The Most Recent Cause for the Retirement of the Boeing 747 | Only vehicle

Boeing 747 Retirement

February 9, 1969, is a day that marked aviation history. It was the day of the first flight of the Boeing 747. That day, there was huge excitement among the crowd to see the airplane take to the skies for the first time. Why is that so? What made the Boeing 747 so special? Why should you thank it?

747 - First Flight

The Boeing 747 was unlike any other airplane at that period. It was 2.5 times the size of any other aircraft. It had engines that produced a lot of thrust than a regular jet engine. The people who were behind its design and development were termed 'The Incredibles'.  Joe Sutter (1921-2016) was the lead engineer of the plane. He is referred to as the 'Father of the Boeing 747'.

747 - Size Comparison with 707

Joe Sutter - Father of the 747

The Boeing 747 was the first wide-body jet ever made. It was the one that paved way for the design of other modern wide-body jets. It is affectionately called 'The Original Jumbo Jet'. The engines used by the plane were different from other engines. Pratt and Whitney was the company that designed it. It was a high bypass ratio jet engine which means that the maximum amount of thrust in each engine was produced by the force of air flowing in the sides of the combustion chamber.

Pratt and Whitney JT9D Engine

The development of the plane almost put the Boeing company into bankruptcy. Huge amounts of money were spent on aircraft development, workforce, and construction of the factory. It also had initial problems facing engine issues, flutter, and the opinion of the public themselves. It was hard for people to believe that the plane could fly. First flight and future tests proved them all wrong. It proved itself to be capable of safety and airworthiness. The issues with the engines and flutter were resolved later on. It finally went into service with Pan American World Airways being the launch customer.

Boeing Company

Pan American World Airways

It has broken many records for speed, range, and capabilities. But important of all, it has given ways for the common people to travel. Earlier, air travel was seen as a luxury and reserved for the rich. The Boeing 747, because of its sheer capacity can carry more passengers to their destinations.

747 Cabin

The addition of economy and business class seats made flying affordable to the commons. The Boeing 747 was not intended to be carrying passengers. It was earlier planned to be a cargo aircraft. The cargo door was present at the nose. The iconic hump was designed to open the nose door without affecting the cockpit.

747 - Nose Cargo Door

After the failure of the Concorde, Boeing decided to use the plane's design for a passenger aircraft. Airlines made use of the upper deck, the hump of the plane for seating First Class passengers, and even as lounges. The Boeing 747 was even successful in the cargo industry. It by far is one of the best and profitable cargo airplanes today.

747 - Passenger Aircraft Design

Many people's love for aviation started with the Boeing 747. It is the most recognizable airplane in the skies today. Children point at its sheer size and people stand watching it with awe. It is rightly said that it paved way for the development of the Airbus a380.

KLM 747

The most technologically advanced Boeing 747's still in operation today are the Boeing 747-400's and the Boeing 747-800's. Most of these airplanes are cargo airplanes including those that are modified to be cargo airplanes. Most airlines are retiring their Boeing 747's and shifting to fleets having two engines instead of four.

UPS Cargo 747

I believe that having four engines on an airplane is far better than two. You will have more redundancy increasing the overall safety of the airplane, passengers, crew, and cargo. You will have four different hydraulic systems even if one of them fails. The shifting focus in aviation makes it hard to bring the plane back.

It is and will remain the most popular airplane that Boeing has ever built. If you think now that air travel for you is easy, thank the Boeing 747. It is a significant airplane and has completely changed aviation steering it in a different direction. Farewell to the Queen of the Skies.

Crowd Gathered to See the 747