How many passengers can a Boeing 747 hold. Average speed of a passenger plane. Summary of all common liners. Advantages and disadvantages of Boeing

The Boeing 747-400 airliner, which is the basis of the long-haul fleet of most major airlines, began to be produced in 1989. The production of this most popular among Boeing machines continues at the present time.

The aircraft differs from its predecessors in more advanced engines, additional fuel tanks installed in its tail section, and on-board electronic equipment. It also has vertical wingtips.

In addition to the basic version, modifications of the liner are also produced. So, the Boeing-747-400D is distinguished by an increased passenger capacity, the Boeing-747-400M is a cargo-passenger version, the Boeing-747-400F and 747-400SF are intended only for the carriage of goods. Since 2002, passenger transportation has been carried out by the Boeing 747-400ER, which has an increased flight range.

The Boeing 747-400 was discontinued in 2009. After the transfer of the last aircraft to the customer, the corporation began to manufacture a more economical and technological modification of the Boeing-747-8. As for the 747-400, this airliner is capable of flying up to 14.2 thousand kilometers. The maximum number of passengers carried by it reaches 624 people.

The fleet of major Russian airlines has Boeing-747-400 liners. These are the companies "Russia", "UTair", as well as "Aeroflot". In the last such machines appeared in 2016. 747-400 were transferred to Aeroflot from the Transaero airline.

Russian airlines offer passengers aircraft with the following cabin layout options. Four planes have 522 seats each, two have 477 seats, one aircraft has 461 seats. The number of passenger seats is determined by the number of seats with increased comfort. In such cases, more space is required than with the standard version.

Aircraft cabin and best seats

On the upper deck is the business class. These are rows one through three. There are no significant inconveniences to speak of here. Armchairs are easily laid out, transforming into full-fledged beds. Passengers are provided with pillows and blankets. The distance between the rows (seat spacing) is 150 centimeters.

On the same deck there is an economy class. It originates from the fifth row. In this class, on the upper deck, the seats in the fifth row are recognized as the best. There is plenty of legroom here. Armchairs are well laid out, the distance between them is 86 centimeters. So you can relax on the flight. Another plus is that almost no one moves along the aisles. Ahead is a light partition, behind which is a business class.

This is followed by rows, the places in which are standard. But the ninth row does not fall into this category. It is located next to the toilets. Passengers often move here. At the same time, they sometimes disturb those who sit in seats C and H. The latter are recognized as the most uncomfortable of all available on the upper deck. Another inconvenience is the close location of the transition connecting the upper and lower decks. Because of this transition, an uncomfortable temperature may be present.

On the lower deck, seats in rows 10 to 12 are among the most comfortable in economy class. The passengers sitting in these rows are, as it were, at some distance from the rest in the cabin. One of the advantages is the lack of noise, since there are few places in this part of the cabin. Another plus is that there is practically no movement in the aisles. Although the toilets are nearby, the queues in the aisles do not accumulate. The fact is that the toilets are located behind these rows. Comfort is provided by both the large space and the backs of the seats, which descend to a good angle.

More comfortable are places in the middle of the 18th and 19th rows. There is quite a lot of legroom here. Behind them, that is, in the 20th row, two places are uncomfortable. They are close to the toilet. In addition, due to the partition behind them, their backs recline too small.

In the 22nd row, the seats cannot be called comfortable. There is a toilet nearby. In addition, there is not much legroom due to the proximity of its wall. And another minus in this series is the lack of portholes.

Seats in row 29 do not recline. This is due to the fact that there is an emergency exit behind. Near this row is a toilet. Armchairs in the middle part of the cabin here literally rest against its backs with their backs and do not recline.

Seats in row 31 have both pros and cons. So, here, due to the fact that there is an emergency exit in front of this row, there is a large legroom. However, in such a place it is forbidden to put hand luggage on the floor. In addition, it is forbidden to fly with children and animals in this row. In addition, pregnant women, children, the elderly and foreigners who do not know English and Russian well cannot be here. Another minus - in this place is somewhat colder. Especially about places "A" and "C", next to the first there is an emergency hatch, which can interfere a little with the passenger, next to the second there is a staircase leading to the upper deck.

Seats from 32 to 42 rows can be called standard. But in the next, 43rd row, they have inconvenience. Behind is an emergency hatch. For this reason, the seat backs do not recline. There is also some constraint due to the small legroom. Passengers moving along the aisle to the toilet can also interfere.

Passengers in the 44th row have more comfort. In front of this nearby is an escape hatch. This allows you to sit comfortably as there is plenty of legroom. At the emergency exit there are seats "A" and "L". The disadvantage in this row is the proximity of the toilet.

Armchairs in rows 45 to 53 do not stand out among the standard category in terms of amenities or their absence. In the 54th row, the situation changes for the worse. The backs don't recline. The most restless places are "C" and "H", located close to the place where the flight attendants move to the kitchen.

Seats in the 55th row are comfortable, as the passengers sitting here have a lot of free legroom. However, the close location of the kitchen somewhat reduces convenience.

In three rows, 67, 68 and 69, two seats are installed. Here the atmosphere is calm and quiet. In the 70th row, the chairs are also installed in pairs. But the backs of the seats here do not recline, which makes them uncomfortable.

Nearby, where the noise is the most, is 71, located next to the toilet. At the same time, places with the lowest level of comfort are “D” and “G”. It is next to them that passengers almost constantly move.

