Photo: Boeing
Aviation nuts know this plane as the Queen of the Skies, but the world at large has come to be familiar with it as the Boeing 747. It’s a wide-body flying machine with twin aisles (the first to use such a design) that has dominated at least parts of the skies for almost 60 years. And it’ll probably continue to do so for a few more, even if the last of its kind was just delivered to its largest operator.
The Boeing 747 started rolling off assembly lines back in 1967, as the result of hard work performed by a crew of Boeing people who came to be known as the Incredibles. Since its introduction, it grew to become one of the most successful commercial and cargo aircraft ever, with exactly 1,547 examples made and sent all over the world to carry people and merchandise.
As it happens with all things in life, production of the 747 came to an end, and the last one of the family was just delivered this week to Atlas Air Worldwide, the largest operator of the plane. We’re talking about a 747-8 Freighter variant, which was handed over as part of a mammoth ceremony attended by thousands, including some of the Incredibles who originally helped Boeing come up with the aircraft and... John Travolta.
"This monumental day is a testament to the generations of Boeing employees who brought to life the airplane that 'shrank the world,' and revolutionized travel and air cargo as the first widebody," said during the ceremony Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
"It is fitting to deliver this final 747-8 Freighter to the largest operator of the 747, Atlas Air, where the 'Queen' will continue to inspire and empower innovation in air cargo."
The 747-8 Freighter is, of course, the most recent variant of the airplane. It’s powered by four GE Aerospace engines, and can carry a maximum of 150 tons of cargo. To put that into perspective, that’s how much 10,767 Fort Knox gold bars weigh, which Boeing estimates to be worth almost $5.5 billion.
In the passenger configuration, the 747-8, boasting the same engines, can carry 410 people to their destination at speeds of Mach 0.86, while also allowing a total cargo volume of 6,225 cubic feet (176 cubic meters).
As for Atlas Air, the airline has been in operation for three decades now, and its first workhorse was, coincidentally, a 747-200 converted freighter. Business boomed, it seems, and Atlas has expanded its fleet over the years to include almost all variations of the 747.
The 1,547 examples of the 747 Boeing made have flown over the years a combined 118 million hours, meaning some 23 million flight cycles, as per Boeing’s statistics.
As it happens with all things in life, production of the 747 came to an end, and the last one of the family was just delivered this week to Atlas Air Worldwide, the largest operator of the plane. We’re talking about a 747-8 Freighter variant, which was handed over as part of a mammoth ceremony attended by thousands, including some of the Incredibles who originally helped Boeing come up with the aircraft and... John Travolta.
"This monumental day is a testament to the generations of Boeing employees who brought to life the airplane that 'shrank the world,' and revolutionized travel and air cargo as the first widebody," said during the ceremony Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
"It is fitting to deliver this final 747-8 Freighter to the largest operator of the 747, Atlas Air, where the 'Queen' will continue to inspire and empower innovation in air cargo."
The 747-8 Freighter is, of course, the most recent variant of the airplane. It’s powered by four GE Aerospace engines, and can carry a maximum of 150 tons of cargo. To put that into perspective, that’s how much 10,767 Fort Knox gold bars weigh, which Boeing estimates to be worth almost $5.5 billion.
In the passenger configuration, the 747-8, boasting the same engines, can carry 410 people to their destination at speeds of Mach 0.86, while also allowing a total cargo volume of 6,225 cubic feet (176 cubic meters).
As for Atlas Air, the airline has been in operation for three decades now, and its first workhorse was, coincidentally, a 747-200 converted freighter. Business boomed, it seems, and Atlas has expanded its fleet over the years to include almost all variations of the 747.
The 1,547 examples of the 747 Boeing made have flown over the years a combined 118 million hours, meaning some 23 million flight cycles, as per Boeing’s statistics.
The last #QueenOfTheSkies will soon take flight with @AtlasAirWW. Stay tuned for the flyaway and a peek at the flight plan that will pay tribute to its legacy. #ThankYou747 pic.twitter.com/piGK3mRIcP
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) February 1, 2023
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