747-8 Freighter First Flight

[Raffles]

The Boeing Company is excited to announce the first flight of another new Boeing aircraft, the 747-8 Freighter. The first flight window for this new airplane is planned to open on February 8. This date is dependent on several factors, including final internal reviews, taxi test and receiving the final experimental ticket from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The first flight of the 747-8 will take place from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, USA.

We'd like to invite you to be a part of this historic event by visiting any of our 747-8 First Flight websites:

http://www.boeing.com
http://www.newairplane.com

[Bingo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B747-8#747-8_Freighter

[Raffles]

Nobody watching this?

[thabo]

flight global has more info

First flight of the 747-8F comes one day ahead of the 41st anniversary of the maiden flight of the 747-100, from the same runway, on 9 Feb 1969.

[gundaan]

Originally Posted by Raffles

Nobody watching this?

Bit of a non-event actually as these aircraft only destined to be cargo hacks. The fact of the matter is Boeing missed the bus when they did not develop a competitor for the A380, like Airbus has done with the A350 for the 787. Don't know who the idiot at Lufthansa was who ordered passenger versions of this aircraft as they obsolete in the pax environment already. Sad but true.

[thabo]

Originally Posted by gundaan

The fact of the matter is Boeing missed the bus when they did not develop a competitor for the A380, like Airbus has done with the A350 for the 787.

i have to disagree with you.

airbus has upped their break even numbers for the a380 to something like 500 units. the market is not big enough to absorb both the a380 and a boeing equivelant.

boeing's mistake was to spend 4 years developing a double decker years back and then quitting, then spending 4 years on the 747-x before quitting, and another 4 years on the sonic cruiser and then dumping that as well.

they ended up 12 years down with nothing to show for it before setling on the 787.

[NewsRoom]

Boeing's New 747-8 Takes Flight Near Seattle

February 9, 2010

Boeing flew for the first time its twice-delayed 747-8 Freighter, a significant milestone in the history of the 747 family and a step that could bolster the credibility of the world's second-largest plane maker.

The takeoff on Monday started what was scheduled to be a three- to four-hour test flight near Boeing's factories around Seattle, Washington.

Boeing twice delayed the first flight of the 747-8 last year, most recently moving a planned fourth-quarter flight to early 2010 and first delivery to the fourth quarter of 2010.

The 747-8 Freighter, about 18 feet longer than the 747-400, had been launched in November 2005 and was originally scheduled to start delivering in the fourth-quarter of 2009.

The company took a USD$1 billion charge related to the 747-8 in the third quarter of 2009 because of high production costs and tough market conditions.

Boeing, which has 108 orders for 747-8s -- 76 for its freighter model and 32 for the passenger model -- on its books at list prices between USD$293 million and USD$308 million, gets paid by customers at delivery.

The 747 family has been in the air since 1969 and is Boeing's biggest and most recognisable commercial plane.

The 747-8 uses new engine and wing designs, boasts greater fuel efficiency and lower operating costs than the Airbus A380, its closest rival, Boeing says. The Freighter model can carry 16 percent more cargo than the previous 747 model, while the Intercontinental can carry 51 more passengers.

The freighter's test flight comes on the heels of a successful test flight of the 787 Dreamliner in December.

Though not nearly as innovative or fuel-efficient as the revolutionary carbon-composite 787, the 747-8 shares technology with the higher-profile plane.

Boeing's reputation has been bruised by two years of 787 delays. That plane finally flew for the first time in December.

(Reuters)

[Raffles]

Originally Posted by gundaan

Bit of a non-event actually as these aircraft only destined to be cargo hacks. The fact of the matter is Boeing missed the bus when they did not develop a competitor for the A380, like Airbus has done with the A350 for the 787. Don't know who the idiot at Lufthansa was who ordered passenger versions of this aircraft as they obsolete in the pax environment already. Sad but true.

Originally Posted by thabo

i have to disagree with you.

airbus has upped their break even numbers for the a380 to something like 500 units. the market is not big enough to absorb both the a380 and a boeing equivelant.

boeing's mistake was to spend 4 years developing a double decker years back and then quitting, then spending 4 years on the 747-x before quitting, and another 4 years on the sonic cruiser and then dumping that as well.

they ended up 12 years down with nothing to show for it before setling on the 787.

I also think that the A380 break even numbers are too high given the recession at the moment. but time will tell. As for Boeing, I think that they are more reliable.

[NewsRoom]

Boeing 747-8 First Flight



Boeings photo's and Video : http://www.boeing.com/newairplane/747/

Boeing's latest airliner took off for the first time Monday at 12:39 p.m. The Boeing 747-8 was scheduled for a four-hour flight around the Pacific Northwest after a smooth liftoff from Paine Field. It landed at 4:18 p.m. after an uneventful flight to check basic handling and engine performance. The aircraft is the longest ever built by Boeing and the first test article is a cargo version. The passenger version will follow in about a year and will carry up to 467 people in three classes. The cockpit is virtually identical to that of the 787 Dreamliner and passenger amenities will be similar.

Although the 787 has been grabbing the limelight, the 747-8 project is considered an important part of the company's future business plan. Both aircraft have similar ranges and Boeing sees the 747-8 serving major world hubs while the 787 offers airlines the range flexibility to offer non-stop long-haul flights between smaller cities. The new 747 is powered by GEnx-2B67 engines that put out 65,000 pounds of thrust. So far, Boeing has 108 orders, 76 in the cargo version, with Cargolux as the launch customer. Lufthansa is the passenger version's launch customer with 20 firm orders. The second biggest customer (six airplanes) is Boeing Business Jets.

[Fullspeed]

This a great link for some interactive gen on this great plane. Those with low speed internet (paraffin driven) might struggle a bit.
http://www.boeing.com/newairplane/74...gn_highlights/