for long range over water operation. Never been on a 747, but still hoping to ride one some day. Did fly a few times on the slightly smaller DC-10 and L-1011 which were introduced about the time the 747 came into use. (The former a piece of trash, the latter a pretty good plane).

I suspect the death-knell for the 747 may have sounded when the than new very large twin-aisle 777 was certified for long range over water operation having only 2 engines in 1990 - revolutionary at the time.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aircraft-propulsion/history-boeing-777


** Notwithstanding the above comment, the twin-engine twin-aisle Boeing 767 ER was certified for extended over water operation (earlier) in 1984 Article

Old_Joe

And here are excerpts from an NPR article, edited for brevity:

The 747 transformed an industry, bringing luxurious amenities and lengthy nonstop flights to the masses — all in a design that was both enormous and elegant. But the reign of the mighty 747 has ended, and Boeing says the last plane left its assembly line this week, after 54 years of production.

Since production of the 747 began in 1967, Boeing says, 1,574 of the airplanes were built. It started carrying commercial passengers in January 1970, when Pan Am used a 747 for a flight from New York to London. By the end of 1971, international airlines including Air Canada, Air India and Japan Airlines were using the aircraft.

The huge plane was touted as a win for middle-class travelers, under the idea that airline prices would become more affordable if carriers could fit more people onto a single flight. But that dynamic changed in later years, as the aviation industry saw a growing preference for smaller, more fuel-efficient planes and less focus on crowded, hub-to-hub flights.

In 2020 a British Airways 747, aided by strong winds, traveled from New York to London in 4 hours, 56 minutes, setting a new record for the fastest subsonic commercial flight across the Atlantic.


The 747's expansive interior has repeatedly been compared to a living room, complete with large easy chairs and space to stretch one's legs. A spiral staircase led to the upstairs lounge, with space for a bar. The lounge was originally intended to be a place where flight crews could take a break. Airlines put their own spin on the lounge, with names such as the Penthouse Lounge (TWA) and the Tea House in the Sky (Japan Airlines).

Pan Am's advertising from that early era shows the plane's economy section comprised three spaces appointed like living rooms, each with its own movie system. Being on the 747, the airline said, was like being on a cruise ship.

The space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

The final 747 is a 747-8 cargo freighter. That might seem like an odd end for a fabled airliner. But in many ways, the 747 sprang from plans for a massive military transport jet — a contract Boeing didn't win. Still, the company kept cargo in mind as it designed the new jet, including the ability to receive freight by hinging its cone-shaped nose.

"One of the decisions we made was to be a good freighter as well as a good passenger plane," the 747's lead designer, the late Joe Sutter, told Smithsonian magazine in 2007. And Sutter was intent on the aircraft being extraordinarily safe, giving the 747 four sets of vital equipment like hydraulic systems and landing gear.

It was so enormous that to construct it, Boeing had to build a new 200 million-cubic-foot assembly plant.

Crash

excellent, interesting details and history, guys. thanks.

Anna

I saw one of the first test flyovers of this plane in '69 when I first moved to Portland, OR. Now that I am back in the Pacific Northwest, I wish I could see the maiden flight of the last one. Perhaps my BIL who works for Boeing in Everette can arrange it.

BenWP

I really enjoyed “Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot,” by Mark Vanhoenacker. The author was a pilot for British Airways flying 747s. Great appreciation of the wonder of flight, the place of the 747 in aviation history, and the profession of aviator.

On our first trip to Korea in 1980 on a KAL 747, I sneaked up to the second level expecting to see how the other half lived in First Class and found the section deserted except for one or two sleepers. Down in steerage, all the seats were occupied.

hank

@BenWP - Re ”Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot” by Mark Vanhoenacker

Thanks for the tip. I picked up the audible version. The author flew the 747 and seemed to have an affection for it. Agree it’s a fascinating book. I love aviation. Suspect we all could tell some funny stories.

One of my favorite was when making a connection in Atlanta on the way to Tampa sometime in the 80s. Not sure what aircraft we boarded, but probably a DC-9. Almost ready to push-back when the captain came over the intercom - sounding really pissed off: The fuel truck guy had overloaded the tanks by a whole lot for the short flight. And he wasn’t going to take off until they came back and off-loaded the excess. Next, the fuel truck comes along side and out the window you could see the skipper down there stomping around and barking at the fuel truck guys. I’ll never forget that sight. A short “pudgy” fellow. He sure knew how to make his point!

Later he told us the plane could have lifted off with the overweight - but that the remaining fuel could have compromised the landing in Tampa.