The Last Boeing 747-800

Pictured below is the last Boeing 747 “Queen Of The Skies” to leave the Everett Facility, Tuesday, December 6th.

James Erickson, Writer For Bulldog Brief|December 12, 2022

The Last Boeing 747-800
The last Boeing 747 left the company's widebody factory in Everett, Washington, To be used by Atlas Air for cargo transport.
Image Credit: Boeing

“Boeing”, a common name associated with Seattle. The term “Jumbo Jet” from its wide body and being two and a half times bigger than the 747-100, and the nickname, “The Queen Of The Skies,” both came from the amazing Boeing 747, pictured above; The last one to leave the Everett, WA facility. The very first 747 was made in 1968, making it 54 years old today. The 747’s first flight using the 747-100 was on February 9th, 1969. Only 13 Airlines still use the 747-800, because of its $450 million cost, the Airlines that are customers of the 747-800 are listed below,

*Atlas Air

*Air China

*Asiana Airlines

*Korean Airlines

*Lufthansa

*Mahan Air

*Rossiya

*Cargolux

*Cathay Pacific Airways

*Nippon Cargo Airlines

*Qatar Airways

*Silk Way Airlines

*UPS

It is mainly used as a cargo aircraft now, rather than a passenger aircraft. The 747 is a fairly rare aircraft to see or fly in unless you live in or near a very highly used cargo airspace. For example, Seattle has the Class-Bravo Airspace. However, 747’s are usually seen in the eastern United States.

The prototype for the 747-100 just after being pushed out of the Everett Facility in 1968 is pictured below,

Image Credit: Boeing

The 747-200 was ordered at the request of Pan-Am (Pan-American) Airlines, because they thought the 747-100 was too small. The 747-200 was 2 1/2 times bigger AND wider than the 100, with larger engines to accommodate its weight. The 200 had revolutionized commercial air travel. The last 747  to be manufactured and was just retired was the 747-800. You are still going to see the last of these giant metal birds fly, however, they are not being manufactured anymore. The 747-800 is the same size as the Boeing 747-200, but the 800 has more advanced technology.

747-800 Fun Facts

Seats (All three classes): 410

Range (With full fuel tanks & 100% thrust): 7,730 Nautical miles

Length: 250 feet 2in

Wingspan: 224 Feet

Engine: General Electric GEnx-2B

Operational flight ceiling: 44,947 ft

It has over 150 MILES of electrical wiring inside the aircraft

Has been used by 3.5 billion people

Used by NASA as a space shuttle carrier (photo included at end of article)

It took over 1 billion dollars to develop and design the 747-100 and 1.5 billion for the 200

 

Honorable/Famous Photos Of The 747

Image Credit: National Aeronautics And Space Administration (NASA) (Above is a Boeing 747 being used as a space shuttle carrier.)

 

Image Credit: airlineratings.com (Above is an in-color photo of the first flight of the 747-100, on February 9th, 1969)

 

Image Credit: Pan American Airlines Archives (A Boeing 747-200 after landing at an unknown airport in London from New York, its first commercial flight as well)

 

Image Credit: people.com (Former Pres. Donald Trump getting off Air Force One (an upgraded version of the Boeing 747-800) after his first flight from Washington D.C. To Philadelphia.)

 

Image Credit: Lufthansa Archives (A Lufthansa Cargo 747 being loaded with Volkswagen Beetles)

 

Image Credit: National Aircraft Accident Accident Archives (A photo of one of the two right engines next to the fuselage of a Lufthansa Flight 540, 1974 (the first fatal 747 crash)

 

Image Credit: ABC News (The final Boeing 747-8 being rolled off the assembly line in Everett, WA to be used as a cargo freighter for Atlas Air)