Advantages of the Boeing 747-400 over its predecessors

Production of the Boeing 747 began in 1970. Already the first cars have become popular with both airlines and passengers. It was the first wide-body airliner.

The designers of the corporation were constantly working on improving the aircraft. It should be noted the appearance in 1980 of the Boeing 747-300, which became the largest aircraft at that time designed to carry passengers. But all the positive he had was limited to this. Technical equipment, flight range, production technologies remained at the same level. In addition, the liner was expensive to operate, and besides, this figure gradually increased.

The new Boeing 747-400 has become more advanced. The introduction of electronics made it possible to abandon the flight engineer. The crew was reduced to two people. Due to the additional fuel tank and economical engines, the range of the liner has increased. Passengers have a greater level of comfort. An entertainment system was installed for them.

Aircraft characteristics

length: 70.6 m.
Height: 19.4 m.
Wingspan: 64.4 m.
Wing area: 524.9 square meters m.
Fuselage width: 6.5 m.
Cruise speed: 910 km/h.
Flight range: 13570 km.
Number of passenger seats: 416 - 524 - 660.
Crew: 2 hours

Conclusion

The Boeing-747-400 airliner, which has occupied its niche in the air transportation market, successfully competes with wide-body Airbuses. But the aircraft created several decades ago, the most advanced for that time, will simply become obsolete if there is no modernization.

In 2005, the corporation announced that it had launched a program to develop a new liner 747-8. This will be a continuation of the development started with the production of the Boeing 737-400. Such continuity will make it possible to use interchangeable parts, as well as save on staff training.

The new aircraft will be more economical and more reliable. The noise of its engines will become quieter. Passenger amenities will also improve.

Calculating the cost of a taxi to the airport

Boeing 747, manufactured by the American company Boeing, often referred to as the "Jumbo Jet" (Eng. Jumbo Jet), or simply "747", is the world's first wide-body long-haul passenger airliner. The first flight was made on February 9, 1969. At the time of its inception, the Boeing 747 was the largest, heaviest and most spacious passenger airliner, remaining so for 37 years, until the introduction of the A380, which first flew in 2005.

The Boeing 747 has a two-deck layout, while the upper deck is significantly inferior in length to the lower one. The dimensions and peculiar "hump" of the upper deck made the Boeing 747 one of the most recognizable aircraft in the world, the hero of dozens of movies and a symbol of civil aviation.

There are several different variants of the Boeing 747, most of which are capable of long haul flights. The record holder among the 747 is the Boeing of the Australian airline Qantas Airways, which made a non-stop flight from London to Sydney in 1989, thereby covering 18,000 km in 20 hours 9 minutes, without passengers or cargo on board.

Until September 2010, 1,527 Boeing 747 models were ordered, and 1,418 aircraft were delivered.

• Type - passenger aircraft
• Developer - Boeing
• First flight - February 9, 1969
• Start of operation - 1970 (Pan Am, TWA)
• Status - in operation
• Main Operators - Japan Airlines, British Airways, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific
• Years of production - 1969 - present. V.
• Units produced - 1419 (as of April 2010)
• Unit cost - 747-100 - $24 million (1967), 747-200 - $39 million (1976), 747-300 - $82 million (1982), 747-400 - $228-260 million (2007)
• Options - Boeing E-4, Boeing VC-25, Boeing YAL-1

Aerodynamic scheme

A four-engine, turbofan, low-wing, swept-wing, single-fin tail unit.

Story

Development The idea to develop the Boeing 747 arose during the boom in air travel in the 60s. The Boeing 707, which dominated the US air travel market at the time, was already struggling to keep up with the growing flow of passengers. Prior to this, the Boeing corporation had already been developing a large transport aircraft for the US Army, but then the corporation lost to the Lockheed project - the C-5 Galaxy. However, Boeing's most loyal customer, Pan American, developed requirements for a giant passenger aircraft that was supposed to be twice the size of the 707. In 1966, the corporation introduced the configuration of a new aircraft, designated "747". The original project was a fully double-deck aircraft, however, some difficulties arose with this configuration, and the scheme was abandoned in favor of the "hump". From the first series of 100 aircraft, Pan Am ordered 25.

At that time, it was believed that such giants would soon be replaced by supersonic aircraft. Therefore, "747" was originally developed as a cargo-passenger aircraft. Over time, it was even planned to completely re-equip all aircraft into cargo ones. The cockpit was placed on the upper deck specifically in order to be able to convert the nose of the aircraft into a cargo ramp. It was assumed that the market did not need more than 400 aircraft of this type, however, despite criticism and fierce competition in 1993, the thousandth aircraft was built. It wasn't until the first decade of the 21st century that 747 sales began to decline.

The construction of aircraft was associated with some difficulties: the Boeing factory did not have the ability to produce such giant aircraft. To do this, a new factory was built in the small town of Everett, Washington, which became the home for a new family of aircraft.

Pratt & Whitney developed a huge high bypass turbofan engine, the JT9D, which was originally used exclusively in the 747. In order to increase the level of safety and flight performance of the aircraft, 4 redundant hydraulic systems and slotted flaps were installed on the 747, which made it possible to use the aircraft on runways of standard length.

In testing the aircraft for certification of airworthiness, Boeing developed an unusual training device known as the "Waddell Van" (named after 747 test pilot Jack Waddell), which consisted of a mock cockpit mounted on top of a truck. The simulator was designed to train pilots to control the aircraft while taxiing from such a high cockpit position.

