Boeing 747-400
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Boeing 747-400 | |
|---|---|
 A Boeing 747-400 operated by British Airways, the largest operator of the 747 |
|
| Type | Airliner |
| Manufacturer | Boeing Commercial Airplanes |
| Maiden flight | April 29, 1988 |
| Introduction | February 9, 1989 (Northwest Airlines) |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | British Airways Japan Airlines Lufthansa Qantas |
| Produced | Passenger version: 1988-2005[1] Freighter version: 1988-Present |
| Unit cost | US$230 million (2006) |
| Developed from | Boeing 747 |
| Variants | Boeing 747-8 Boeing YAL-1 |
The Boeing 747-400 is the most recent version of the Boeing 747 in service. The -400 series is the best selling and the most advanced model of the 747 family. The 747-400 is being replaced by the Boeing 747-8.
Contents |
[edit] Design and development
The 747-400 was announced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in October 1985. Compared to the 747-300 the 747-400 has 6 feet (1.8 m) wing tip extensions and 6 feet (1.8 m) winglets, and a glass cockpit which dispensed with the need for a flight engineer. The 747-400 also improved on the -300 with tail fuel tanks, revised engines, an all-new interior, revised fuselage/wing fairings and newer in-flight entertainment. Like the 747-300, the passenger version of the 747-400 included the stretched upper deck (SUD) as a standard feature. The SUD was almost twice as long as the standard upper deck. It had previously been offered as a retrofit and first appeared on two Japanese 747-100 SR models.[2] While the wingspan was increased, the overall weight of the wings was decreased due to the use of composites and aluminum alloys.
It was rolled out in January 1988 and first flew on April 29, 1988. Certification was received on January 10, 1989 with PW4000 engines, May 18, 1989 with CF6-80C2s and June 8, 1989 with RB211-524Gs. The first 747-400 was delivered to Northwest Airlines on January 26, 1989, with service entry on February 9.[3]
The extended range freighter (ERF) entered service in October 2002. The next month, the extended range (ER) passenger version entered service with Qantas, the only airline ever to order the passenger version of the 747-400ER. Qantas uses the aircraft on its Melbourne-Los Angeles and Sydney-San Francisco flights, which are too long to operate using a standard 747-400.
The Boeing Signature Interior was later made available on the 747-400, either as interior refitting on existing 747-400s or as a "fresh-from-installation" option on newer 747-400s and 747-400ERs. One example, China Airlines's four newest Boeing 747-400s (tail number B-1821x), also the last four passenger 747-400s built, were newly built with Boeing Signature Interior. One of these (B-18210) has a hybrid livery, with China Airlines' tail and Boeing's fuselage liveries.
[edit] Variants
[edit] 747-400
The 747-400 is an improved version of the 747-300 with increased wingspan, winglets, revised engines and a glass cockpit that removed the need for a flight engineer. The 747-400 passenger version features a stretched upper deck (SUD) like the 747-300 as a standard feature. In 1989, a Qantas 747-400 flew non-stop from London to Sydney, a distance of 9,720 nmi (11,190 mi, 18,000 km) in 20 hours and 9 minutes, although this was a delivery flight with no passengers or freight aboard.[4]
Production of the 747-400 passenger version officially ceased on March 15, 2007.[1] The last four -400s on order were canceled by Philippine Airlines (which switched to the 777-300ER). The last to order the -400 was China Airlines in November 2002, with the last passenger 747-400 constructed in 2005 and delivered in April of that year.[1] It was the 1358th 747 (MSN33737/B-18215).[5]
[edit] 747-400F
The 747-400F (Freighter) is an all freight version which uses the fuselage design of the 747-200F. The aircraft's first flight was on May 4, 1993 and it entered service with Cargolux Airlines on November 17, 1993. Major customers include Atlas Air, Cargolux, China Airlines, Korean Air, Nippon Cargo Airlines, Polar Air Cargo, and Singapore Airlines. The -400F can be easily distinguished from the passenger -400 by its shorter upper-deck hump.
The United States Air Force has purchased seven 747-400Fs to act as "Airborne Laser" carriers, designated YAL-1A. The aircraft are heavily modified to carry a nose mounted turret and Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) equipment.
In March 2007, Boeing had orders for eighteen 747-400F aircraft yet to be completed.[1]
[edit] 747-400M
The 747-400M (a passenger/freight or "Combi" variant) first flew on June 30, 1989 and entered service with KLM on September 12, 1989. The -400M has a large cargo door fitted to the rear of the fuselage. The last 747-400M was delivered to KLM on April 10, 2002.[6]
[edit] 747-400D
The 747-400D (Domestic) is a high density seating model developed for short-haul domestic Japanese flights. The aircraft is capable of seating a maximum of 568 passengers in a 3-class configuration or 660 passengers in a single-class configuration. The -400D lacks the wing tip extensions and winglets included on other variants, allowing for increased number of takeoffs and landings by lowering wing stresses.[citation needed] The benefits of winglets would be minimal on short routes. The -400D may be converted to the long range version when needed.
