<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<document>
<title>Boeing 747</title>
<authors>Wikipedia</authors>
<publisher>wikipedia.org</publisher>
<publishedplace>network</publishedplace>
<publishedyear>2010</publishedyear>
<edition></edition>
<category>All articles containing potentially dated statements</category>
<section id="1047" fatherid="0" title="" lv="" priority="-1" level="1">
The Boeing 747 is a widebody commercial airliner, often referred to by the nickname "Jumbo Jet"."Woman to build house out of 747." BBC News, April 20, 2006. Retrieved: December 11, 2007."Creating Worlds: Adventures Aviation (review)." Amazon.com. Retrieved: December 11, 2007. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first widebody ever produced.  Manufactured by Boeing's Commercial Airplane unit in the United States, the original version of the 747 was two and a half times the size of the Boeing 707,Branson, Richard. "Pilot of the Jet Age." Time, December 7, 1998. Retrieved: December 13, 2007. one of the common large commercial aircraft of the 1960s. First flown commercially in 1970, the 747 held the passenger capacity record for 37 years. The superjumbo's advent ends a reign of nearly four decades by the Boeing 747 as the world's biggest airliner.
The four-engine 747 uses a double deck configuration for part of its length. It is available in passenger, freighter and other versions. Boeing designed the 747's hump-like upper deck to serve as a first class lounge or (as is the general rule today) extra seating, and to allow the aircraft to be easily converted to a cargo carrier by removing seats and installing a front cargo door.  Boeing did so because the company expected supersonic airliners (whose development was announced in the early 1960s) to render the 747 and other subsonic airliners obsolete; while believing that the demand for subsonic cargo aircraft would be robust into the future.Orlebar 2002, p. 50.  The 747 in particular was expected to become obsolete after 400 were soldWald, Matthew L. 747 "Fleet's Age at Issue During Flight 800 Hearing." New York Times, December 12, 1997. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. but it exceeded its critics' expectations with production passing the 1,000 mark in 1993.Sutter 2006, p. 259. As of June 2009, 1,416 aircraft have been built, with 107 more in various configurations remaining on order."747 Model Orders and Deliveries data.". The Boeing Company, December 2009. Retrieved: January 24, 2010.
The 747-400, the latest version in service, is among the fastest airliners in service with a high-subsonic cruise speed of Mach 0.85 (567 mph or 913 km/h).  It has an intercontinental range of 7,260 nautical miles (8,350 mi or 13,450 km)."Technical Characteristics – Boeing 747-400", The Boeing Company. Retrieved: April 29, 2006. The 747-400 passenger version can accommodate 416 passengers in a typical three-class layout or 524 passengers in a typical two-class layout.  The next version of the aircraft, the 747-8, is in production and scheduled to enter service in 2010. "Orders and Deliveries." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: November 25, 2006.  The 747 is to be replaced by the Boeing Y3 (part of the Boeing Yellowstone Project) in the future."Airbus A350 XWB puts pressure on Boeing 777." Flight International. November 27, 2007.

</section>
<section id="1048" fatherid="0" title="Development" lv="" priority="2" level="1">
<section id="1049" fatherid="1048" title="Background" lv="" priority="-1" level="2">
In 1963, the United States Air Force started a series of study projects on a very large "strategic" transport aircraft. Although the C-141 Starlifter was being introduced, they felt that a much larger and more capable aircraft was needed, especially the capability to carry "outsized" cargo that would not fit in any existing aircraft. These studies led to initial requirements for the CX-Heavy Logistics System (CX-HLS) in March 1964 for an aircraft with a load capacity of  and a speed of Mach 0.75 (), and an unrefueled range of  with a payload of . The payload bay had to be  wide by  high and  long with access through doors at the front and rear.Norton 2003, pp. 5–12.
Featuring only four engines, the design also required new engine designs with greatly increased power and better fuel economy. On 18 May 1964, airframe proposals arrived from Boeing, Douglas, General Dynamics, Lockheed and Martin Marietta; while  engine proposals were submitted by General Electric, Curtiss-W, and Pratt -anddocsymbol- Whitney. After a downselect, Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed were given additional study contracts for the airframe, along with General Electric and Pratt -anddocsymbol- Whitney for the engines.C-5 History. Globalsecurity.org
All three of the airframe proposals shared a number of features, but one in particular would become iconic on the 747. As the CX-HLS needed to be able to be loaded from the front, a door had to be included where the cockpit usually was. All of the companies solved this problem by moving the cockpit to above the cargo area; Douglas had a small "pod" just forward and above the wing, Lockheed used a long "spine" running the length of the aircraft with the wing spar passing through it, while Boeing blended the two, with a longer pod that ran from just behind the nose to just behind the wing."Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, Partners in Freedom". NASA, 2000, see images in "Langley Contributions to the C-5". Retrieved: December 17, 2007.  In 1965 Lockheed's aircraft design and General Electric's engine design were selected for the new transport, the C-5 Galaxy which is the largest military aircraft in the world.

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<section id="1050" fatherid="1048" title="Airliner proposal" lv="" priority="2" level="2">
The 747 was conceived while air travel was increasing in the 1960s.Norris and Wagner 1997, p. 13.  The era of commercial jet transportation, led by the enormous popularity of the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, had revolutionized long-distance travel."Boeing Multimedia Image Gallery 707". The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 8, 2007. Even before it lost the CX-HLS contract, Boeing was pressed by Juan Trippe, president of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), one of its most important airline customers, to build a passenger aircraft more than twice the size of the 707.  During this time, airport congestion, worsened by increasing numbers of passengers carried on relatively small planes, became a problem that Trippe thought could be addressed by a large new aircraft."Innovators: Juan Trippe." PBS. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.
In 1965, Joe Sutter was transferred from Boeing's 737 development team to manage the studies for a new airliner, already assigned the model number 747.Sutter 2006, pp. 80–84. Sutter initiated a design study with Pan Am and other airlines, in order to better understand their requirements. At the time, it was widely thought that the 747 would eventually be superseded by supersonic transport aircraft."Air travel, a supersonic future?." BBC News, July 17, 2001. Retrieved: December 9, 2007. Boeing responded by designing the 747 so that it could be adapted easily to carry freight and remain in production even if sales of the passenger version declined. In the freighter role, the clear need was to support the containerized shipping methodologies that were being widely introduced at about the same time. Standard containers are  square at the front (slightly higher due to attachment points) and available in  lengths. This meant that it would be possible to support a 2-wide 2-high stack of containers two or three ranks deep with a fuselage size similar to the earlier CX-HLS project.
In April 1966, Pan Am ordered twenty-five 747-100 aircraft for US$525 million. During the ceremonial 747 contract-signing banquet in Seattle on Boeing's 50th Anniversary, Juan Trippe predicted that the 747 would be "... a great weapon for peace, competing with intercontinental missiles for mankind's destiny", according to Malcolm T. Stamper, one of the senior management for the 747 program at the time."Great Planes-Boeing 747". Discovery Channel. Retrieved: October 28, 2007. As launch customer,Noland, David. "Passenger Planes: Boeing 747." "Info please." (Pearson Education). Retrieved: April 30, 2006. and because of its early involvement before placing a formal order, Pan Am was able to influence the design and development of the 747 to an extent unmatched by a single airline before or since.Irving 1994, p. 359.

