The 747 has been around for a long time. In fact, the 747-100 had its first commercial flight with Pan Am 37 years ago this Sunday. So as the plane approaches its fortieth birthday, you’d think it would be on its way out, right?
Not so much.
The program was given new life back in the late 1980s with the 747-400 version. That was the first version to have a new cockpit which required two instead of three people to fly it as well as other big improvements. As orders for that plane wind down, the 747-8 has been launched to carry the torch.
Just yesterday, Boeing announced that the interior on the 747-8 will be much improved. There is a new mockup which showcases these features.
Pretty slick, huh? This shows you the larger windows (equal to the size of windows on the 777) and overhead bins embedded into the ceiling to allow for more headroom and a more open feeling. You can also see the cool lighting that can be changed depending upon the time of day. There’s also a curved staircase up to the upper deck right as you walk in. Here are some more pictures if you’re interested.
As you look through these pictures, be careful. The seats are just what Boeing put on there and not necessarily what the airlines will choose to use. Any lounges or cool sitting spaces are completely at the discretion of the airline, so it’s not going to mean much.
In case you’re not impressed, how about this flashback to an old 747
(photo credit: http://members.tripod.com/~gerardfoley/olga.html)
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
4 comments on “Not Your Father’s 747”
Yeah, that curved staircase is pretty boss. I absolutely LOVE buisiness class on a 747-400. It feels more like a nice roomy living room rather than an airplane.
If this plane is half as cool as the pictures, it’s going to be some plane.
I felt like I was looking at a spaceship and not renderings from a plane.
Cool.
A better comparison would be a picture of a Boeing 744 mockup instead of an actual 744 with an airline’s configuration and decor.
That said, I love the upper deck on the 744. :)
I agree, Albert. A 744 mockup would have been a better comparison, but I don’t have one. To be clear though – that picture is not of a 744. That was taken long ago in a first generation 747. The 744 is at least better than that.
But, you can compare the windows and overhead bins to see what the real benefits will be. The lighting is cool too.