First 747-8 passenger plane takes shape
Published 6:07 am Friday, October 15, 2010
The Boeing Co.’s first 747-8 passenger plane edged closer to being complete this week.
Workers in Everett loaded the jumbo jet’s forward and aft fuselage sections to join with the wing and center section.
“Final body join is an important milestone for the 747 program,” said Pat Shanahan, Boeing’s vice president and general manager of airplane programs. “It is a major step toward completing the structural integration and building out our all-new interior.
Boeing announced earlier this month that it will push back by six months the delivery of its first 747-8 freighter. Delivery of that airplane will be in June 2011. Delivery of the first passenger plane, called the Intercontinental, is slated for late 2011.
In final body join, where the wings and main body sections come together, it’s possible to see the sheer size of the jumbo jet. The new 747-8 passenger plane’s fuselage is 250 feet, 2 inches long, which is 18 feet, 4 inches longer than its predecessor, the 747-400. The stretch provides space for 51 additional seats to accommodate 467 passengers in a typical three-class configuration.
“We now have the first real look at the size and distinctive shape of the 747-8 Intercontinental. This is going to be a superb airplane for our customers both from an aesthetic and a performance perspective,” Shanahan said.