Boeing made a promise to Pan Am to deliver the first aircraft by 1970 - that is, it was necessary to develop, build, test and certify the aircraft in less than 4 years. The work went very quickly, but the enormous costs of the corporation to build a new plant and develop the aircraft put Boeing on the verge of bankruptcy. Nevertheless, the colossal profit from the sale of "747" paid off all the costs of the corporation.

Exploitation Initially, major airlines were somewhat skeptical about the new aircraft. At the same time, McDonnell-Douglas Corporation (later absorbed by Boeing) and Lockheed were developing three-engine wide-body aircraft much smaller than the 747. Many airlines felt that the 747 would not perform well on long-haul routes and would not be as economical as the three-engined McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. In addition, the fact that, due to its size, the 747 may not be suitable for airport infrastructures, raised doubts. Currently, the A380 is facing similar problems.

The concern of air carriers was caused by high (compared to three-engine aircraft) fuel consumption. Many airlines immediately announced their reluctance to buy the Boeing 747 due to the threat of a sharp increase in ticket prices.

The air carriers' concerns were justified. The fuel crisis of the 1970s caused oil prices to skyrocket and air travel to decline. Airlines faced the problem of the unprofitability of the Boeing 747: due to high ticket prices, the planes flew half empty. American Airlines installed pianos and bar counters instead of seats to attract passengers, but these measures were not enough. Subsequently, the company converted all aircraft into cargo aircraft, then sold them. After some time, Continental Airlines did the same with their aircraft. The new McDonnell Douglas DC-10, Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, and later the Airbus A300 and Boeing 767 captured most of the wide-body aircraft market. With the release of new aircraft, many air carriers almost immediately abandoned the 747 in their favor. Among them: Air Canada, Aer Lingus, SAS, TAP Portugal and Olympic Airways.

Many airlines continue to use the Boeing 747 on particularly busy routes. In Asia, "747" is often used on medium and even short routes, especially in Japan. "747" is still used on the longest transcontinental lines. The largest fleet of "747" belongs to the Japanese national airline Japan Airlines - 73 aircraft. British Airways has the largest fleet of 747-400s with 57 aircraft.

Boeing-747 aircraft are also operated in Russia. Transaero Airlines has eleven aircraft (six B747-200s, three B747-300s and two B747-400s), AirBridgeCargo, a member of the Volga-Dnepr Group, has nine cargo aircraft (two Boeing 747-200F aircraft, one B747-400). 300F and six 747-400ERFs).

The future of 747 After the creation of the 747-400 modification, many options for improving the aircraft were considered, but only the 2005 project 747-8 of the year was approved.

The 747-X program was launched in response to Airbus Corporation's European A3XX program. This project involved the creation of Boeing 747-500X and Boeing 747-600X aircraft with a capacity of up to 800 passengers. General Electric Corporation and Pratt & Whitney formed a joint venture to manufacture GP7200 engines specifically for the enlarged 747. However, most air carriers preferred the development of a fundamentally new aircraft to upgrade the old one, and after several months the project was closed.

After the official launch of the A380 program in 2000, Boeing again took up the 747-X, but later abandoned it in favor of the Sonic Cruiser project, a subsonic passenger aircraft project. Then the project was mothballed and set to work on the development of the Boeing 787 (originally 7E7). However, some ideas developed during the 747-X project found application in the Boeing 747-400ER aircraft.

In early 2004, Boeing published plans for the 747 "Advanced". This aircraft is an extended Boeing 747-400. The new aircraft is planned to use a completely new avionics - similar to the avionics of the Boeing 787. On November 14, 2005, Boeing announced the start of the project, and the aircraft was given the designation Boeing 747-8. Airlines ordered 109 aircraft (33 passenger, 76 cargo). Of the passenger carriers, Lufthansa (20 aircraft), Korean Air (5 aircraft) and the American Boeing Business Jet (8 aircraft) showed interest in the 747-8. Cargo (the 747 has no competition here, the cargo A380 is present only on the diagrams so far) 8 airlines are interested, including Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (15 aircraft), Nippon Cargo Airlines (14 aircraft), Cargolux (13 aircraft), as well as the Russian Volga-Dnepr (5 aircraft)

Meanwhile, the last passenger Boeing-747-400 was delivered to the customer (Taiwanese airline China Airlines) in April 2005, since then only cargo jumbo jets have rolled out of the Boeing hangars. The number of operated aircraft of this type is gradually decreasing.

Modifications

The Boeing 747-100 was the first of the 747 series and was nicknamed the Jumbo shortly after its introduction. In total, 250 aircraft of this modification were built in different sub-variants, of which 167 aircraft were the basic version 747-100, 45 - SP, 29 - SR and 9 - 100B. The last Boeing 747-100 belonged to the -100SR modification, was built for Japan Airlines and was delivered in September 1986.

Basic variant 747-100. The first Boeing 747 under the official designation Boeing 747-100 was built on September 2, 1968. The first flight took place on February 9, 1969. On January 1, 1970, an aircraft owned by Pan American World Airways made its first commercial flight. The first European airline to purchase a Boeing 747-100 was Lufthansa, which received a total of three aircraft of this model. The basic version had a flight range of 7200 km. On the very first planes on the upper deck there was a rest room with three windows. Somewhat later, when airlines began to use the upper deck for first and business class passengers, the deck was finally converted into a passenger compartment designed for 60 passengers. The last copy of the basic version of the Boeing 747-100 was delivered to Pan American World Airways on July 2, 1976. Some 747-100 series aircraft were converted to 747-100(SF) freighters.