</section>
<section id="1051" fatherid="1048" title="Design effort" lv="" priority="3" level="2">
Ultimately, the high-winged CX-HLS Boeing design was not used for the 747, although technologies developed for their bid had an influence."Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, Partners in Freedom." NASA, 2000. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. The original design included a full-length double-deck fuselage with rows of eight-across seating and two aisles on the lower deck and seven-across seating and two aisles on the upper deck.Irving 1994, p. 282. However, concern over evacuation routes and limited cargo-carrying capability caused this idea to be scrapped in early 1966 in favor of a wider single deck design. The cockpit was, therefore, placed on a shortened upper deck so that a freight-loading door could be included in the nose cone; this design feature produced the 747's distinctive "bulge". In early models it was not clear what to do with the small space in the pod behind the cockpit, and this was initially specified as a "lounge" area with no permanent seating.
One of the principal technologies that enabled an aircraft as large as the 747 to be conceived was the high-bypass turbofan engine. Mecham, M. "In review: 747, Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures from a Life in Aviation." Aviation Week and Space Technology, Vol. 165, No. 9, September 4, 2006, p. 53. The engine technology was thought to be capable of delivering double the power of the earlier turbojets while consuming a third less fuel. General Electric had pioneered the concept but was committed to developing the engine for the C-5 Galaxy and did not enter the commercial market until later."GE Aviation: CF6", GE Aviation. Retrieved: December 9, 2007.Colson, Michael S. "Mechanical Engineering 100 Years of Flight." Retrieved: December 9, 2007. Pratt -anddocsymbol- Whitney was also working on the same principle and, by late 1966, Boeing, Pan-Am and Pratt -anddocsymbol- Whitney agreed to develop a new engine, designated JT9D, to power the 747.
The project was designed with a new methodology called fault tree analysis, which allowed the effects of a failure of a single part to be studied to determine its impact on other systems. To address concerns about safety and flyability, the 747's design included structural redundancy, redundant hydraulic systems, quadruple main landing gear and dual control surfaces.Sutter 2006, pp. 121, 128–131. Additionally, some of the most advanced high-lift devices used in the industry were included in the new design, in order to allow it to operate from existing airports. These included leading edge flaps running almost the entire length of the wing, as well as complex three-part slotted flaps along the rear.Guy and Wagner 1997, pp. 25–26. The wing's complex three-part flaps increase wing area by 21% and lift by 90% when fully deployed compared to their nondeployed configuration.Jenkins 2000, p. 19.
Boeing agreed to deliver the first 747 to Pan Am by the end of 1969. The delivery date  28 months to design the aircraft, which was two-thirds the normal time.Sutter 2006, pp. 96–97. The schedule was so fast paced that the people who worked on it were given the nickname "The Incredibles".Guy and Wagner 1997, p. 19. Developing the aircraft was such a technical and financial challenge that management was said to have "bet the company" when it started the project.

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<section id="1052" fatherid="1048" title="Production plant" lv="" priority="4" level="2">
Because Boeing did not have a plant large enough to assemble the giant airliner, they chose to build a new plant. The company considered locations in about 50 cities,Pascall, Glenn R. "Everett and Renton react differently to Boeing". Puget Sound Business Journal, September 26, 2003. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. and eventually decided to build the new plant some 30 miles (48 km) north of Seattle on a site adjoining a military base at Paine Field near Everett, Washington."Major Production Facilities - Everett, Washington." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: April 28, 2007. It bought the 780 acre (316 hectare) site in June 1966.
Developing the 747 had been a major challenge, and building its assembly plant was also a huge undertaking. Boeing president William M. Allen asked Malcolm T. Stamper, then head of the company's turbine division, to oversee construction of the Everett factory and to start production of the 747.Boyer, Tom. "Boeing legend Malcolm Stamper dies." Seattle Times, June 17, 2005. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.  To level the site, more than 4 million cubic yards (3.1 million m³) of earth had to be moved.Irving 1994, p. 310. Time was so short that the 747's full-scale mock-up was built before the factory roof above it was finished.Irving 1994, p. 365. The plant is the largest building by volume ever built, and has been substantially expanded several times to permit construction of other models of Boeing widebody commercial jets.

</section>
<section id="1053" fatherid="1048" title="Development and testing" lv="" priority="5" level="2">
Before the first 747 was fully assembled, testing began on many components and systems. One important test involved evacuation of 560 volunteers from a cabin mock-up via the plane's emergency chutes. The first full-scale evacuation took two and a half minutes instead of the maximum of 90 seconds mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration, and several volunteers were injured. Subsequent test evacuations achieved the 90-second goal but caused more injuries. Most problematic was evacuation from the aircraft's upper deck; volunteer passengers, instead of using a conventional slide, escaped by using a harness attached to a reel.Irving 1994, p. 383. Boeing also built an unusual training device known as "Waddell's Wagon" (named for a 747 test pilot, Jack Waddell) that consisted of a mock-up cockpit mounted on the roof of a truck. While the first 747s were still being built, the device allowed pilots to practice taxi maneuvers from a high upper-deck position."History - "747 Commercial Transport." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: April 29, 2006.
On 30 September 1968, the first 747 was rolled out of the Everett assembly building before the world's press and representatives of the 26 airlines that had ordered the plane."All but off the Ground." Time, October 4, 1968. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. Over the following months, preparations were made for the first flight, which took place on February 9, 1969, with test pilots Jack Waddell and Brien Wygle at the controls"The Giant Takes Off." Time. Retrieved: December 13, 2007."Boeing 747, the "Queen of the Skies," and "Celebrates 35th Anniversary." The Boeing Company, February 9, 2004. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. and Jess Wallick at the flight engineer's station. Despite a minor problem with one of the flaps, the flight confirmed that the 747 handled extremely well.  The plane was found to be largely immune to "Dutch roll", a phenomenon that had been a major hazard to the early swept-wing jets.Irving 1994, pp. 417–418.
During later stages of the flight test program, flutter testing showed that the wings suffered oscillation under certain conditions. This difficulty was partly solved by reducing the stiffness of some wing components. However, a particularly severe high-speed flutter problem was solved only by inserting depleted uranium counterweights as ballast in the outboard engine nacelles of the early 747s.Irving 1994, p. 428. This measure caused anxiety when these aircraft crashed, as did China Airlines Flight 358 at Wanli in 1991 and El Al Flight 1862 at Amsterdam in 1992. Uijt de Haag, P.A. et al. "Evaluating the risk from depleted uranium after the Boeing 747-258F crash in Amsterdam, 1992." Journal of Hazardous Materials Volume 76, issue 1, 28 August 2000, pp. 39–58. "Boeing 747-258F crash, Amsterdam, 1992 (PDF)." Retrieved: May 16, 2007.van der Keur, Henk. "Uranium Pollution from the Amsterdam 1992 Plane Crash." Laka Foundation, May 1999. Retrieved: May 16, 2007.
The flight test program was hampered by problems with the plane's JT9D engines.  Difficulties included engine stalls caused by rapid movements of the throttles and distortion of the turbine casings after a short period of service.Irving 1994, pp. 441–446. The problems delayed 747 deliveries for several months and stranded up to 20 planes at the Everett plant while they awaited engine installation."The Trouble with Jumbo." Time, September 26, 1969. The program was further delayed when one of the five test aircraft suffered serious damage during a landing attempt at Renton Municipal Airport, site of Boeing's Renton plant. The test aircraft was being taken to have its test equipment removed and a cabin installed when pilot Ralph C. Cokely undershot the short runway and sheared off the 747's landing gear.Irving 1994, p. 436. However, these difficulties did not prevent Boeing from taking one of the test aircraft to the 28th Paris Air Show in mid-1969, where it was displayed to the general public for the first time."The Paris Air Show in facts and figures." Reuters,  June 14, 2007. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. The 747 achieved its FAA airworthiness certificate in December 1969, making it ready for introduction into service."Boeing 747-400." Jane's All the World's Aircraft, October 31, 2000. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.
The huge cost of developing the 747 and building the Everett factory meant that Boeing had to borrow heavily from a banking syndicate. During the final months before delivery of the first aircraft, the company had to repeatedly request additional funding to complete the project. Had this been refused, Boeing's survival would have been threatened.Irving 1994, pp. 437–438. Ultimately, the gamble succeeded, and Boeing held a monopoly in very large passenger aircraft production for many years."First A380 Flight on 25-26 October." Singapore Airlines, August 16, 2007. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.

