The 747-8F flies!

[SQflyergirl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGB5czLQEA4

Boeing's latest incarnation of the queen got airborne a while ago. Congratulations are in order i think !

[9V-SPL]

Congratulations to Boeing!

[scooby5]

I heard on the radio this morning that this is the third time Boeing has used this very week in history to launch a new plane, after the 727 and the original 747 both took off on Feb 9th. It would have been great if Boeing had delayed the launch of this one by a day to also be Feb 9th.

The 737 was launched on an April 9th so I wonder if 9 is an old time lucky number for somebody...... 787 was the 15th so some traditions might not last

[SQflyergirl]

so I wonder if 9 is an old time lucky number for somebody.

9 is an EXTREMELY lucky number for PT Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna. (according to someone I know who works for the Philip Morris group).

• All company fleet vehicle license plates add up to 9.

• Warehouse and office and factory spaces in meters add up to multiples of 9.

• Telephone numbers add up to multiples of 9

• A top brand in the portfolio of clove cigarettes is Dji Sam Soe (234) - which also adds up to 9 amongst other things....

sounds like a really nice company to work for

[haf]

Sampoerna is one of my largest clients in Jakarta. When I visit them I normally am taken upstairs to have lunch in the "apartment" at the top of the north tower. There is a bountiful amount of priceless artwork up there all tagged with RFID so don't think about taking any off the wall if you do end up there!

Great little building to work in now that it's complete. I had no idea about their number 9 obsession though!! Must inquire on the next visit!

[SQflyergirl]

Sampoerna is one of my largest clients in Jakarta. When I visit them I normally am taken upstairs to have lunch in the "apartment" at the top of the north tower. There is a bountiful amount of priceless artwork up there all tagged with RFID so don't think about taking any off the wall if you do end up there!

Great little building to work in now that it's complete. I had no idea about their number 9 obsession though!! Must inquire on the next visit!

I might have visited Sampoerna once or twice.. or 50 times i guess

They are a great company, and I have a lot of respect for the people there.


Anyway, let's take this to PM - the thread's going OT as it's about the 747-8F

[N_Architect]

Boeing Faces Hazy Skies as New 747 Takes Off

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...261059908.html

By PETER SANDERS

Boeing Co.'s revamped 747 took off on its maiden flight Monday. But the new jetliner still has been slow to attract orders as the company again redesigns a successor to a plane that has been flying for 40 years.

...

The first test flight, which was delayed slightly by fog at Paine Field, north of Seattle, marks the beginning of a rigorous testing regimen the aircraft now must undergo to receive certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Chicago-based company hopes to deliver the first 747-8 by year-end.

...

Boeing has 76 orders for the jet configured as a cargo hauler, the first of which is expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter to Luxembourg's Cargolux Airlines International SA.

A passenger version, which can carry up to 467 people in three classes, will begin deliveries at the end of next year. But Boeing has only 32 orders for that version, from just two airlines and a handful of unidentified VIP customers. By contrast, the Dreamliner has more than 850 orders, despite its numerous delays.

The planes carry a list price of more than $300 million, though airlines typically negotiate discounts.

Rising costs for the 747-8 have weighed on Boeing's balance sheet. Early last year, Boeing said the program was unprofitable, and the company in October took a $1 billion write-down on the jet.

It is unclear when or if the company will make money on the aircraft. For a time, senior company executives questioned whether the program would continue.

Nevertheless, Boeing executives say they are optimistic about the 747-8's viability. "It's sort of a full-court press on all elements of the business equation," Jim McNerney, Boeing's chairman and chief executive, said on an earnings conference call last month. Many airlines that fly the older 747-400 are "going to be turning over their technology in the next decade," he said.

...


By 2005, Boeing decided on the 747-8, which would boast a slightly longer fuselage than the 747-400, as well as greater fuel efficiency, a new wing design and use the same engines and cockpit set-up as the Dreamliner.

...

Once deliveries of the 747-8 begin this year, Boeing still will face headwinds.

The air-cargo market has recently showed nascent signs of recovery after a steep drop off during the global recession. But scores older cargo planes sit parked around the world, waiting to be put back in service if demand recovers.

In addition, airlines can also convert older passenger 747s into cargo planes, making it harder for airlines and leasing companies to justify buying a new ones.

[flyguy]

I've always like Boeing and its been great working on them for the past 30 years and the 747 is a remakable and very able and tolerant aircraft. The 748 does comes with a new critical wing design and new engines - but however its still not a fly-by-wire aircaft - which do not understand why Boeing have made extensive changes to the plane and whilst from the outside fuselage, it may looked like the 1st 747 that flew and most innards are new - but the only thing missing is that its flight control systems are still not of the fly-by-wire system - and this is one of the main reason why it is not selling. It Beoing do change it, then am sure the 748 will be a major contender and will replace many of its predeccessors - as its just about the right size and mix for most major airlines and can fly to any of the currents airports that the 747s flies to currently without any airport works and new facilities.

[N_Architect]

and a few pictures, for those who love this bird

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=34482408

[Pinkfloyd]

Seems to have less of a wing-flex than the 787. I am to understand that they are made of the same material or am I wrong on this?

[scooby5]

Not sure its specifically down to just the materials but also the bonding/joining of the sections since i think the 787 is still way more advanced in its assembly.

I saw the video of the 787 though and it scares me to death...... I am not a lover of watching the flex on that.

[sumitsan]

Great to see the 747-8F taking its maiden flight. Kudos to Boeing! A year and a half later, we should see the same for the 747-8I.

[BOEING777]

Great to see the 747-8F taking its maiden flight. Kudos to Boeing! A year and a half later, we should see the same for the 747-8I.

You shouldnt have to wait too long - the 747-8 Intercontinental should fly by the end of Q1 next year.

[boing]

but however its still not a fly-by-wire aircaft - which do not understand why Boeing have made extensive changes to the plane and whilst from the outside fuselage,

Yup, the only Fly-By-Wire Boeing a/c I know so far is the B777. The B748, as its predecessors, is a Fly-By-Cable. The difference( weight savings, maintenance), as far as I know, is minimal. And there is no handling difference to the pilot flying the a/c. The major benefit is flight envelope protection and then again, Boeing is a firm believer in letting the pilots having the final say rather than the computer. The only reason I can think of why Boeing didn't incorporate the FBW into the B748 design is to save time on the certification process as they can piggy back on the 744 certification. I could be wrong here though.

Seems to have less of a wing-flex than the 787. I am to understand that they are made of the same material or am I wrong on this?

Nope. The 748 wings are made of aluminium alloy compared to the B787's composites.

[globetrekker84]

Yup, the only Fly-By-Wire Boeing a/c I know so far is the B777. The B748, as its predecessors, is a Fly-By-Cable. The difference( weight savings, maintenance), as far as I know, is minimal. And there is no handling difference to the pilot flying the a/c. The major benefit is flight envelope protection and then again, Boeing is a firm believer in letting the pilots having the final say rather than the computer. The only reason I can think of why Boeing didn't incorporate the FBW into the B748 design is to save time on the certification process as they can piggy back on the 744 certification. I could be wrong here though.


Nope. The 748 wings are made of aluminium alloy compared to the B787's composites.

That's not entirely true. The 748 will be fly-by-cable for all controls except for the lateral controls (ie roll). That is fly-by-wire. I don't know the reason for it though.
And yes, you are correct in that they are trying to do an abbreviated certification testing. The complexities of a full fly-by-wire aircraft, like 787, requires much more initial investment, such as EMI shielding, firewall protection...the whole nine yards. I don't think they wanted two full certification programs going on at once.