Tag: 747-8

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Boeing's 747-8 Goes For Its Very First Flight

March 21, 2011 at 12:36 PM | by | Comments (0)

While we were watching our bracket get destroyed over the weekend—thanks again VCU—some pilots at Boeing were doing something a little more important. The company’s biggest airplane to date took its first official test flight on Sunday, and as far as we know, everything went great.

In fact, things went so well, that the test pilot of the 747-8 even threw in a couple maneuvers usually not performed during a test flight; however, we doubt he did any loops or a barrel roll. The weekend’s test plane is slated to go to a VIP client, and the rumor is that it will be shipped off to the government of Kuwait.

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Boeing Reveals One of Its First 747-8 Jumbo Jets to The Public

February 17, 2011 at 9:50 AM | by | Comments (0)

Boeing might be busy putting the finishing touches on all those 787s, but the company still has plenty of resources to deal with its biggest airplane to date. The 747 isn’t exactly a new kid on the block, but the latest variation, the 747-8 Intercontinental just made its public debut over the weekend. Seating can vary between 400 and 500—depending how the airlines choose to cram in the coach seats—so with its extended upper deck bump this is the biggest commercial plane Boeing has ever built.

The original design of the jumbo jet is over 40 years old, but despite the retro paint scheme, this plane is anything but vintage. It’s sharing some technology from its 787 sibling and features new designs for the wings as well as a new body and engines. All this new technology and fancy airplane stuff will allow for increased fuel efficiency and a reduction in emissions of just under 20%. Things will also be a little roomier inside, so even if you are in the back of the plane it will at least appear more spacious.

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Boeing Has More Than Just The 787 In Its Garage

November 24, 2009 at 9:04 AM | by | Comments (0)

There’s been a rash of news about the new Boeing 787, but unfortunately it’s usually bad news about delays, issues, and other minor disasters that have prevented the plane from taking flight. However, the engineers and assembly line workers at Boeing do have something to smile about this holiday season. Their newest version of the jumbo jet has rolled out of the garage, and the 747-8 is the biggest airplane that they have ever built.

It kind of looks like any other 747 flying around the globe, but Boeing wants everyone to know that it’s not. Most of the plane is made up of new materials, and it has a totally new design for its wings. It even stole the 787’s more fuel efficient engines and took some of its ideas for fancy electronics inside the cockpit. The airplane builder is hoping to set this new bird up to compete with the Airbus A380, which can hold over 550 passengers. The new 747 is certainly smaller than the competition, but it still will be able to hold 467 passengers and Boeing claims its more fuel efficient on a per passenger basis. Being a little greener is always a good selling point.

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