747

Boeing schedules 747-8 Intercontinental's first flight for Sunday

Boeing announced today that its all-new 747-8 Intercontinental, the longest passenger plane in its history, is expected to take its first flight on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, the aviation giant said that the plane--which it unveiled in a huge ceremony just last month--had passed what is called final gauntlet testing, which "simulates flight conditions to test systems and ensure flight readiness," Boeing said in a release, adding that as part of the testing process, its test pilots "put the airplane through its paces."

Over the next few days, then, the plane will be subjected to &… Read more

Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental is here

EVERETT, Wash.--Sporting an all-new corporate color scheme--red and orange and white instead of the company's traditional blue and white--Boeing unveiled its next-generation 747-8 Intercontinental here today.

With the formal unveiling, the aviation giant made it clear that its 787 Dreamliner is hardly its only card in the global commercial aviation poker game.

Billed as the most fuel-efficient and cheapest airliner to operate in the world, the new plane seems poised to join its predecessors in the 747 line as an iconic representation of what air travel can and should be.

And while preorders of the 747-8 Intercontinental are … Read more

Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental unveiled

EVERETT, Wash.--The 747-8 Intercontinental is here.

Sporting an all-new corporate color scheme--red and orange, instead of blue, Boeing pulled back the wraps on the next-generation of its iconic 747 line. Touting the plane as being able to carry more passengers longer and faster, and at better fuel and cost efficiency than other commercial planes, Boeing is hoping to make a big splash in the industry with the new plane.

CNET was on hand for all the festivities. Please stay tuned for a full story and photo gallery on the big event. But for now, enjoy this photo of the … Read more

747-8 Intercontinental flight expected this spring

EVERETT, Washington--Boeing expects to make the first flight of its next-generation 747-8 Intercontinental sometime in early spring of this year.

That was the word from Elizabeth Lund, the 747 program's vice president and deputy program manager, at a media event here today.

Of course, given lengthy delays with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner program, it would be fair to say that no "expected" date can be firmly counted on. Indeed, Boeing maintains that despite the expected schedule, the plane will take its first flight, and make its first delivery "when it's ready," Lund said.

Still, … Read more

Inside the Boeing 747-8 factory

EVERETT, Wash.--Boeing tomorrow will formally unveil the 747-8 Intercontinental, the next generation of the aviation giant's iconic jumbo jet. The plane is said to be perhaps the most fuel-efficient in the world, and replaces the 747-400 as the company's most famous jet.

According to Boeing:

The 747-8 Intercontinental is the only jetliner in the 400- to 500-seat market, stretched [18.3 ft] from the 747-400 to provide 467 seats in a three-class configuration and a [8,000 nautical mile] range. Using 787-technology engines, the airplane will be quieter, produce lower emissions, and achieve better fuel economy than … Read more

Under wraps, first 747-8 Intercontinental rolls out

EVERETT, Wash.--An international press corps is descending on this town today, about 45 minutes north of Seattle, for the beginning of a two-day Boeing extravaganza to mark the formal unveiling of its next-generation 747-8 Intercontinental passenger plane.

The unveiling doesn't happen until tomorrow--today will be a factory tour and a look at some interior mockups of the new plane--but this morning, Boeing let this picture out: The first 747-8 Intercontinental rolling out, under wraps of course, from the paint shop.

Stay tuned for full coverage of the festivities.

Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental to debut this weekend

OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT--As a big fan of airplanes, and plane travel, I'm excited to be sitting in the terminal here, waiting for my flight to Seattle. That's because starting tomorrow, I'll be covering three days of Boeing events, highlighted by the unveiling of the aviation giant's long-awaited 747-8 Intercontinental.

The next-generation of Boeing's iconic jumbo jet--probably the most famous airplane in history--is said to be highly efficient.

As Boeing puts it on its Web site:

The 747-8 Intercontinental is the only jetliner in the 400- to 500-seat market, stretched [18.3 ft] from the 747-400 … Read more

iLuv's iMM747 parks both iPad and iPhone

Now that the iPad's been around for almost six months, we're starting to see a few docks that are designed for parking--and listening--to iPads. iLuv's iMM747, which also accepts iPhones and iPods, is a mini stereo system that will retail for $149.99 when it goes on sale in a few weeks at i-luv.com.

Since the iPad is much heavier than the iPhone, the iMM747 features "flexible dock connectors for solid support and easy docking through the 30-pin connector that automatically adjusts and supports your iPad, iPhone, or iPod while in the dock," according … Read more

Boeing's next-gen 747 takes first flight

Updated at 4:28 p.m. PST with additional details about the 747-8F.

EVERETT, Wash.--With all the recent hoopla about the first flight of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, true aviation buffs may be the only ones aware that the most iconic jumbo jet of all time was also preparing for a crucial step forward.

And on Monday, it happened: the 747-8 Freighter, the next generation of Boeing's 40-year-old flagship jet, took off from Paine Field here, the first flight of the cargo version of what will be the longest commercial plane in the company's history, a very important advancement for the venerable 747 program.

The 747-8 is considered an essential airplane for Boeing, even as it proceeds with the 787 Dreamliner, because the former will be the aviation giant's entry in the more energy-efficient roster of planes that airlines and freight carriers are demanding for long-haul flights with high capacity for passengers and cargo. (The passenger version of the plane is set to arrive about a year after the cargo model.)

And while the passenger version of the 747-8 is perhaps sexier than the freighter that took off at 12:39 p.m. PST on Monday, the 747-8F's first flight is vital evidence that the 747 program is alive and well, and ready to move solidly into the 21st century.

Boeing says that the 747-8 will be quieter and far more fuel-efficient than the existing 747-400 series. It is thought that the passenger version will hold as many as 467 passengers, 51 more than on a current 747-400. The freighter version will offer 21 percent more lower-hold revenue cargo volume than the 747-400 and cost about 8 percent less per seat mile to operate, the company says.

A big part of the plane's improved efficiency comes from an innovative wing design which features double-slotted flaps inboard, and single-slotted flaps outboard, fly-by-wire spoilers and outboard ailerons. The plane also features GEnx-2B67 engines, similar to the GEnx engines that will power the 787 Dreamliner. The engine features a high-pressure compressor that is the most efficient and compact GE has yet produced, Boeing says. The result is said to be high fuel efficiency and low noise.

Boeing said the 747-8F will offer the lowest cargo cost-per-mile in the business. It weighs 154 tons, has a range of 4,390 nautical miles, a height of 63 feet, 6 inches, a wing span of 224 feet, 7 inches, and a length of 250 feet, 2 inches. It can reach Mach 0.85

The Monday takeoff was delayed by nearly three hours by low cloud cover, and the flight was scheduled for about four hours in the air, with a series of initial tests intended to demonstrate the plane's airworthiness.

But as Boeing deputy test program manager Brian Johnson said, Monday's flight was much more "a chief pilot time," as it marked the first opportunity for Capt. Mark Feuerstein, the man in that role in the 747 program, to have "four hours in the cockpit to just get comfortable with" the plane. … Read more