Boeing 747
In 1965, Joe Sutter left the Boeing 737 development program to design a new aircraft that would change global travel forever. The United States Air Force had begun studying large strategic transport needs in March 1964, requiring an aircraft with a payload capacity of 80,000 pounds and a speed of Mach 0.75. Boeing, Douglas, Lockheed, General Dynamics, and Martin Marietta submitted airframe proposals for this CX-HLS project. All companies moved their cockpits above the cargo area to allow front loading doors. Boeing blended concepts from its competitors into a longer pod running from just behind the nose to just behind the wing. Juan Trippe, president of Pan American Airways, asked for a jet twice the size of the existing 707 to reduce seat costs by 30 percent. In April 1966, Pan Am ordered 25 Boeing 747-100 aircraft for US$525 million. This order gave Boeing the confidence to bet the company on the program. Management knew that if the project failed, Boeing's survival would be threatened. The schedule was so fast-paced that workers earned the nickname "The Incredibles" because they had only 28 months to design the aircraft.
Pratt & Whitney agreed to develop the JT9D engine in late 1966, a high-bypass turbofan capable of delivering twice the power of earlier turbojets while consuming one-third less fuel. The 747 featured structural redundancy with four main landing gear legs, each containing a four-wheel bogie. Krueger flaps ran almost the entire length of the wing's leading edge to increase lift by 90 percent when fully deployed. A complex three-part slotted flap system along the trailing edge increased wing area by 21 percent. Boeing used fault tree analysis to study how a single part failure might impact other systems. Depleted uranium counterweights were inserted into outboard engine nacelles to solve severe flutter problems during flight testing. One test aircraft suffered damage at Renton Municipal Airport on the 13th of December 1969, when pilot Ralph C. Cokely undershot the runway and tore off the right outer landing gear. Despite these challenges, the first full-scale evacuation took two and a half minutes instead of the mandated 90 seconds, injuring several volunteers. Boeing built "Waddell's Wagon," a mock-up cockpit mounted on a truck roof, allowing pilots to practice taxi maneuvers from the elevated upper deck position.
Boeing chose to build a new plant near Paine Field in Everett, Washington, buying the site in June 1966. More than 4 million cubic yards of earth had to be moved to level the construction site. The resulting building became the world's largest structure by volume ever constructed. Time was so short that the 747's full-scale mock-up was built before the factory roof above it was finished. Boeing subcontracted assembly of subcomponents to Northrop for fuselage parts and Grumman for trailing edge flaps. Fairchild supplied tailplane ailerons while Ling-Temco-Vought provided the empennage. On the 30th of September 1968, the first 747 rolled out of this custom-built facility for the world press and representatives of 26 airlines. The program cost reached US$1 billion in 1968, forcing Boeing to borrow heavily from a banking syndicate. Debt exceeded $2 billion with $1.2 billion owed to banks, setting a record for all companies at that time. Boeing president William M. Allen asked Malcolm T. Stamper to oversee construction of the Everett factory and start production.
The original 747-100 entered service on the 22nd of January 1970, with Pan Am flying its New York, London route using Clipper Victor registration N736PA. The 747-200 followed in 1971 with more powerful engines and higher maximum takeoff weight. A shortened version called the 747SP launched in 1976 to serve long-range routes like Tehran to New York. The 747-300 arrived in 1983 with a stretched upper deck allowing up to 563 seats on domestic Japanese routes. Swissair took delivery of the first 747-300 on the 23rd of March 1983. The 747-400 introduced a glass cockpit reducing dials from 971 to 365 and allowed two-person crews instead of three. It entered service in February 1989 with Northwest Airlines. The final variant, the 747-8, was announced on the 14th of November 2005, using General Electric GEnx engines from the 787 Dreamliner. The first 747-8 Freighter made its maiden flight on the 8th of February 2010, while the passenger version flew for the first time on the 20th of March 2011. Lufthansa received the first 747-8 Intercontinental on the 5th of May 2012.
The U.S. Air Force operates two VC-25A aircraft as Air Force One, tail numbers 28000 and 29000. These VIP versions were partially completed at Everett before being flown to Wichita, Kansas for final outfitting by Boeing Military Airplane Company. Three E-4A airborne command posts were converted to E-4B standards with more powerful engines delivered in 1979. Two 747s modified as Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carried all five operational Space Shuttle orbiters during the late 1970s. The first SCA, registration N905NA, carried the prototype Enterprise during Approach and Landing Tests. A former Pan Am 747SP was modified to carry a large infrared-sensitive telescope for the SOFIA joint venture between NASA and DLR. High altitudes allowed this observatory to rise above water vapor absorbing infrared light. Iran bought four 747-100 aircraft with air-refueling boom conversions before the 1979 revolution. Several governments including Bahrain, Brunei, India, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE use 747s as VIP transports.
The recession of 1969, 1970 affected Boeing heavily, selling only two 747s in the world for eighteen months after September 1970. No 747s were sold to any American carrier for almost three years following that period. Airlines replaced their 747s with smaller trijets like the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 TriStar when passenger traffic dropped after the 1973 oil crisis. American Airlines eventually relegated its 747s to cargo service in 1983 after trying to attract customers by installing piano bars on some flights. Delta Air Lines removed its 747s from service after several years but later acquired them again during a merger with Northwest Airlines. International flights began bypassing traditional hub airports throughout the 1980s, eroding the 747's original market share. Many international carriers continued using 747s on Pacific routes while Japanese domestic flights configured aircraft to carry nearly maximum capacity. The Airbus A380 surpassed the 747 in size between 2007 and 2021, delivering heavy competition.
Boeing announced termination of 747 production on the 27th of July 2016, citing insufficient demand despite having 21 firm orders. Production rate stood at six per year with program accounting reduced to 1,555 aircraft total. UPS Airlines ordered 14 747-8F freighters in October 2016 with options for another 14 added in February 2018. Boeing confirmed final delivery would occur in 2022 due to current market dynamics stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic according to CEO David Calhoun. The last aircraft, registration N863GT, rolled off the production line on the 6th of December 2022. It was delivered to Atlas Air on the 31st of January 2023, marking the end of a fifty-four-year run. Boeing hosted an event at the Everett factory for thousands of workers and industry executives to commemorate this historic moment. A total of 1,574 aircraft were built during the entire production period. Sixty-five percent of all 747s have been lost in accidents and incidents resulting in 3,746 deaths.
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Common questions
When did the Boeing 747 enter service with Pan Am?
The original 747-100 entered service on the 22nd of January 1970. Pan American Airways flew its New York to London route using Clipper Victor registration N736PA.
Who designed the Boeing 747 and when was the program initiated?
Joe Sutter left the Boeing 737 development program in 1965 to design the new aircraft. The United States Air Force began studying large strategic transport needs in March 1964 which led to the CX-HLS project.
Where is the Boeing 747 factory located and when did production start?
Boeing chose to build a new plant near Paine Field in Everett, Washington after buying the site in June 1966. The first 747 rolled out of this custom-built facility for the world press on the 30th of September 1968.
What were the final dates for Boeing 747 production and delivery?
Boeing announced termination of 747 production on the 27th of July 2016 citing insufficient demand despite having 21 firm orders. The last aircraft registration N863GT rolled off the production line on the 6th of December 2022 and was delivered to Atlas Air on the 31st of January 2023.
How many Boeing 747 aircraft were built during the entire production period?
A total of 1,574 aircraft were built during the entire production period with a program accounting reduced to 1,555 aircraft total. Sixty-five percent of all 747s have been lost in accidents and incidents resulting in 3,746 deaths.