Boeing 747SR (English Short Range - short range). The SR version of the Boeing 747-100 is a short haul aircraft. The Boeing 747SR was designed as a short haul modification of the 747-100. This aircraft has a smaller fuel supply, but the passenger capacity reached 500 people, and later - 550. The 747SR also has an improved fuselage design. Later, the SR modification appeared on the Boeing 747-300. Boeing 747SRs are mainly used only on domestic Japanese lines. Several Boeing 747-100SR aircraft were delivered to Japan Airlines with an extended upper deck. Later, this modification was named 747SUD (English stretched deck upper). One of the planes that once flew for Japan Airlines is now used by NASA as a Space Shuttle carrier. The Boeing 747SP (Special Performance) modification was developed in 1976. This aircraft was created in order to seriously compete with the DC-10 and L-1011. The fact is, because of its size, the Boeing was often unprofitable on medium-busy routes, and lost to Douglas and Lockheeds on them. The development of the Boeing 737 and 747 took too much money from the company, so the company did not have the opportunity to create a fundamentally new aircraft. Instead, the Boeing 747 had a shortened fuselage and some optimization of the aircraft's parameters was carried out specifically for low-traffic routes.

In addition to the shortened fuselage, the 747SP has increased fin and flap surface area. 747SP took on board up to 220 passengers. The maximum flight range was 10,500 km at a cruising speed of 980 km/h.

Prior to the advent of the Airbus, the A340 747SP had the longest range of any passenger aircraft and was popular with transoceanic carriers American Airlines, Qantas and Pan American. Despite its technical advantages, the 747SP did not become as popular as the manufacturer had hoped. Only 45 aircraft of this modification were built. Most of them are still operated mainly in the Middle East. One aircraft was built specifically for the flying astronomical laboratory - SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy). It has a telescope with a diameter of 2.5 meters.

The Boeing 747-100B differed from its predecessors in an improved control system and landing gear. The first customer of the Boeing 747-100B was Iran Air, which received the first copy on August 2, 1979. The remaining eight copies were sold to Saudi Arabian Airlines.

Introduced in 1971 and later improved, the Boeing 747-200 had more powerful engines and increased takeoff weight, which made it possible to increase the flight range. The first 747-200s had 3 windows on the upper deck, but later Boeing finally abandoned such a scheme and built new aircraft with a ten-window deck. The latest modification, 747-200V, produced since the 80s, has a flight range of up to 10,800 km. Based on the Boeing 747-200 airframe, modifications were built for the US Air Force: 3 VKP E-4A and 1 E-4B and 2 VC-25A aircraft for transporting US presidents.

The Boeing 747-200C and 747-200F were designed to carry cargo. The 747-200F is exclusively a cargo aircraft, while the 747-200C is capable of carrying either cargo or passengers. Modification 747-200M "Combi" can carry both at the same time. Like the 747-100, many 747-200 passenger aircraft were later converted to cargo.

The Boeing 747-200B is an improved version of the 747-200 with more powerful engines and more fuel.

The Boeing 747-300 was originally conceived as a three-engine version of the Boeing 747SP, but this plan was quickly abandoned due to low market demand for such a model.

The designation 747-300 was assigned to a new aircraft that appeared in 1980. On this aircraft, the upper deck was significantly enlarged, which increased passenger capacity. Based on the 747-300, the 747-300M (cargo-passenger) and 747-300SR (short-haul) variants were created. A distinctive feature of the new aircraft was a straight staircase connecting the upper and lower decks. On earlier aircraft, a spiral was installed. The maximum flight range was 12,400 km.

Airlines operating a significant number of Boeing 747-300 aircraft include Japan Airlines, Air India, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Qantas, and Thai Airways.

The Boeing 747-400 is the newest and most popular model of the series and is still in production today. This aircraft has added vertical wingtips (winglets; however, these are not found on Japan Airlines domestic flights in Japan). The cockpit was improved with new avionics, and therefore there was no need for a flight engineer. Additional tail fuel tanks and improved engines were installed. In addition, the aircraft is distinguished by an increased degree of comfort. The 747-400 entered service in 1989 with Northwest Airlines.

The Boeing 747-400 is 25% more efficient than the 747-100 and twice as quiet. Variants 747-400M (passenger-and-freight), 747-400F and 747-400SF (cargo) have been developed. Specially designed for Japan's domestic routes, the 747-400D held the world seating capacity record until 2005, accommodating up to 594 people. Then it was replaced by the Airbus A380, which in a single class configuration can accommodate 853 passengers.

Modification 747-400ER - an aircraft with an increased flight range.

The transport version of the 747-400 extended by 5.5 meters, the maximum take-off weight (442 tons) is 16% more than the original (but 18 tons less than the A380-800). The first test flight of the new aircraft took place on February 8, 2010 from Paine Field Airfield (Everett, Washington), a year behind schedule. As of September 30, 2010, the first cargo aircraft will be delivered in mid-2011, and passenger aircraft at the end of the same year.