</section>
<section id="1054" fatherid="1048" title="Entry into service" lv="" priority="6" level="2">
On January 15, 1970, First Lady of the United States Pat Nixon christened Pan Am's first 747, Clipper Victor, at Dulles International Airport (later renamed Washington Dulles International Airport) in the presence of Pan Am chairman Najeeb Halaby. Instead of champagne, red, white and blue water was sprayed on the plane. The 747 entered service on January 22, 1970, on Pan Am's New York–London route;Norris 1997, p. 48. the flight had been planned for the evening of January 21, but engine overheating made the original aircraft unusable. Finding a substitute delayed the flight by more than six hours to the following day."Jumbo and the Gremlins." Time, February 2, 1970. Retrieved: December 20, 2007.
The 747 enjoyed a fairly smooth introduction into service, overcoming concerns that some airports would not be able to accommodate an aircraft that large."Breaking the Ground Barrier." Time, September 8, 1967. Retrieved: December 19, 2007. Although technical problems occurred, they were relatively minor and quickly solved."Jumbo Beats the Gremlins". Time, 13 July 1970. Retrieved: December 20, 2007.  After the aircraft's introduction with Pan Am, other airlines that had bought the 747 in order to stay competitive began to put their own planes into service."Ready or Not, Here Comes Jumbo." Time, January 19, 1970. Retrieved: December 19, 2007.   Boeing estimated that half of the early 747 sales were to airlines requiring the aircraft's long range rather than its payload capacity.Smith, Bruce A. "Boeing Shuns Very Large Jets While Aiming for Longer Range." Aviation Week and Space Technology, 1 January 2001, pp. 28–29. 747X vs A380 "How to Reduce Congestion (PDF)." Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Tech. Retrieved: December 10, 2007. But though the 747 had the lowest potential operating cost per seat, this could only be achieved when the aircraft was fully loaded; costs per seat increased rapidly as occupancy declined.  A moderately loaded 747, one with only 70 percent of its seats occupied, used more than 95 percent of the fuel needed by a fully occupied 747."Airline reporting on fuel consumption." Miljominsteriet (Danish Environmental Protection Agency). Retrieved: December 13, 2007.
When economic problems in the United States and other countries after the 1973 oil crisis led to reduced passenger traffic, several airlines found they did not have enough passengers to fly the 747 economically, and they replaced them with the smaller and recently introduced McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 TriStar trijet wide bodies"Planes for Rough Weather." Time, August 3, 1970. Retrieved: December 20, 2007. (and later the 767 and A300 twinjets). Having tried replacing coach seats on its 747s with piano bars in an attempt to attract more customers, American Airlines eventually relegated its 747s to cargo service and in 1983 exchanged them with Pan Am for smaller aircraft;"American Airlines History." American Airlines. Retrieved: December 22, 2007. Delta Air Lines also removed its 747s from service after several years."Delta Boeing 747-100 1/200 Scale." Airspotters. Retrieved: December 19, 2007.
International flights that bypassed traditional hub airports and landed at smaller cities became more common throughout the 1980s, and this eroded the 747's original market."Turning Today's Challenges into Opportunities for Tomorrow." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 10, 2007. However, many international carriers continued to use the 747 on Pacific routes.Aboulafia, Richard. "Commercial Transport Market Still in Rough Shape." Aviation Week and Space Technology, March 1, 2004. Retrieved: December 10, 2007. In Japan, 747s on domestic routes are configured to carry close to the maximum passenger capacity.Wallace, James. "A380 buyer keeps mum about possible luxuries aboard cruise ship of the skies." Seattle Post-Intelligencer, January 24, 2005. Retrieved: December 13, 2007.
The 747 rapidly achieved iconic status, appearing in various film productions such as the Airport series of disaster films, Air Force One and Executive Decision."Executive Decision." Movie Ramblings. Retrieved: December 17, 2007."Air Force One." Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.

