Boeing 747

aviation · engineering · jumbo jets · history

The Jumbo Jet. The Boeing 747 was the first airplane ever called a 'Jumbo Jet' and the first wide-body airliner, meaning it was much wider inside than planes before it so way more people could fly at once.

Massive size. Pan Am airline asked Boeing to build a plane that was two and a half times bigger than the Boeing 707, which would let them save money by fitting more passengers on each flight and cutting costs by about 30 percent.

Built in a giant factory. The first 747 rolled out of Boeing's Everett Plant in Washington state on September 30, 1968, which was the world's largest building by volume, meaning it had to be enormous just to fit such a colossal airplane inside.

Record-breaking debut. The 747 took its first flight on February 9, 1969, was officially certified by December 1969, and started carrying passengers for Pan Am on January 22, 1970, making dreams of super-sized airplane travel come true.

Powerful new engines. Boeing worked with Pratt & Whitney to create the JT9D engine, a special high-bypass turbofan that could produce enough power to get this massive plane off the ground and cruising across oceans.