The 747-400 Domestic first flew on March 18, 1991 and entered service with Japan Airlines on October 22, 1991. The last was delivered to All Nippon Airways in December 1995.[6]
[edit] 747-400ER
The 747-400ER (Extended range) was launched on November 28, 2000 following an order by Qantas[6] for 6 aircraft. This was ultimately the only order for the passenger version. The -400ER can fly an additional 805 km or carry 6,800 kg more freight. Qantas received the first -400ER on October 31, 2002.
The 747-400ER includes the option of 1 or 2 additional 3,240 US gallon body fuel tanks in the forward cargo hold. Manufactured by Marshall Aerospace, these tanks utilize innovative metal to metal honeycomb bonded technology to achieve an incredibly high dry weight to fuel volume ratio. Similar technology has been used in the development by Marshall of body fuel tanks for the 777-200LR and P-8A Poseidon MMA aircraft.
[edit] 747-400ERF
The 747-400ERF is the freight version of the -400ER, launched on April 30, 2001.[6] The -400ERF was delivered to Air France (via ILFC) on October 17, 2002. The 747-400ERF has a maximum payload of 248,600 pounds (112,760 kg) and can carry 22,000 pounds (9,980 kg) more than other 747-400 freighters on long-range flights at maximum takeoff weight. It has a maximum range of 9,200 km, about 525 km farther than other 747-400 freighters, and has a strengthened fuselage, landing gear and parts of its wing, along with new, larger tires.
Boeing had eighteen 747-400ERF aircraft yet to be delivered in March 2007.[1] The new 747-8 Freighter will have more payload capacity but less range than the 747-400ERF.
[edit] 747-400BCF
The 747-400BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter), formerly known as the 747-400SF (Special Freighter), is a conversion program for standard 747-400s. The project was launched in 2004. The first Boeing 747-400BCF was redelivered to Cathay Pacific Cargo and entered service on December 19, 2005.
[edit] 747 Large Cargo Freighter
Boeing announced in October 2003 that due to the length of time of marine shipping, air transport will be the primary method of transporting parts for the Boeing 787. Pre-owned passenger 747-400 aircraft are to be converted into an outsize, "Large Cargo Freighter" configuration, in order to ferry sub-assemblies to Everett, Washington for final assembly.[7] The LCF has a bulging fuselage similar to that of the Super Guppy or Airbus Beluga cargo planes used for transporting wings and fuselage sections. The conversion, designed by Boeing engineers from Puget Sound, Moscow and Canoga Park, and Gamesa Aeronautica in Spain,[8] is carried out in Taiwan by a subsidiary of the Evergreen Group.[9] Boeing has purchased three former China Airlines aircraft and converted two of them and the third one is currently being modified.
Delivery times will be reduced from up to 30 days to as low as a day with the 747 LCF.[10] The Large Cargo Freighter can hold three times the volume of a 747-400F freighter.[8][11] Evergreen International Airlines, which is unrelated to the Evergreen Group, is the operator of the LCF fleet.[7][12]
The LCF is not a Boeing production model and will not be sold to any customers or see any airliner operation. It will be for Boeing's exclusive use.
[edit] Current operators
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (February 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Total Passenger Aircraft in service: 493
[edit] Passenger
(sorted by number of 747 in fleet, then by name of operator) (engine)
British Airways (57) (RB211)
Japan Air Lines (44) (CF6)
Lufthansa (30) (CF6)
Qantas (30) (RB211/CF6)
United Airlines (30) (PW4056)
Cathay Pacific (24) (RB211/PW4056)- All Nippon Airways (23) (CF6)
Korean Air (23) (PW4056)
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (22) (CF6)
Thai Airways International (18) (CF6)
Air France (16) (CF6)- Northwest Airlines (16) (PW4056)
Singapore Airlines (16) (PW4056)
China Airlines (15) (PW4056/CF6)- EVA Air (15) (CF6)
Malaysia Airlines (13) (PW4056)- Virgin Atlantic Airways (13) (CF6)
Air China (12) (PW4056)
Air India (8) (PW4056)
Air New Zealand (8) (CF6/RB211)- Corsairfly (6) (PW4056)
- Asiana Airlines (5) (CF6)
Philippine Airlines (5) (CF6)
Saudi Arabian Airlines (5) (CF6)
El Al (4) (PW4056)
Aerolineas Argentinas (3) (PW4056)
Garuda Indonesia (3) (CF6)
Mahan Air (3) (PW4056)
Air Pacific (2) (PW4056)
Royal Air Maroc (1) (CF6)
[edit] Cargo
(sorted by number of 747 in fleet, then by name of operator)
- Cathay Pacific Cargo (25) (RB211/PW4056)
- China Airlines Cargo (21) (CF6)
- Korean Air Cargo (19) (PW4056)