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<section id="1055" fatherid="1048" title="Improved 747 versions" lv="" priority="7" level="2">
After the initial 747-100 model, Boeing developed the higher Maximum Takeoff Weight  variant and higher passenger capacity  (Short Range) variant."Boeing 747 Classics." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 15, 2007. Increased maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) can allow an aircraft to carry more fuel and have longer range. "Solutions Center." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 13, 2007.  The  model followed, entering service in 1971. It featured more powerful engines and higher takeoff weight. Passenger, freighter and combination passenger-freighter versions were produced. The shortened 747SP (special performance) with a longer range was also developed in the mid-1970s."Boeing 747SP." Airliners.net. Retrieved: November 23, 2007.
The 747 line was further developed with the launching of the 747-300 in 1980. The  resulted from Boeing studies to increase the seating capacity of the 747. Solutions such as fuselage plugs and extending the upper deck over the entire length of the fuselage were rejected. The early designation of the -300 was 747SUD for "stretched upper deck" then 747-200 SUD,"Aircraft Owner's and Operator's Guide: 747-200/300 (PDF)." Aircraft Commerce. Retrieved: December 13, 2007. followed by 747EUD, before the 747-300 designation was used."Boeing 747-300." Airliners.net. Retrieved: November 25, 2007. The 300 model was first produced in 1983. It included a stretched upper deck (SUD), increased cruise speed and increased seating capacity. Passenger, short range and combination freighter-passenger versions were produced.
In 1985, development of the longer range 747-400 was begun.Lawrence and Thornton 2005, p. 54. The new variant had a new glass cockpit, which allowed for a cockpit crew of two instead of three.Salpukas, Agis. "J.A.L. Orders 15 More of Boeing's 747-400's." Time, July 1, 1988. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. Development cost soared, and production delays occurred as new technologies were incorporated at the request of airlines. Insufficient workforce experience and reliance on overtime contributed to early production problems on the 747-400.  The -400 entered service in 1989. Norris 1997, p. 88.
In 1991, a record-breaking 1,087 passengers were airlifted aboard a 747 to Israel as part of Operation Solomon."El Al History page." El Al Airlines. Retrieved: October 18, 2007.  The 747 was the heaviest airliner in regular service until the use of the Antonov An-124 Ruslan in 1982. The 747-400ER model regained that distinction in 2000. The Antonov An-225 cargo transport remains the world's largest aircraft by several measures (including the most accepted measures of maximum gross takeoff weight and length).  The Hughes H-4 Hercules is the largest aircraft  by wingspan, but it only flew once."Ask Us - Largest Plane in the World." Aerospaceweb.org, November 11, 2005. Retrieved: April 29, 2006. Only two An-225 aircraft have been produced, and only one is still flying as of 2007.
Some 747 aircraft have been converted for special uses. A 747-100 owned by General Electric is used as a testbed for their engines"Goleta Air and Space Museum - Boeing Jetliner Prototypes and Testbeds." Smithsonian. Retrieved: December 12, 2007."GE-Aviation: GE90-115B Prepares For Flight Aboard GE's 747 Flying Testbed." General Electric. Retrieved: December 12, 2007. such as General Electric GEnx."GEnx Engine Completes Flight Tests on 747 Testbed." Deagel. Retrieved: December 12, 2007. A firefighting version has been built by Evergreen International.

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<section id="1056" fatherid="1048" title="Future developments" lv="" priority="-8" level="2">
Since the arrival of the 747-400, several stretching schemes for the 747 have been proposed. Boeing announced the larger 747-500X and  designs in 1996."Boeing Outlines the "Value" of Its 747 Plans." The Boeing Company, September 2, 1996. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. The new variants would have cost more than $5 billion to develop, and interest was not sufficient to launch the program."BA warms to A3XX plan." Flight International, March 19, 1997. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. Boeing offered the more modest 747X and 747X stretch derivatives in 2000 as alternatives to the Airbus A3XX. However, the 747X family was unable to attract enough interest to enter production. Boeing switched from the 747X studies to pursue the Sonic Cruiser in 2001"Boeing Shelves 747X to Focus on Faster Jet." People's Daily, March 30, 2001. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. and, after the Sonic Cruiser program was put on hold, the 787.Taylor, Alex III. "Boeing's Amazing Sonic Cruiser ..." Fortune, December 9, 2002. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. Some of the ideas developed for the 747X were used on the 747-400ER."Boeing Launches New, Longer-Range 747-400." The Boeing Company, November 28, 2000. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.
After several variants were proposed but later abandoned, some industry observers became skeptical of new aircraft proposals from Boeing.Holmes, Stanley. "Boeing's Reborn 747." Business Week. November 16, 2005. However, in early 2004, Boeing announced tentative plans for the 747 Advanced that were eventually adopted. Similar in nature to the 747-X, the stretched 747 Advanced used technology from the 787 to modernize the design and its systems.  The 747 remained the largest passenger airliner in service until the Airbus A380 began airline service in 2007."A380 superjumbo lands in Sydney." BBC News. Retrieved: December 10, 2007.
On 14 November 2005, Boeing announced it was launching the 747 Advanced as the Boeing 747-8."Boeing Launches New 747-8 Family." The Boeing Company, November 14, 2005. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. The last 747-400s were completed in 2009."Downhill for the jumbo." The Sydney Morning Herald, January 9, 2009. Retrieved: February 9, 2009.  By 2009, most orders for the 747-8 were for the freighter version, with Lufthansa the sole customer to order the 747-8 Intercontinental. As of February 2009, Boeing was reassessing the 747-8 project. "Boeing hints at possible reassement of 747-8 programme." Flight International January 31, 2009. Retrieved: February 9, 2009.  Eventually, the 747 may be replaced in Boeing's lineup by a new design dubbed "Y3".

</section>
</section>
<section id="1057" fatherid="0" title="Design" lv="" priority="-3" level="1">
The Boeing 747 is a large, wide-body (two-aisle) airliner with four wing-mounted engines. The wings have a high sweep angle of 37.5 degrees for a fast, efficient cruiseSutter 2006, p. 93. of Mach 0.84 to 0.88, depending on the variant. The sweep also allows the 747 to use existing hangars.Bowers 1989, p. 508. Seating capacity is more than 366 with a 3-4-3 seat arrangement (a cross section of 3 seats, an aisle, 4 seats, another aisle, and 3 seats) in economy class and a 2-3-2 arrangement in first class on the main deck. The upper deck has a 3-3 seat arrangement in economy class and a 2-2 arrangement in first class."Boeing 747-400 Airport Planning report, section 2.0, Boeing, December 2002 (PDF)." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 13, 2007.
Raised above the main deck, the cockpit creates a hump. The raised cockpit is to allow front loading of cargo on freight variants. The upper deck behind the cockpit provides space for a lounge or extra seating. The "stretched upper deck" became available as an option on the 747-100B variant and later as standard on the 747-300.
The 747's maximum takeoff weight ranges from 735,000 pounds (333,400 kg) for the -100 to 970,000 lb (439,985 kg) for the -8. Its range has increased from 5,300 nautical miles (6,100 mi, 9,800 km) on the -100 to 8,000 nmi (9,200 mi, 14,815 km) on the -8I.Boeing 747-100/200/300 "Technical Specifications." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 13, 2007."Boeing 747-8 Technical Specifications." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 13, 2007.
The 747 has multiple structural redundancy including four redundant hydraulic systems and four main landing gears with 16 wheels, which provide a good spread of support on the ground and safety in case of tire blow-outs. The redundant main gear allows for landing on two opposing landing gears if the others do not function properly.Sutter 2006, p. 128–131. In addition, the 747 has split control surfaces and sophisticated triple-slotted flaps that minimize landing speeds and allow the plane to use standard-length runways.Sutter 2006, pp. 121–122. For transportation of spare engines, 747s can accommodate a non-functioning fifth-pod engine under the port wing of the aircraft between the nearest functioning engine and the fuselage."Special Report:Air India Flight 182." airdisaster.com. Retrieved: December 13, 2007."Her Majesty the Queen Against Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri." Supreme Court of British Columbia. Retrieved: December 13, 2007.