Power plants

• Boeing 747-100

• 4 Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A

• Boeing 747-200/300

• 4 Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4G2
• 4 Rolls-Royce RB211-524D4
• 4 General Electric CF6-50E2

• Boeing 747-400

• 4 Pratt & Whitney PW4062
• 4 Rolls-Royce RB211-524H
• 4 General Electric CF6-80C2B5F

• Boeing 747-8

• 4 General Electric GEnx

Military modifications and aircraft of heads of state

• VC-25A - aircraft for the transportation of the President of the United States. Two VC-25As were built in the late 1980s based on the Boeing 747-200 airframe. They wear a special color. In the air traffic control service, they are given the code Air Force One - the aircraft on board which is the president. Currently used by US Presidents for domestic and foreign travel (see VC-25).
• E-4B Nightwatch known as NEACP (National Emergency Airborne Command Post), pronounced as "Kneecap", and since 1994, received the second name NAOC (National Airborne Operations Center) - Air Command Posts (VKP) for the President of the United States, the US Secretary of Defense, other members of the top leadership in the event of a nuclear war and the destruction of ground control structures. Their colloquial name in the US is "doomsday planes". The first 3 E-4As were built on the basis of the Boeing 747-200 airframe at the Boeing plant in 1974-1978. In 1979 a redesigned E-4B was built and in 1980 all three E-4As were redesigned as E-4Bs. Currently on base duty (see Article E-4).
• The aircraft is used to transport the Space Shuttle aerospace aircraft from alternate spaceports to the main launch site at Cape Canaveral. The shuttle is attached to the fuselage from above.
• The high carrying capacity and large internal volumes made the 747 a regular participant in various US Army missile defense programs. Now it has a high-power experimental chemical laser mounted on it, designed to destroy enemy ballistic missiles in the boost section.

Specifications

Aircraft losses

As of September 2010, a total of 49 Boeing 747s have been lost to crashes and serious accidents. Boeing 747 attempted to hijack 31 times, while 25 people died. A total of 3,732 people died in these incidents. The largest aviation accident in terms of the number of victims (not counting the terrorist act of September 11, 2001) occurred in 1977 on the island of Tenerife at Los Rodeos Airport. Two Boeing 747s collided on the runway, killing 583 people (see Los Rodeos Airport Disaster and List of Air Accidents and Disasters).

The brainchild of the American aircraft manufacturing giant, the Boeing company, the 747 model entered the market back in 1970. Then the need for a new aircraft was so high that it was created very quickly, in just 4 years, from drawings to the latest tests. Initially, these aircraft were made with an eye to converting them into cargo ones, since it was believed that civil aviation would soon be on the rails of supersonic transportation.

But this did not happen, and the Boeing-747-100 (the first mass modifications), thanks to its amazing combination of high speed, efficiency and spaciousness, firmly occupied the niche of long-distance civil air transportation in many countries of the world.

History of creation

In the middle of the twentieth century, the popularity of air travel grew by leaps and bounds. Every year the demand for civil aviation vehicles increased in leaps and bounds. This trend, as expected, led to the fact that the crisis of air carriers began to arise. The capabilities of aircraft at that time in terms of the number of goods and people transported required rapid growth.

Thus began the history of the creation of the huge Boeing 747 liner. By the way, when he just started to enter the market, almost all newspaper reviews about him abounded in epithets of superlatives - such a large aircraft turned out to be much ahead of its time.

The father of the Boeing 747 is believed to be an engineer named Joe Sutter.

He was already working closely on the previous one when he was entrusted with the project of a new capacious civilian liner.

The developer took as a basis the idea of ​​​​a transporter, work on which was carried out several years earlier, when the Boeing company lost the competition for a large military order in the United States. Therefore, initially the aircraft was designed completely double-deck.

But later, according to the numerous recommendations of air carriers, the upper deck was reduced and began to occupy only part of the fuselage. This gave the Boeing its famous "humped" shape, due to the two decks located in the bow, one above the other. The cockpit is placed on the upper tier.

These manipulations with the design of the aircraft were not carried out by chance. The developers seriously believed that the era of supersonic airliners was approaching and measured the short life span of the new 747th Boeing. In the future, the released models were supposed to be converted for cargo needs, which is why they placed the cabin at a height in order to arrange a cargo compartment under it.

The Boeing 747 was not immediately liked by air carriers.

Many did not believe that it would be an economically viable civilian liner. And the plane did have problems, as it used more fuel (with 4 engines) than most competitors with 3 engines. But the Boeing also had more passengers on board.

Therefore, after improvements and modifications, the 747th models became more popular and gradually began to occupy their niche in the air transportation market.

Design

The main distinguishing feature of the Boeing 747 is the characteristic hump in the bow. As already mentioned, initially the aircraft was supposed to be made completely double-deck. But this idea was abandoned and the upper floor was reduced. Today it is 35% of the length of the entire fuselage.

Fuel tanks are provided in the wing, in addition, they are also in the tail section to maintain the weight balance of the aircraft.

Wing configuration - low-wing, swept wing itself. The plumage is single-keeled. The first versions of the Boeing received advanced wing mechanization. Models use triple-slotted Fowler flaps.

Their main purpose is to reduce speed when landing on short runways. This was done due to considerations of underdeveloped airport infrastructure in the past. Today, most air harbors are able to receive the Boeing 747 series without any problems.

