1970: Heathrow welcomes first 'jumbo jet' (Link to Video)

BBC ^ | 22 January, 2007 | Staff

[Paleo Conservative]

Boeing is close selling its 1,500th 747.

[Paleo Conservative]

Pan American Airlines are the first
company to fly the Jumbo 747
commercially

If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.

[trumandogz]

The technical problems with the first 747 sound like the current issues with the A-380.

[Aikonaa]

American engineering at its finest!

[Paleo Conservative]

The technical problems with the first 747 sound like the current issues with the A-380.

The main problem with the 747 was the engines. The first commercial flights were delayed a couple of months. The A380 is being delayed by over two years so far, but the engines aren't the problem, the airplane itself is. Boeing delivered over 100 747's in the first two years including 63 the first year. Airbus will have the A380 in very limited production till 2009.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Before the 747 went into service, the P&W engines was the big hold up of the project.
Boeing just kept on producing the 747, and parked them in the lot, and hung huge concrete blocks from the pylons to prevent the plane from coming up and rest on the rear of the plane.

[Paleo Conservative]

Boeing just kept on producing the 747, and parked them in the lot, and hung huge concrete blocks from the pylons to prevent the plane from coming up and rest on the rear of the plane.

Does anyone have some pictures of that?

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Didn't they start to work on the 747-200 a few months after the first 747-100s went into service ?
What was the main difference between the 100s and the 200s ? a more beefy landing gear, and stronger engines, and more windows in the upper deck ?

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I have to find some.

[canuck_conservative]

They still build 'em that way - take a tour of the Boeing plant (Seattle) and you'll see the blocks holding down the wings until the engines are installed.

[Paleo Conservative]

They still build 'em that way - take a tour of the Boeing plant (Seattle) and you'll see the blocks holding down the wings until the engines are installed.

That was started more recently as a way of decreasing the interest cost of building them. The engines used to be installed earlier.

[canuck_conservative]

Thanks, didn't know that part.

More "just-in-time" techniques, I guess.

[Paleo Conservative]

More "just-in-time" techniques, I guess.

When you consider how expensive the components are, reducing interest charges is not insignificant. The interest on one $10,000,000 engine per month at 8% interest is $66,666.67. So installing all four engines on a 747 before they are needed would cost over a quarter million dollars a month just for interest payments.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

[holden]

What's the difference between Boeing jets and Airbus jets?

Boeing jets break ground and fly into the wind.

HF

P.S. When Boeing jets land they touch down. When Airbus jets land, they arrive!

[COEXERJ145]

And for those who don't know, the 747 that flew that first trans-Atlantic flight (Clipper Victor, N736PA) was later lost on March 27, 1977 in the accident at Tenerife.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Boeing jets break ground and fly into the wind.

Does that mean tha Airbus jets break wind and fly into the ground??

[PAR35]

11 & 1/2 hours of delay on 12 hours worth of flight doesn't sound like an accomplishment of which to be proud.

[holden]

That's the joke, yup.

HF

[fat city]

I flew on that first return flight from Heathrow to NY- what a hoot!