First Major 747 Stretch Takes Off On Debut Flight
First Flight Comes As Iconic Jet Enters Fifth Decade
747-8 Intercontinental Roll Out & First Flight Early 2011
After successfully completing taxi tests, the first 747-8F took off on its maiden flight, kicking off a 3,700 hour certification effort with first delivery to Cargolux due in the fourth quarter of this year. The first 747-8F took off just one day short of the forty-first anniversary of the first 747 flight.
Images Courtesy Of Boeing
While the cargo market remains fragile, the 747-8F has benefited by being in a virtual monopoly position with no direct rival as well as seeing existing 747-400′s that have been withdrawn from service not coming back or being converted into freighters amidst high fuel prices.
Major assembly of the first 747-8 Intercontinental occurs late in the second quarter/early third quarter and is due to roll out during early 2011, with first flight penned for the first quarter of 2011 ahead of first delivery to a VIP customer in Kuwait.
Lufthansa will take its first 747-8 Intercontinental shortly thereafter, again in the fourth quarter next year.
Two 747-8 Intercontinentals will form part of the certification efforts, with three being used for the 747-8 Freighter.
The first test 747-8F, RC501 will complete around 610 flight test hours along with 800 ground test hours.
RC521 will complete around 570 flight test and 525 ground test hours, with RC522 completing 435 flight test and 820 ground test hours as part of the certification program.
That was beautiful! Very quiet on the webcast.
That was VERY quiet!
(Take-off I mean!)
Mate, how fast did you put this together? – Lightning!
I watched the take-off on the Boeing site and the event reminded me just how graceful the 747 is, particularly on take-off and the -8 is no different.
Thanks
Pingback: Tweets that mention
Another proud moment for Boeing and hopefully the beginning of a successful history for this elegant and efficient workhorse of a plane
She looked good in HD on the local NBC affiliate. Expected more wing flex (based on the artist drawings), but while not a great fan of the 747 as a passenger, she does look magnificent from outside.
When LH get’s their first Intercontinental, her interior is supposed to be state-of-the-art. So you may just find it at least as enjoyable as the Whalejet’s.
Pingback: uberVU - social comments
What a beauty, the plane looks really loooooong.
Great show.
When she deploys spoilers and flaps to stop – those are huge.
kudo’s Boeing, she works!
Pity the paint job was not like the 787′s, but a great move that will see more 747 orders and pressure the A380 even more!
Don’t forget that in only two years Boeing sent these aircraft into the air: 777F, 747-8F, 787-8. Do I forget some?
Please visit my post about the 747: http://wp.me/piMZI-G4
Flew like a 747, which is still way way cooler to watch than anything else made!
From my apartment nearby Paine Field, all I could hear were the helicopters and chase planes… these drowned out the 747 (which I wanted to hear, but oh well)…
Currently stranded in Seattle by the bad weather back east, Southwest took the unprecedent step of suspending all ops at MDW for the last 24 hours. However, I did have some fun with my Nikons when I first arrived
:
http://www.planepictures.net/netsearch4.cgi?srch=Boeing%20747-8R7F%28SCD%29&stype=actype&srng=2
Love the photographs Leelaw!
Some things are worth being delayed for afterall!
Paula, the delay could have been far worse since I ended-up biding my time in the Tulalip Casino, though in the end I managed to win $450 after six hours of play on the Blackjack tables, despite six-deck shoes and a certain comely relief dealer otherwise possessed of the devil when it came to the cards. They even comped me a roast beef sandwich!
The 747 is still a great aircraft it still looks big even compared to the A380.