Upper tier

The upper deck in front has a cockpit and passenger seats behind it. The number of passengers carried on the second tier can reach 50 people. There are models (less spacious) where only business class seats are located behind the cockpit.

The most common version in Russia is 3 rows for business passengers and 9 more rows of seats - superior comfort.

The most capacious Boeing-747s (up to 660 people) give the second tier completely for economy seats. One passage was designed between the seats, the seats are arranged according to the “2-2” scheme.

lower tier

The lower deck is completely reserved for the salon for passengers. Seats are arranged in a 3-4-3 pattern. There are two aisles between the rows of seats. In general, two passes, this is a distinctive feature of wide-body airliners.

The tier below is characterized by either the accommodation of passengers in the economy class, or partial filling with seats of an increased “comfort” level.

Flight performance compared to competitors

The Boeing 747 is considered the longest civilian airliner in the world. The latest model - 747-8 - reaches 76 meters (previous versions were produced at 70.5 meters).
The keel height remains the same for all modifications of the 747 series and does not exceed 19.5 meters. The width of the aircraft is 68.5 meters, and the wing area is 554 square meters.

The difference between "Boeings" is the take-off weight, which reaches 442 tons.

This is understandable: the aircraft was originally planned as a cargo aircraft, and this trend has been maintained by engineers to this day.

On takeoff, the plane accelerates to 270 kilometers per hour before taking off from the ground. The ceiling of the aircraft is 13750 meters. In terms of cruising speed, Boeing-747s are also ahead of competitors in the subsonic niche (913-918 km / h, maximum - 988 km / h). For reference: the speed of sound in air is 1224 km/h.

The high reliability of the aircraft is achieved by installing 4 engines on the wing.

Boeing 747s are economical. Compared to competitors, fuel consumption is up to 3.5% lower with a high flight range of more than 14,000 kilometers without landing. Boeing 747s are considered long haul airliners.

Modifications

• Boeing 747-100 - the life of double-deck Boeings began with this model. They accommodated from 366 to 452 passengers on board (depending on the amenities provided: the lower the maximum capacity, the more luxury seats). The flight range reached 9500 kilometers, and the model was produced from 1968 to 1976, when the oil crisis began.
• The Boeing 747-100SP is an optimized version of the previous model. Its main differences are an increased range of non-stop flights, more economical engines, a reduction in the length of the fuselage and, as a result, a capacity of no more than 220 people.
• Boeing 747-200 is a successful development of the Boeing company, known for its versatility. The 200th models were produced both exclusively for passenger transportation, for the transportation of goods, as well as in combined versions (747-200M Combi). The model range received even more powerful engines, the maximum allowable take-off weight (up to 380 tons), as well as a high range (up to 12,690 kilometers).
• Boeing 747-300s were originally produced with three engines, but due to low demand they were abandoned and the classic 4-engine version was released in 1980. The main difference is the increased area of ​​the upper deck, which made it possible to take on board more passengers (up to 624 with the full installation of only economy class seats on the entire liner).
• The Boeing 747-400 is perhaps the most popular modification of the Boeing 747. Their external difference is the vertical winglets of the wing to reduce the inductive drag of the wing, which reduces fuel consumption. By the way, on the Japanese islands there are still versions where this distinctive feature is not present due to small distances during flights. The crew of the 747-400 was reduced to two people (removing the flight engineer), and the most modern avionics are being installed on board.
• Boeing 747-8 is the latest modification of the famous two-deck aircraft. The engineers managed to increase the mass on takeoff, as well as increase the roominess. The last tests ended in 2010, and since 2011 the models have been delivered to the world's airlines.

1. The Boeing 747 at the time of its release became the first wide-body civil airliner and, in fact, opened a new page in passenger air travel. For a long 36 years (before the appearance), the American aircraft held the palm in terms of the maximum number of seats for passengers.
2. Since the timing of the release of the airliner was extremely tight, the first representative of the 747th model range was assembled in the open. Only later, the largest building in the world in terms of volume was built for the production line (the volume of covered areas is 13.3 million cubic meters). And the area is also considerable - more than 50 hectares (70 football fields). Boeing took out a $2 billion loan to start production, an unprecedented sum at the time.
3. Today, a large number of modifications of the Boeing 747 are known. They are used both for the transportation of passengers and for transport purposes, special tasks. So, the Evergreen 747 Supertanker model is known as the largest firefighting aircraft on the planet. He takes on board almost 76 thousand liters of chemical mixtures to extinguish the fire.
4. Another feature is the structure of the wing. The 747 models have a sweep of 37.5 degrees, which is more than other competing airliners. To get rid of the dangerous vibrations of the wing in flight, depleted uranium is used as cargo in construction.
5. The President of the United States flies on an improved Boeing 747, dubbed in the press "Aircraft of the Apocalypse". The first board of the country is capable of speeds up to 1000 kilometers per hour.

aircraft perspective

The main development of the 747th Boeing was in the 747-8 models. These are the latest aircraft that receive technological stuffing. Also, traditionally, the new generation of Boeing has become more economical, quieter and less harmful to the environment. The main prospects of the company in the development of civil aviation are associated with these models.

The versatility of the new liner was a great help: the control in it is very similar to the 747-400 - the legendary model. This means that only minor pilot retraining is required.

When building the model 747-8, carbon fiber is used in order to reduce the weight of the liner.

But, anyway, this Boeing became the heaviest aircraft (take-off weight of the Boeing-747-8 aircraft is 442 tons) in the history of US military and civil aviation.