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<section id="1058" fatherid="0" title="Variants" lv="" priority="4" level="1">
<section id="1059" fatherid="1058" title="" lv="" priority="-1" level="2">
The 747-100 was the original variant launched in 1966. The 747-200 soon followed, with an order in 1968. The 747-300 was launched in 1980 and was followed in 1985 by the 747-400. Lastly, the 747-8 was announced in 2005. Several versions of each variant have been produced.  Many of the early variants were in production simultaneously.
</section>
<section id="1060" fatherid="1058" title="747-100" lv="" priority="2" level="2">
<section id="1061" fatherid="1060" title="" lv="" priority="-1" level="3">
The first 747-100s were built with six upper-deck windows (three per side) to accommodate upstairs lounge areas. Later, as airlines began to use the upper-deck for premium passenger seating instead of lounge space, Boeing offered a 10-window upper deck as an option. Some -100s were retrofitted with the new configuration."Boeing 747." Aircraft Spotting. Retrieved: December 7, 2007.  No freighter version of this model was developed by Boeing. However, 747-100s have been converted to freighters."FAA Regulatory and Guidance Library (PDF)." FAA. Retrieved: December 12, 2007. See reference to Supplementary Type Certificates for freighter conversion.  A total of 167 747-100s were built.
A 747-100B version, which has a stronger airframe and undercarriage design as well as an increased maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of  was offered. The 747-100B was delivered only to Iran Air and Saudia (now Saudi Arabian Airlines)."Saudia Orders 4 Boeing 747's." New York Times. Retrieved: December 12, 2007. Optional engine models were offered by Rolls-Royce (RB211) and GE (CF6), but only Saudia ordered the Rolls-Royce option.Norris 1997, p. 53.  A total of nine 747-100Bs were built.Norris and Wagner 1997, pp. 52–53.

</section>
<section id="1062" fatherid="1060" title="747-100SR" lv="" priority="2" level="3">
Responding to requests from Japanese airlines, Boeing developed the 747-100SR as a "short range" variant of the 747-100. The SR has a lower fuel capacity but can carry more passengers, up to 498 in early versions and more than 550 in later models, because of increased economy class seating. The 747SR has a modified body structure to accommodate the added stress accumulated from a greater number of takeoffs and landings.Kane, Robert M. "Air Transportation, p. 534." Google Books, 2003. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. The -100SR entered service with Japan Airlines (then Japan Air Lines) on October 7, 1973."747 Milestones." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.
Specifically, the SR has extra structural support at the wings, fuselage, and the landing gear along with a 20% reduction in fuel capacity.Itabashi, M.,  K. Kawata and S. Kusaka. "Pre-fatigued 2219-T87 and 6061-T6 aluminium alloys." Structural Failure: Technical, Legal and Insurance Aspects, Taylor -anddocsymbol- Francis, 1995-12, p. 155. Retrieved: June 4, 2008. Later, short range versions of the -100B and the -300 were also developed. The SRs are used primarily on domestic flights in Japan.Bowers 1989, pp. 516–517.
Two 747-100SRs were delivered to Japan Airlines with a stretched upper deck to accommodate more passengers. This modification is known as the "SUD" (stretched upper deck)."Boeing 747-146B/SR/SUD aircraft", Airliners.net."JAL Aircraft Collection." Japan Airlines. Retrieved: December 15, 2007.  A total of 29 747-100SRs were built.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) operated 747-100SRs on domestic Japanese routes with 455 or 456 seats but retired the last aircraft on 10 March 2006."Truth of NANJING must be known." Japan Corporate News Network. Retrieved: December 15, 2007. JAL operated the 747-100B/SR/SUD variant with 563 seats on domestic routes, and retired these planes in the third quarter of 2006.

</section>
</section>
<section id="1063" fatherid="1058" title="747SP" lv="" priority="3" level="2">
The idea for the 747SP came from a joint request between Pan American World Airways and Iran Air who were looking for a high capacity airliner with enough range to cover Pan Am's New York–Middle Eastern routes and Iran Air's planned Tehran-New York route.  The Tehran-New York route when launched was the longest non-stop commercial flight in the world. The 747SP is  shorter than the 747-100. Except for the planned 747-8, the SP is the only 747 with a fuselage of modified length. Fuselage sections were eliminated fore and aft of the wing, and the center section of the fuselage was redesigned. Single-slotted flaps replaced the complex triple-slotted Fowler flaps of the 100 series."747-200 Classic by AETI." Flight Simulators. Retrieved: December 15, 2007. The under-wing "canoes", which housed the flap mechanisms on full-size 747s, were eliminated entirely on the SP."The Story of the Baby 747." 747sp.com. Retrieved: December 15, 2007. The 747SP, compared to earlier variants, had a tapering of the aft upper fuselage into the empennage, a double-hinged rudder, and longer vertical and horizontal stabilizers.Kane 2003, p. 546.
The 747SP was granted a supplemental certificate on 4 February 1976 and entered service with Pan Am, the launch customer and Iran Air, that same year. The aircraft was chosen by airlines wishing to serve major airports with short runways."Red, White And Q Farewell For Qantas Aircraft." Qantas, March 4, 2003. Retrieved: June 4, 2008.
A total of 45 747SPs were built. The 44th 747SP was delivered on August 30, 1982. Boeing re-opened the 747SP production line to build one last 747SP five years later in 1987 for an order by the United Arab Emirates government.  In addition to airlines use, one 747SP was modified for NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's SOFIA experiment."The SOFIA Boeing 747SP". NASA SOFIA Science Center. Retrieved: December 31, 2009.