- Singapore Airlines Cargo (16) (PW4056)
Cargolux (13) (RB211/CF6)- Asiana Cargo (8) (CF6)
- Dragonair Cargo (8) (PW4056)
- Malaysia Airlines Cargo (6)
- UPS (7) (CF6)
- Polar Air Cargo (6) (CF6)
- Air China Cargo (5) (PW4056)
- Air France Cargo (5) (CF6)
- Atlas Air (5) (CF6)
Emirates SkyCargo (4) (CF6)- EVA Air Cargo (3) (CF6)
- Global Supply Systems (3) (CF6)
- Jade Cargo International (3) (CF6)
- JAL Cargo (3) (CF6)
- KLM Cargo (3) (CF6)
- China Southern Cargo (2) (CF6)
- Great Wall Airlines (2) (PW4056)
- Martinair Cargo (2) (PW4056)
- Nippon Cargo Airlines (2) (PW4056)
.svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png)
TNT Airways (2) (CF6)- China Cargo Airlines (1) (CF6)
[edit] Other use
(sorted by number of 747 in fleet, then by name of operator)
- Boeing (3)** (PW4056)
- Dubai Air Wing (2) (PW4056/CF6)
- Japan Air Self-Defense Force (2) (CF6)
- Kingdom Aircraft Leasing (1) (PW4056)
Royal Flight of Oman (1) (CF6)- Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight (1) (PW4056)
Government of Brunei (1) (CF6)
Government of Kuwait (1) (CF6)- Government of Saudi Arabia (1) (CF6)
- United States Air Force (1) (CF6)
Bahrain Amiri Flight (1)
[edit] Specifications
| Model | 747-400 | 747-400ER |
|---|---|---|
| Cockpit Crew | Two | |
| Seating capacity | 416 (3-class) | |
| Length | 231 ft 10 in (70.6 m) | |
| Wingspan | 211 ft 5 in (64.4 m) | |
| Height | 63 ft 8 in (19.4 m) | |
| Weight empty | 393,263 lb (178,756 kg) |
361,640 lb (164,382 kg) |
| Maximum take-off weight | 875,000 lb (396,890 kg) |
910,000 lb (412,775 kg) |
| Cruising speed | Mach 0.85 (491 kt, 910 km/h) |
Mach 0.855 (493 kt, 913 km/h) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 0.92 (590 kt, 1093 km/h) |
|
| Takeoff run at MTOW | (3,018 m) | (3,090 m) |
| Range fully loaded | 7,260 NM (13,450 km) |
7,670 NM (14,205 km) |
| Max. fuel capacity | 57,285 US gal (216,840 L) | 63,705 US gal (241,140 L) |
| Engine models (x 4) | PW 4062 GE CF6-80C2B5F RR RB211-524H |
PW 4062 GE CF6-80C2B5F |
| Engine thrust (x 4) | 63,300 lbf PW 62,100 lbf GE 59,500 lbf RR |
63,300 lbf PW 62,100 lbf GE |
[edit] Incidents
- All Nippon Airways Flight 61: On July 23, 1999, a man hijacked the 747-481D airliner bound for New Chitose Airport near Sapporo, Hokkaidō from Tokyo International Airport (Haneda). The man killed the pilot. Other crew members restrained him, and the airliner landed safely.[13]
- Singapore Airlines Flight 006, a 747-412 flying on a Singapore to Los Angeles via Taipei route rammed into construction equipment On 31 October 2000, while attempting to take off from a closed runway at Chiang Kai Shek International Airport, caught fire and was destroyed, killing 79 passengers and three crew members. The accident prompted the airline to change the flight number of this route from 006 to 030 and to remove the "Tropical Megatop" livery on the accident aircraft's sister ship. [14]
- Japan Airlines Flight 907: On January 31, 2001, Flight 907, a Boeing 747-446D bound for Naha International Airport from Tokyo International Airport, nearly collided with another Japan Airlines aircraft. The Boeing 747 for Flight 907 suddenly dived and avoided a DC-10. See 2001 Japan Airlines mid-air incident [15]
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e "747-400 passenger is no more", Seattle PI, 17 March 2007.
- ^ Boeing 747-300, Airliners.net
- ^ About the 747 Family, Boeing, retrieved 12 June, 2006.
- ^ "Boeing aircraft Take Qantas Further", Qantas Access date: 29 April 2006.
- ^ Flight International, 27 March - 2 April 2007
- ^ a b c d "About the 747 Family", Boeing.
- ^ a b "Ugly in the Air: Boeing's New Plane Gets Gawks, Stares". Lunsford, J. L. The Wall Street Journal. January 8, 2007.
- ^ "Boeing Selects EGAT for 747 Large Cargo Freighter Modifications." Boeing Commercial Airplanes press release. February 18, 2005.
- ^ 747 Dreamlifter fact sheet on Boeing.com
- ^ "Boeing 7E7 Will Use Air Transport for Component Delivery." Boeing Commercial Airplanes press release. October 13, 2003.
- ^ "Evergreen International Airlines, Inc. to Operate Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighters." Boeing Commercial Airplanes press release. December 15, 2005.
- ^ "World: Asia-Pacific Japanese hijacker kills pilot ," BBC
- ^ "Aircraft Accident Report ASC-AAR-02-04-001: Crashed on a partially closed runway during takeoff Singapore Airlines Flight 006 Boeing 747-400, 9V-SPK CKS Airport, Taoyuan, Taiwan October 31, 2000," Aviation Safety Council, Taiwan, Republic of China
- ^ "Accident Investigation to a Near Mid-Air Collision"
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