Outwardly, the differences in the latest model are not very big. The fuselage was extended by more than 5 meters, compared to the 747-400. By the way, this allowed the new Boeing to become the longest airliner in the world: it surpassed the previous leader (Airbus A340-600) by almost a meter.

The main difference is a fundamentally new structure of the wing. When using the same geometry, it became thinner and wider. Console endings are different from those installed on the 747-400. They are closer to .

Working with the wing made it possible to increase the capacity of the tanks that are located in them. And various technical indicators have led to significant fuel savings. Thus, the aerodynamic properties of the wing profile make it possible to avoid end vortices, reduce wake and drag.

Conclusion

The Boeing 747 was originally built for a short period of time to "close" the growing demand for air travel, to become a transitional stage in the era of supersonic civil aviation.

But some of the unique features inherent in these American liners, on the contrary, measured out a long service life for it.

High efficiency, reliability, versatility allowed the Boeing 747 series to firmly occupy the niche of civil air transportation and remain in it to this day. It is likely that the lineup will serve people for a very long time, requiring only minor improvements and innovations.

Video

Jumbo Jet, also known as Boeing 747, is a four-engine, wide-body passenger aircraft with two decks for long-distance air routes. The Boeing 747 was the largest passenger aircraft for a long time until the Airbus A380 appeared.

Boeing 747 interior photo

The Boeing 747 program started in 1966. And in January 1970, the first aircraft began to arrive in commercial airlines. When designing a new aircraft, Boeing had to build a new construction hangar near Seattle so that the first model, the Boeing 747-100, could fit there.

Series -100, -200 and -300

The first modification, 747-100, has a length of about 70 meters and a height of 20 meters with a wingspan of 60 meters. Its weight was 162 tons. In order to cover a flight distance of about ten thousand kilometers, special engines were developed for it by Pratt and Whitney. Later, engines from General Electric and Rolls Royce began to be used. The "hundredth" version includes an improved model 747-100B, as well as a short-range variant with a passenger capacity of up to 550 people - 747-100SR (Short Range), designed specifically for short flights between the Japanese islands.

Boeing 747 photo

The "200th" series received a higher initial weight and a longer flight range. In the 747-200B version, it is 10,800 kilometers. An undoubted advantage was the ability to easily adapt passenger aircraft to cargo (747-200F), as well as combined (747-200C, 747-200M). And the -200C variant has undergone further improvements in terms of cargo transportation. One such improvement was the flip nose. In 1983, a Boeing 747-300 took to the skies. Ego's main stats have been increased. The flight range was now 12,300 kilometers. The upper deck has been expanded. As a result, the number of passenger seats has increased. The series also includes cargo-passenger variants - 747-300M and 747-300SR designed, like -200SR, for domestic flights in Japan.

Boeing 747 interior layout

Most successful versions 747-400 and new 747-8

The 747-400 boasts of being the top selling Boeing. It entered service in 1989. Compared to the 747-300, it has an improved wing, more powerful engines, improved interior quality. The 747-400 reaches a maximum flight range of 13,500 kilometers without landing for refueling and can fly at speeds up to 913 kilometers per hour. The decks of the "400th" can accommodate up to 524 passengers. A cargo version of the liner was also released, model 747-400F, combined, model 747-400M, for short flights - 747-400D and version 747-400ER for longer flights. Production of the Boeing 747-400 ended in December 2009, with the introduction of the new Boeing 747-8, which first flew in February 2010. Two versions of the aircraft are presented, passenger 747-8I and cargo 747-8F. Both models feature new GE energy efficient engines for improved fuel economy and reduced emissions.

The modified Boeing 747 of the American president is capable of reaching speeds of up to 1000 km per hour. Due to its excellent technical characteristics, it is called the "aircraft of the Apocalypse".

Features Boeing 747-400ER:

• Length: 70.6 m.
• Height: 19.4 m.
• Wingspan: 64.4 m.
• Wing area: 541 sq.m.
• Empty weight: 180.8 tons
• Fuselage diameter: 6.5 m.
• Maximum speed: 988 km/h.
• Flight range: 14200 km.
• Number of passenger seats: 416-524 seats
• Crew: 2 people

Boeing 747. Gallery.

TIACA is a non-profit association that brings together participants in the international air cargo market. The association was created to promote the liberalization of the global market and the development of trade relations between countries. TIACA members include representatives of all major segments of the air cargo and logistics industry, including such well-known airlines as: Air Canada, Emirates, Swiss International Japan Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Volga-Dnepr, UPS Airlines, DHL Express, Fedex Express; airports Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Aeroports de Paris, Beijing Capital Airport, Los Angeles World Airports, Domodedovo Airport and others.

During a press briefing, Deputy Minister of Transport Valery Okulov noted that the “concept for the development of air cargo transportation in the Russian Federation” is aimed at realizing the country’s transit potential and developing domestic demand for air cargo transportation by increasing the competitiveness of air transport services in the Russian Federation.” For his part, Alexei Isaikin, President of the Volga Dnepr Group of Companies, emphasized that the knowledge and experience accumulated by the members of the association “are necessary for us in order to fully and efficiently realize the huge potential of the aviation industry that we possess.”