</section>
<section id="1064" fatherid="1058" title="747-200" lv="" priority="4" level="2">
The 747-200 has more powerful engines, higher takeoff weights (MTOW) and range than the -100. A few early -200s retained the three-window configuration of the -100 on the upper deck, but most were built with a 10-window configuration on each side."747 windows." Plexoft. Retrieved: December 15, 2007.
Several versions in addition to the -200 were produced. The 747-200B is an improved version of the 747-200, with increased fuel capacity and more powerful engines; it first entered service in February 1971."Aircraft Owner's and Operator's Guide (PDF)." Aircraft-Commerce.com. Retrieved: December 5, 2007. The -200B aircraft has a full load range of about 6,857 nmi (12,700 km). The 747-200F is the freighter version of the -200 model. It could be fitted with or without a side cargo door. It has a capacity of 105 tons (95.3 tonnes) and an MTOW of up to 833,000 lb (378,000 kg). It entered first service in 1972 with Lufthansa."Boeing 747 - About the 747 Family." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 6, 2007.  The 747-200C Convertible is a version that can be converted between a passenger and a freighter or used in mixed configurations. The seats are removable, and the model has a nose cargo door. The -200C could be fitted with an optional side cargo door on the main deck."Boeing 747-200." CivilAviation.eu. Retrieved: December 15, 2007.
The 747-200M is a combination version that has a side cargo door on the main deck and can carry freight in the rear section of the main deck. A removable partition on the main deck separates the cargo area at the rear from the passengers at the front. This model can carry up to 238 passengers in a 3-class configuration if cargo is carried on the main deck. The model is also known as the 747-200 Combi. As on the -100, a stretched upper deck (SUD) modification was later offered. A total of 10 converted 747-200s were operated by KLM. Union des Transports Aériens (UTA) also had two of these aircraft converted."Air France F-BTDG Airfleets." Airfleets. Retrieved: December 6, 2007."747-2B3BM(SUD) Aircraft Pictures." Airliners.net. Retrieved: December 6, 2007.
A total of 393 of the 747-200 versions had been built when production ended in 1991."747 background." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 13, 2007. Of these, 225 were 747-200s, 73 were 747-200F, 13 were 747-200C, 78 were 747-200M, and 4 were military."747 Classics Technical Specifications." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 6, 2007.  Many 747-200s are still in operation, although most large carriers have retired them from their fleets and sold them to smaller operators. Large carriers have sped up fleet retirement following the September 11th attacks and the subsequent drop in demand for air travel, scrapping some or turning others into freighters. "British Airways. (will accelerate the retirement of five 747-200s)", Air Transport World, 10 October 2001, p. 14."Qantas (will retire its fleet of five Boeing 747-200 aircraft)."Taipei Times, November 16, 2001. Retrieved: June 4, 2008.

</section>
<section id="1065" fatherid="1058" title="747-300" lv="" priority="5" level="2">
The most visible difference between the -300 and previous models was a stretched upper deck with two new emergency exit doors and an optional flight-crew rest area immediately aft of the flight deck as standard.  (The stretched upper deck had previously been offered as a retrofit and first appeared on two Japanese 747-100 SR models.)
Compared to the -200, the upper deck is  longer than the -200."Boeing 747-300." airliners.net. A new straight stairway to the upper deck instead of a spiral staircase is another difference between the -300 and earlier variants. The staircase creates room below and above for more seats.  With minor aerodynamic changes, Boeing increased the cruise speed of the -300 to Mach 0.85 from Mach 0.84 on the -100/-200. The -300 features the same takeoff weight. Two of the three engine choices from the -200 were unchanged in the -300, but the General Electric CF6-80C2B1 was offered instead of the CF6-50E2 offered on the -200.
The 747-300 name, which was proposed for a variant that was never launched, was revived for this new version, which was introduced in 1980. Swissair ordered the first 747-300 on 11 June 1980."Seven Series." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 15, 2007. The 747-300 first flew on 5 October 1982. Swissair was the first customer to accept delivery on March 23, 1983.
In addition to the passenger version, other versions were available. The 747-300M has cargo capacity in the rear portion of the main deck similar to the -200M, but with the stretched upper deck it can carry more passengers."747-300." Zap16.com. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. The 747-300SR is a short range version to meet the need for a high-capacity domestic model. Japan Airlines operated such aircraft with more than 600 seats on the Okinawa–Tokyo route and elsewhere. Boeing never launched a newly built freighter version of the 747-300, but it modified used passenger -300 models into freighters starting in 2000."Boeing Delivers First 747-300 Special Freighter To Atlas Air." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.
A total of 81 aircraft were delivered, 56 for passenger use, 21 -300M and 4 -300SR versions."Technical Specifications -- 747 Classics", The Boeing Company. Retrieved: 11 July 2008 The 747-300 was soon superseded by the launch of the more advanced 747-400 in 1985, just two years after the -300 entered service.Lawrence and Thornton 2005 The last 747-300 was delivered in September 1990 to Sabena."Seven series." The Boeing Company.  Retrieved: December 17, 2007.
Today, many -300 aircraft are still active, despite a significant loss of interest in the series among large carriers who replaced the 747-300 with the 747-400. Air France, Air India, Pakistan International Airlines and Qantas were some of the last major carriers to operate the 747-300. On 29 December 2008, Qantas flew its last scheduled 747-300 service, operating from Melbourne to Los Angeles via Auckland. On 20 January 2009, Qantas' last 747-300 was flown to the United States for storage."Qantas's final Boeing 747-300 heads for graveyard." The Age. Retrieved: January 21, 2009.  Although none were constructed as dedicated freighters, some -300s have been converted to cargo operations.

</section>
<section id="1066" fatherid="1058" title="747-400" lv="" priority="6" level="2">
<section id="1067" fatherid="1066" title="" lv="" priority="-1" level="3">
The 747-400 is an improved model with increased range. It has wing-tip extensions of , winglets of , which improve the 747-400's fuel efficiency by 4% compared to previous 747 versions.Assessment of Wingtip Modifications to Increase the Fuel Efficiency of Air Force Aircraft, National Academies Press, 2007, p. 33. It has a new glass cockpit designed for a flight crew of two instead of three. The use of electronics reduced the number of dials, gauges and knobs from 971 to 365. It has tail fuel tanks, revised engines and a new interior. The longer range was used by some airlines to bypass traditional fuel stops, such as Anchorage."JAL 2007." Japan Airlines. Retrieved: December 14, 2007.
The  was offered in passenger (400), freighter (400F), combi (400C), domestic (400D), extended range passenger (400ER) and extended range freighter (400ERF) versions. The freighter version does not have an extended upper deck."Boeing 747-400 Freighter Family." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. The 747-400D was built for short range operations and does not include winglets, but these can be retrofitted."Japan Airlines To Receive 100th Boeing 747 Aircraft." Japan Airlines, November 19, 1998. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.
The passenger version first entered service in February 1989 with Northwest Airlines on the Minneapolis to Phoenix route. The combi version entered service in September 1989 with KLM. The freighter version entered service in November 1993 with Cargolux. The 747-400ERF entered service in October 2002 and the 747-400ER entered service the following month with Qantas,"Boeing 747-400ER Family." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: October 16, 2007. the only airline ever to order the passenger version. Some of the last built Boeing 747-400s were delivered with Dreamliner livery along with the modern interior from the Boeing 777.
In January 2004 Boeing and Cathay Pacific launched the Boeing 747-400 Special Freighter program,"News Release." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 10, 2008. later referred to as the Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF).  The first 747-400BCF was redelivered in December 2005."First 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter Redelivered to Cathay Pacific." The Boeing Company, December 19, 2005. Retrieved: December 10, 2008.
The last passenger version of the 747-400 was delivered in April 2005 to China Airlines.  Boeing announced in March 2007 that it had no plans to produce further passenger versions of the -400.Wallace, James. "747-400 passenger is no more." Seattlepi.com, March 17, 2007. However, orders for 36 -400F and -400ERF freighters were already in place at the time of the announcement.  As of June 2009, 692 of the 747-400 series aircraft had been delivered with two aircraft (-400ERFs) to be delivered. At various times, the largest operator of the 747-400 has been Singapore Airlines,"Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400 Fleet World's Largest." The Boeing Company, October 13, 1994. Retrieved: December 14, 2007. Japan Airlines, or British Airways."British Airways set for fleet revamp." The Boeing Company, August 2005. Retrieved: December 14, 2007.

