50 years of the Jumbo Jet

Always found it incredible how they got off the ground when they appeared to be trundling along the runway.
Even more amazing, on 2nd March it will be 50 years since the first concorde flight.
 
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And that both were designed at the time of infancy of "modern" computers. Number crunching yes but what we know as CAD CAM, no.

As for how does such large one like the 747 get off the ground, I think it was FIA 2010 I was on the flightline as the testbed A380 took off and it was so very quiet compared to all the other aircraft.........though as it passed the backwash was like being in a very strong wind. Wing design combined with modern turbofan engines are a modern marvel :)
 
I remember in 1988 flying on an Air India 747 from LHR to Kuwait, and it must have been one of the original 747's as it was a real boneshaker, and luggage lockers were pinging open all over the place as it thundered down the runway.
I remember thinking to myself "747? Don't know what all the fuss is about, it's pretty crap".
On the way back we flew BA and it was a new plane and a much more enjoyable experience.
 
I always liked the Speedbird livery. Much more classy than subsequent paint jobs. The former BA Flying Club at Booker had their Chipmunk and a Piper Warrior painted that way as I recall.
 
At a tangent from 747 but about long haul on old models?

In 1999 we went to Reunion, this journey at that time was not direct.

We flew to Paris and transfered to (as far as I recall) to an Air France subsidiary airline.......it must have been a hand me down as it showed real signs of age in that the upholstery had splits and stains!

As for the ride well we had good space with many empty seats but the slightest turbulence made it creak & groan. Cannot recall the plane type but surmise an A300, which if an early model could have been at least 20 years old!
 
My memory of the 747 goes back to June 83. Queuing up on the M11 hard shoulder and finally getting to Stansted, parking in a field and getting out of the car just in time to see one land with the Enterprise space shuttle riding piggyback.
 
Production of the Airbus A380 has come to an end. So much for the “Super Jumbo”.
 
Emirates will take delivery of their last A380 in 2021.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
I just read that the first flight of the Boeing 747 took place 50 years ago yesterday.
Beautiful looking, iconic, aircraft.
Amazing that the first flew so long ago.
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First B52 flew 67 years ago.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
BA have no officially retired their fleet of the 747 Jumbo Jet.
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The site of the queen taking off and turning over Twickenham/Whitton on an easterly will be missed.

I was hoping for one last flight on the retro-liveried 747-436 and the Virgin/Iberia A340-600, the opportunity has now gone.
 
I've never been on one but they look really impressive when seen from the runway...

747 taxing at Gatwick airport G2 1170337.JPG
 
It wasn't until 1998, that I finally got to fly on a 747. I remember being in the departure lounge, looking at this huge thing out of the window, and wondering, like so many others, how on earth it could possibly take off. One of the truly iconic aeroplanes. Concorde may have held all the speed records, but it was a huge loss maker and only for the very wealthy few. The 747 has flown so many people around the world, connected families, friends, lovers. If you've ever flown long haul, chances are it's been on 747s. It will be sad to see them go.

But time moves on, and we need far better transport systems, than these behemoths. And we need to cut down on our travelling; the CV19 virus was spread globally, mainly be people travelling by air. Not to mention the huge environmental impact. So the 747 has to go, as do many other 'planes. Bring on the next generation.
 
My very first flight was in a 747, in 1996 to Tehran. It was a fantastic aircraft, the takeoff and landing was epic, so much power and then such a smooth landing. Pity about BA retiring them, but there are still other airlines flying them, particularly cargo aircraft.
Do any of you guys use this site to follow aircraft, I find it annoyingly addictive.
There are a couple of Eurofighters North of the Wash at the moment.

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I flew on an Air India 747 in 1986 to Kuwait.
It was an older plane an it shuddered like crazy as it trundled along the runway.
All the overhead compartments were pinging open and stuff falling out.
On the way back 3 months later it was a British Airways 747.
New plane and very smooth. Totally different experience.
 
Years ago when I worked for a global computer company I flew as a passenger in 747s with BA, Quantas and TWA . The best flight was Club class with BA when a team of us went to the USA, we were upstairs & could see the flightdeck when the crew opened the door. A great experience.....
 
I've flown on 747's with BA, Garuda and Virgin over the years, economy in BA and Club in all 3. Upstairs on the Virgin one was best, although pretty good on BA too. I've flown on a Virgin 340 to LA, that was fine but didn't have the chutzpah of the Jumbo Jet (mind you, nothing compares with my early long haul flights on the Britannia, 707 and VC10!)
 
I remember a flight to Chicago in 2008/2009... living in The Hague at the time it was cheaper to fly via London to O'hare than directly with Untied or KLM...

Business trip meant Club.. Being an air cadet meant I studies the seating plan before reserving my seat. People in the know that the emergency exit seats in the hump are the best as you don't disturb and don't get disturbed by your neighbour. I am already into my champagne when customer service manager in red hat came to talk to me - a recent experience of red hat was the image of Naomi Campbell being thrown off a BA flight in the papers days before - asking for me to swap seats. Why? Group of 4 want to sit together and I wasn't too pleased about wasting all that time scanning Seatguru for an inferior seat. Where do I go I ask? Seat 2A is being prepared for you Mr Jones. Here is my bag and I'll make my way when I finish my glass.

First in a BA Jumbo is odd but very nice, being forward of the nosewheel seems strange when taxiing. I have often enjoyed my selected seats in the hump, but sad that I won't get another chance.
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
I've never been on one but they look really impressive when seen from the runway...

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Been on Virgin to Cuba on a 747 in 2017 (in 2020 it was an ex-Air Berlin A330-200) very nice.

It's great looking down on those in 737s and A320s, they look like toys in comparison.
 
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