Back then the world still had a little pizzaz to it, and we hadn’t yet regarded air travel as a necessary nuisance, snubbing our noses at the miracle of flight as if we all possessed PhDs in jet propulsion. Coat and maybe even tie for men, something chic for the ladies, and the kiddos had better comb their hair. Taking a 747, especially in its heyday, wasn’t a means to an end but rather the main event, and many passengers dressed accordingly. This was an airliner, after all, with a second floor, a flying duplex for Christ’s sake(!), whose upper region - accessible only via spiral staircase - housed an elegant cocktail lounge, one which American Airlines had the audacity to put a piano in. That one would need to comport oneself with a certain sense of decorum while aboard such a marvel of engineering was a given. For children of the 1980s, it was not uncommon to hear your parents gush on the eve of a transatlantic trip: “We’re flying on a 747 tonight.” A hushed reverence would fall over the family. The Jumbo Jet captured our imagination, it demanded our respect. Here was an aircraft whose sheer size and lower fares finally brought flight to the masses, and we were duly smitten. What’s perhaps most interesting about the 747’s legacy, however, is how we, the public, responded to it. Dre, Tom Petty, Motörhead, Joni Mitchell, and Paul McCartney, to name a few. Aviation insiders dubbed it the Jumbo Jet. Consider the details: the unmistakeable humped silhouette, the 225-foot wingspan, the twin aisles, the four Rolls Royce engines - the 747 didn’t do subtle. Like PanAm and the Concorde, the 747 exemplified air travel at its jet setty zenith. Still configured in its flight test configuration, it was extensively restored in 20.Boeing’s final 747 rolled out of the factory earlier this week, ending the commercial airliner’s storied five-decade production run as arguably the world’s most recognizable aircraft. The aircraft's final flight occurred on April 6, 1995, when Boeing officially donated RA001 to the Museum after 5,300 flight hours. Planning for eventual donation to the Museum began in the mid-1980s. After 747 certification testing, the aircraft served for many years as a company testbed for technology development and new engine programs for other Boeing commercial jets, including the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 for the Boeing 777. The Museum's aircraft was the first 747 ever built, known as RA001. Other unique modifications include the enlarged "Dreamlifter" for 787 components, the YAL-1A Airborne Laser Testbed, and the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). In 1990, two 747-200Bs were modified as VC-25As to serve as Air Force One, the U.S. Air Force "command post" platforms, designated E-3 and E-4. Several aircraft were produced to serve as U.S. Two 747-100s were modified to become Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the NASA Space Shuttle Program. The airplane proved to be highly flexible, performing many missions that were not part of its original design specifications. The 747-8, with all-new wings and engines, entered service in 2011. In 1989, a major upgrade was introduced in the form of the 747-400, with a modernized two-crew flight deck and improved performance. The 747-300 followed in 1982, with an extended upper deck. A shortened version (747SP) debuted in 1976, capable of very long range flights. A "Combi" was soon offered to allow simultaneous carriage of passengers and cargo on the main deck. A freighter model, with a large nose cargo door, allows outsized payloads to be carried. Continued development in the ensuing years has increased payload, range, and capability with multiple 747 variants. The 747 quickly became a mainstay of the world’s international airlines. The first 747 engine, the Pratt & Whitney JT9D, was an equally challenging engineering effort it experienced numerous problems in initial service. First flight occurred on February 9, 1969, followed by an extensive test program. The leviathan 747 required an all-new factory, which was built almost simultaneously with the first 747 at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. It triggered a revolution in air travel and represents a significant milestone in the evolution of aviation design. With its massive size and signature upper deck "hump," the iconic 747 is one the most recognizable aircraft in the world. But the gamble paid off – over 1,500 units have been produced. Developing what was then the world's largest passenger aircraft was a formidable undertaking, requiring the company to risk much of its net worth. The growing worldwide demand for air travel during the 1960s led Boeing to launch the 747, the first wide-body jet.
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