</section>
<section id="1068" fatherid="1066" title="747 LCF Dreamlifter" lv="" priority="2" level="3">
The 747-400 Dreamlifter"Cargo freighter." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 19, 2007. (originally called the 747 Large Cargo Freighter or LCF"Evergreen Aviation press releases." Evergreen Aviation, July 20, 2007. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.) is a Boeing-designed modification of existing 747-400s to a larger configuration to ferry Boeing 787 sub-assemblies to the Boeing plant in Everett, Washington, for final assembly. Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation is completing modifications of 747-400s into Dreamlifters in Taiwan. The aircraft flew for the first time on September 9, 2006."Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter Completes First Flight." The Boeing Company, September 9, 2006. The Dreamlifter's only intended purpose is to transport sub-assemblies for the Boeing 787.McCue, Dan. "Dreamlifter to become fixture in Lowcountry sky." Charleston Regional Business Journal, May 28, 2007. Retrieved: December 18, 2007.  The aircraft is certified to carry only essential crew and not passengers."Boeing 747 Dreamlifter Achieves FAA Certification." The Boeing Company, June 4, 2007. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.  Three aircraft have been built, and one on order.
</section>
</section>
<section id="1069" fatherid="1058" title="747-8" lv="" priority="7" level="2">
Boeing announced a new 747 variant, the 747-8 (referred to as the 747 Advanced prior to launch) on 14 November 2005.  The variant will use the same engine and cockpit technology as the 787, hence the use of the "8". Plans call for the new design to be quieter, more economical and more environmentally friendly. The 747-8's fuselage was stretched from 232 to 251 feet (70.8 to 76.4 m).Steinke, Sebastian. "Boeing launches 747-8." Flug Revue, January 2006. Retrieved: December 8, 2007.  When the 747-8 enters service, it will surpass the Airbus A340-600 as the world's longest airliner.
The passenger version, dubbed 747-8 Intercontinental or 747-8I, will be able to carry up to 467 passengers in a 3-class configuration and fly more than  at Mach 0.855. As a derivative of the already common 747-400, the 747-8 has the economic benefit of similar training and interchangeable parts.Norris, G. "Boeing freezes the 747-8I design."Aviation Week, 2007. Retrieved: December 8, 2007. The 747-8I is scheduled to enter service in 2010."Lufthansa launches 747-8I." Air Transport World. Retrieved: December 8, 2007.
Also offered is the 747-8 Freighter or 747-8F, which derives from the 747-400ERF. The 747-8F can accommodate 154 tons (140 tonnes) of cargo. To aid loading and unloading, it features an overhead nose-door. It has 16 percent more payload capacity than the 747-400F and can hold seven additional standard air cargo containers. The 747-8F is scheduled to enter service in 2009."Boeing 747-8 Freighter." Deagel. Retrieved: December 8, 2007.
Several units are under construction at Boeing's Everett facility.  The 747-8 has received 108 total orders with 76 for the -8F and 32 for the -8I as of December 2009.

</section>
<section id="1070" fatherid="1058" title="Government, military and other variants" lv="" priority="-8" level="2">
</section>
<section id="1071" fatherid="1058" title="Undeveloped variants" lv="" priority="9" level="2">
<section id="1072" fatherid="1071" title="" lv="" priority="-1" level="3">
Boeing has studied a number of 747 variants that have not gone beyond the concept stage.
</section>
<section id="1073" fatherid="1071" title="747-300 trijet" lv="" priority="2" level="3">
During the 1970s, Boeing studied the development of a shorter body, three-engine 747 to compete with the smaller L-1011 TriStar and DC-10, which had lower trip costs than the 747SP. The 747-300 trijet would have had more payload, range and passenger capacity. The center engine would have been fitted in the tail with an S-duct intake similar to the L-1011's.  However, engineering studies showed that a time-consuming and costly redesign of the 747 wing would be necessary. In the 1990s, the Boeing 777, a long range twinjet airliner smaller than the 747-400 entered service in the market where the 747-300 had been targeted."The Story of the Baby 747." Boeing 747SP website. Retrieved: December 16, 2007.
</section>
<section id="1074" fatherid="1071" title="747-500X, -600X and -700X" lv="" priority="3" level="3">
Boeing announced the 747-500X and -600X at the 1996 Farnborough Airshow. The proposed models would have combined the 747's fuselage with a new 251 ft (77 m) span wing derived from the 777. Other changes included adding more powerful engines and increasing the number of tires from two to four on the nose landing gear and from 16 to 20 on the main landing gear.Patterson, James W. "Impact of New Large Aircraft on Airport Design (PDF)." Federal Aviation Administration, March 1998. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.
The 747-500X concept featured an 18 ft (5.5 m) stretch to 250 ft (76.2 m) long, and the aircraft was to carry 462 passengers over a range up to 8,700 nautical miles (10,000 mi, 16,100 km), with a gross weight of over 1.0 Mlb (450 Mg). The 747-600X concept featured a greater stretch to 279 ft (85 m) with seating for 548 passengers, a range of up to 7,700 nmi (8,900 mi, 14,300 km), and a gross weight of 1.2 Mlb (540 Mg). A third study concept, the 747-700X, would have combined the wing of the 747-600X with a widened fuselage, allowing it to carry 650 passengers over the same range as a 747-400. The cost of the changes from previous 747 models, in particular the new wing for the 747-500X and -600X, was estimated to be more than $5 billion. Boeing was not able to attract enough interest to launch the aircraft.

