OT: Final 747 built departs Everett WA, check out the flight path

[Nittany.Lion]

FlightAware ✈ Flight Tracking Map ✈ Atlas Air #747

 

[psuro]

The 747 was actually an afterthought by Boeing. In the late 1960's Boeing was going to build supersonic planes for passenger travel and the 747 for cargo only. Then they got wind that the Brits and French were building the Concorde and that ended the supersonic planes. If I remember from reading some information, the head of one of the airlines said he wanted to move a lot of people over long distances, so the 747 was converted to a two aisle passenger plane. And the rest is history.

Beautiful plane and really great flight path.....

 

[CyphaPSU]

The 747 was actually an afterthought by Boeing. In the late 1960's Boeing was going to build supersonic planes for passenger travel and the 747 for cargo only. Then they got wind that the Brits and French were building the Concorde and that ended the supersonic planes. If I remember from reading some information, the head of one of the airlines said he wanted to move a lot of people over long distances, so the 747 was converted to a two aisle passenger plane. And the rest is history.

Beautiful plane and really great flight path.....

Yep! They assumed the market was heading toward supersonics and this would just be an interim aircraft. They viewed the 747 as being more destined for becoming a freighter...until things turned out otherwise!

With the original design having cargo in mind (in addition to passengers), the flight deck was set up high to allow for the nose to open for loading. One of the original ideas was to make the entire jet a double-decker the entire length, but they scrapped it due to concerns over the amount of time it would take to complete an emergency evacuation. So, they made it wider, instead—the first wide-body jet.