The interest of Western companies in the Russian market was indicated by Michael Steen, Chairman of the International Cargo Aviation Association TIACA: “The Russian economy is developing steadily, as evidenced by the country's recent accession to the WTO. The role of Russia in international logistics is rapidly growing, making this region more and more attractive both for investments directly in Russian business and for global transport companies and freight forwarders who consider Russia as a convenient logistics hub.”

The situation in Russia is paradoxical - there is someone to transport cargo and someone to consolidate it, large large airports create infrastructure for receiving and processing cargo, but the Russian economy is not yet ready to form stable cargo flows sufficient to fill large transport aircraft. And, unlike the passenger transportation market, the arrival of foreign companies in the cargo sector is not at all scary. There are large, successful and financially stable cargo carriers in Russia. Our leader in this segment is Volga-Dnepr Group of Companies.

The Volga-Dnepr Group of Companies is included in the TOP 15 global cargo airlines and is the world leader in the segment of transportation of extra-heavy and oversized cargo. In just 8 years, the Group's sales increased 6 times and in 2011 reached $1.75 billion. The Group provides jobs for 3,270 people.

Charter cargo transportation within the Group is carried out by Volga-Dnepr Airlines. Its fleet consists of 10 An-124-100 Ruslan and 5 Il-76TD-90VD super-heavy aircraft, which comply with all modern and future ICAO requirements and fly around the world without restrictions. Six years of experience in operating the Il-76TD-90VD aircraft has proved its demand in the market, which is growing year by year. Regular cargo transportation within the Group is carried out by AirBridgeCargo. It currently has 12 Boeing 747 family aircraft in its fleet, including 2 of the latest Boeing 747-8Fs. Also, in 2011, the Group acquired the Atran airline, which has 3 An-12s in its fleet.

The organizers of the summit left the most interesting “for a snack”: a demonstration (Russian premiere) of the latest Boeing 747-8 Freighter, the legendary Soviet heavyweight An-124-100 Ruslan and a modern modification of the Il-76TD-90VD military transport aircraft took place at Domodedovo Airport

AirBridgeCargo Airlines, a member of the Volga-Dnepr Group, became one of the first companies in the world to receive Boeing 747-8 Freighter aircraft into operation. Now the company has 2 such aircraft and the third should arrive by the end of the year. Interesting fact: AirBridgeCargo is the largest cargo carrier at Frankfurt Airport (and the airport itself is the largest European hub).

The Boeing 747-8 Freighter is a new modification of the Boeing 747 aircraft. It features excellent flight performance, as well as a 16% increase in cargo compartments compared to the B747-400F modification, improved fuel efficiency and noise reduction, which together will allow the airline optimize operating costs and increase economic efficiency.

Maximum load capacity Boeing 747-8 Freighter - 133.9 metric tons (133,900 kg) or 147.6 tons (295,200 lb)

Range with maximum payload: 4,390 nautical miles (8,130 km)

Maximumrange: 8,000 nautical miles (14,815 km)

Height: 63 ft 6 in (19.4 m)

Wingspan: 224 ft 7 in (68.4 m)

Length: 250 ft 2 in (76.3 m)

Cruising speed: Mach 0.85

Maximum takeoff weight: 975,000 pounds (442,250 kg)

Engines: General Electric GEnx-2B67 (66,500 lb thrust)

Here are some interesting facts about the Boeing 747-8 Freighter:

• The 747-8 Freighter's main and lower cargo decks can hold approximately 19 million table tennis balls.
• The 747-8 Freighter has the capacity to carry up to 10,767 gold bars from Fort Knox (that's roughly $7 billion worth)
• The electricity generated by the 747-8 can power 480,000 32-inch flat-screen TVs (that's the number of TVs in a city of over a million people)
• 747-8 Freighter can quickly deliver about 9 million 72-hour medical kits or 122,000 army ready meals to a disaster area
• 747-8 covers a distance equal to 3 FIFA football fields in 1 second
• 747-8 covers a standard marathon distance of 42.195 km in 2.5 minutes
• The top of the 747-8's tail is 63 feet 6 inches (19.5 m), which is the height of a six-story building
• 747-8 is the longest civil aircraft (76.3 m)
• One wing of 747-8 corresponds to the total area of ​​four houses with three bedrooms and two bathrooms (each 1,375 square feet)
• The wingspan of a 747-8 is equal to the length of two 737-700s
• The diameter of the fan of the GENx-2B 747-8 engine is almost equal to the diameter of the fuselage of the B-29 bomber
• The takeoff thrust of a single 747-8 GENx-2B engine is approximately equal to the takeoff thrust of all (8) engines of the very first model B-52 bomber, the PWYJ57-3 installed on 747-8)
• The 747-8's fuel tanks hold over 64,000 gallons (242,266 L) of fuel, enabling very long distance flights such as from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia.

Against the backdrop of a large but elegant Boeing, somewhat reminiscent of a polished dandy city dweller, Ruslan looks like a big rural, recently demobilized bumpkin, who has only put aside household chores for a short time. Both the cockpit and the crew compartment have to climb long ladders hanging from the ceiling somewhere. But in it I felt something very dear and familiar for a long time. It is very ascetic and unpretentious, without unnecessary external effects. On the contrary, everything is maximally optimized to fulfill the main task - the transportation of oversized cargo. And in this he has no equal. Especially when you see how this giant opens its huge “mouth”, crouches down and some kind of road train, crane or military equipment leaves it under its own power. A stunning and unique aircraft, which can only be spoken of with admiration.