</section>
<section id="1075" fatherid="1071" title="747X and 747X Stretch" lv="" priority="4" level="3">
As Airbus progressed with its A3XX study, Boeing in 2000 offered the market a 747 derivative as an alternative. This was a more modest proposal than the previous -500X and -600X that would retain the 747's overall wing design and add a segment at the root, increasing the span to ."Boeing 747 Celebrates 30 Years In Service." The Boeing Company, September 2, 1996. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. Power would have been supplied by either the Engine Alliance GP7172 or the Rolls-Royce Trent 600, which were also proposed for the 767-400ERX."Boeing Commits To Produce New Longer-Range 767-400ER." The Boeing Company, September 13, 2000. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. A new flight deck based on the 777's would be used. The 747X aircraft was to carry 430 passengers over ranges of up to 8,700 nmi (10,000 mi, 16,100 km). The 747X Stretch would be extended to  long, allowing it to carry 500 passengers over ranges of up to 7,800 nmi (9,000 mi, 14,500 km). Both would feature an interior based on the 777's signature architecture."Customer Symposium Highlights Future Boeing 747 Models." The Boeing Company, June 29, 2000. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. Freighter versions of the 747X and 747X Stretch were also studied.Morris, J. "Boeing In No Hurry to Launch 747X." Aviation Week, July 24, 2000.  Retrieved: December 18, 2007.
Like its predecessor, the 747X family was unable to garner enough interest to justify production, and it was shelved along with the 767-400ERX in March 2001, when Boeing announced the Sonic Cruiser concept. Though the 747X design was less costly than the 747-500X and -600X, it was criticized for not offering a sufficient advance from the existing 747-400. The 747X did not make it beyond the drawing board, but the 747-400X being developed concurrently moved into production to become the 747-400ER."Boeing Launches New, Longer-Range 747-400." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.

</section>
<section id="1076" fatherid="1071" title="747-400XQLR" lv="" priority="5" level="3">
After the end of the 747X program, Boeing continued to study improvements that could be made to the 747. The 747-400XQLR (Quiet Long Range) was meant to have an increased range of 7,980 nmi (9,200 mi, 14,800 km), with improvements to boost efficiency and reduce noise."Boeing Offers New 747-400X Quiet Longer Range Jetliner." The Boeing Company, February 26, 2002. Retrieved: December 17, 2007."GE's CF6 Engine Models Tailored For Boeing's 747-400XQLR Wide-Body." GE Aviation, March 25, 2002. Improvements studied included raked wingtips similar to those used on the 767-400ER and a sawtooth engine nacelle for noise reduction.Steinke, Sebastian. "Boeing Proposes 747-400X Quiet Longer Range." Flug Revue Online, May 2002. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. Although the 747-400XQLR did not move to production, many of its features were used for the 747 Advanced, which has now been launched as the 747-8.
</section>
</section>
</section>
<section id="1077" fatherid="0" title="Operators" lv="" priority="-5" level="1">
</section>
<section id="1078" fatherid="0" title="Accidents and incidents" lv="" priority="6" level="1">
As of December 2009, the 747 has been involved in 123 incidents,"Boeing 747 incidents." Aviation-Safety.net, December 9, 2009.  Retrieved: December 16, 2009. including 48 hull-loss accidents,"Boeing 747 hull-loss occurrences." Aviation-Safety.net, December 9, 2009.  Retrieved: December 16, 2009. resulting in 2,850 fatalities.  The 747 has been in 35 hijackings which caused 882 fatalities."Boeing 747 Accident Statistics." Aviation-Safety.net, Retrieved: December 16, 2009.
Few crashes have been attributed to design flaws of the 747. The Tenerife disaster resulted from pilot error, air traffic control (ATC) error and communications failure, while the Japan Airlines Flight 123 and China Airlines Flight 611 crashes stemmed from improper aircraft repair. United Airlines Flight 811, which suffered an explosive decompression mid-flight on 24 February 1989, led the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to issue a recommendation that 747-200 cargo doors similar to those on the Flight 811 aircraft be modified. Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down by the Soviets in 1983 after it had strayed into Soviet territory, causing U.S. President Ronald Reagan to authorize the then strictly military Global Positioning System (GPS) for civilian use. TWA Flight 800, a 747-100 that exploded in midair on July 17, 1996, led the Federal Aviation Administration to propose a rule requiring installation of an inerting system in the center fuel tank of most large aircraft that was adopted in July 2008, after years of research into solutions. It is expected that the new safety system will cost $100,000 to $450,000 per aircraft and weigh approximately ."Airlines Ordered to Cut Fuel-Tank Explosion Risk." Wall Street Journal, July 17, 2008, p. B5. Note: Cargo aircraft and smaller regional jets and commuter planes are not subject to this rule.

</section>
<section id="1079" fatherid="0" title="Aircraft on display" lv="" priority="7" level="1">
As increasing numbers of "classic" 747-100 and 747-200 series aircraft have been retired, some have found their way into museums or other uses.  The City of Everett, the first 747 and prototype is at the Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington, USA where it is sometimes leased to Boeing for test purposes."Aircraft and Space Craft, Boeing 747-121." Museum of Flight. Retrieved: December 15, 2007.
Other 747s in museums include those at the National Aviation Theme Park Aviodrome, Lelystad, Netherlands; the Qantas Founders Outback Museum, Longreach, Queensland, Australia; Rand Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa; Technik Museum Speyer, Speyer, Germany; Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, Paris, France; Tehran Aerospace Exhibition, Tehran, Iran; Jeongseok Aviation Center, Jeju, South Korea,"The Blue Sky." thebluesky.info. Retrieved: December 17, 2007. and the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C."Historic Aircraft Lands at Air and Space Museum." WTOP News, January 16, 2007.
Upon its retirement from service, the 747 number two in the production line was dis-assembled and shipped to Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea where it was re-assembled and converted into a restaurant. It was originally flown commercially by Pan Am as N747PA "Clipper Juan T. Trippe". It was also involved in a tailstrike accident once.  It was repaired and stayed with the airline until the airline went bankrupt.  As of April 2009, the 747 restaurant is closed and abandoned."Dark Roasted Blend: Abandoned Boeing 747 Restaurant (and Other Plane Conversions)." darkroastedblend.com,  April 21, 2009. Retrieved: April 22, 2009.  The Jumbohostel, using a converted 747-200, opened at Arlanda Airport, Stockholm on January 15, 2009.

</section>
<section id="1080" fatherid="0" title="Specifications" lv="" priority="8" level="1">
Sources: Boeing 747 specifications,"747 specifications", The Boeing Company. Retrieved 16 December 2007. 747 airport planning report,"747 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: December 15, 2007. 747-8 airport brochure"Preliminary 747-8 Airport Compatibility." The Boeing Company. Retrieved: July 8, 2009.
</section>
<section id="1081" fatherid="0" title="Deliveries" lv="" priority="-9" level="1">
</section>
<section id="1082" fatherid="0" title="See also" lv="" priority="-10" level="1">
</section>
<section id="1083" fatherid="0" title="References" lv="" priority="-11" level="1">
<section id="1084" fatherid="1083" title="Notes" lv="" priority="-1" level="2">
</section>
<section id="1085" fatherid="1083" title="Bibliography" lv="" priority="-2" level="2">
</section>
</section>
<section id="1086" fatherid="0" title="External links" lv="" priority="-12" level="1">
747
Category:Jet aircraft
Category:Low wing aircraft
Category:Multiple engine aircraft
Category:United States airliners 1960-1969
Category:United States cargo aircraft 1960-1969

</section>
</document>
