Boeing 747

Summary

Description

The Boeing 747's development was spurred by the growth in air travel during the 1960s. Pan American Airways (Pan Am), a key Boeing customer, sought a jet 2+1⁄2 times the size of the Boeing 707 to reduce seat costs by 30% and address airport congestion. In 1965, Joe Sutter was assigned to lead the design studies, with Boeing anticipating that supersonic transport aircraft might eventually supersede long-range subsonic airliners. Consequently, the 747 was designed to be adaptable for freight transport to ensure its continued production. In April 1966, Pan Am ordered 25 Boeing 747-100 aircraft, committing US$525 million. Later that year, Pratt & Whitney agreed to develop the JT9D engine, a high-bypass turbofan essential for powering the 747. On September 30, 1968, the first 747 was rolled out at the specially constructed Everett Plant. The 747's first flight occurred on February 9, 1969, and it was certified in December of that year, entering service with Pan Am on January 22, 1970.

The Boeing 747 is a large, wide-body airliner characterized by its distinctive "hump" created by the raised cockpit, which allows for front loading of cargo on freighter variants. Its wings have a sweep angle of 37.5° to facilitate efficient cruise speeds ranging from Mach 0.84 to 0.88, depending on the variant. This sweep also reduces the wingspan, allowing the 747 to use existing hangars. Internally, the aircraft has a seating capacity of over 366 with a 3–4–3 seat arrangement in economy class and a 2–3–2 layout in first class on the main deck. The upper deck features a 3–3 seat arrangement in economy class and a 2–2 layout in first class. The aircraft incorporates redundant structures, four hydraulic systems, and main landing gears each with four wheels to ensure safety and weight distribution. Additionally, split control surfaces and triple-slotted flaps minimize landing speeds, enabling the 747 to operate on standard-length runways. For transportation of spare engines, the 747 can accommodate a non-functioning fifth-pod engine under the aircraft’s port wing between the inner functioning engine and the fuselage.

As a civilian airliner, the Boeing 747 was not designed for offensive armament. However, several government and military variants have been derived from the 747 platform and some have been adapted to carry various military systems. For example, the YAL-1 was an experimental Airborne Laser platform, intended as a component of the U.S. National Missile Defense program. Additionally, the proposed MC-747 was studied as a missile carrier concept, with potential configurations storing Peacekeeper ICBMs or JDAM-equipped conventional missiles for in-situ launch. The 747 AAC was a proposed “airborne aircraft carrier” which would carry up to 10 Boeing Model 985-121 “microfighters”, for launch, retrieval, re-arming, and refueling, however it was never developed. Finally, Iran acquired 4 747-100 air-refueling tankers in support of their fleet of F-4 Phantom fighter jets before the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

After its entry into service with Pan Am in 1970, other airlines, aiming to remain competitive, also introduced their own 747s. Boeing initially believed that half of early 747 sales stemmed from airlines desiring the aircraft's long range more than its considerable payload capacity. Despite possessing the lowest potential operating cost per seat, this advantage was only realized when fully loaded, with costs escalating rapidly as occupancy declined; a 747 operating at 70% capacity consumed over 95% of the fuel of a fully occupied one. Nonetheless, several flag-carrier airlines acquired the 747 for its prestige, regardless of economic justifications. By the 1980s, international flights increasingly bypassed traditional hub airports, landing at smaller cities and thus eroding the 747's original market. However, numerous international carriers sustained the use of the 747 on Pacific routes, while in Japan, domestic 747 configurations maximized passenger capacity.

Main Variants:

• 747-100: The original variant, launched in 1966, had a range of 4,620 nautical miles (8,556 km).

• 747-200: Launched in 1968, this version offered more powerful engines and was produced in passenger, freighter, convertible, and combi versions.

• 747SP (Special Performance): Introduced in 1976, this shortened version was designed for longer range, enabling routes like New York to the Middle East.

• 747-300: Launched in 1980, it featured a stretched upper deck, increasing seating capacity and cruise speed.

• 747-400: Introduced in 1985, this improved model had increased range, wingtip extensions, winglets, and a new glass cockpit for a two-person crew.

Technical specifications

Current operating countries

Country		Units
	Iran	9

Numbers in parentheses, e.g. '(+5)', indicate units ordered but not yet delivered.

All operators

Iran • United States

Photo of 747