Boeing 747

Boeing 747-8F

Description: The Boeing 747 is a huge, short and long range, high capacity airliner intended primarily for intercontinental flights. This aircraft is capable of flying at Mach 0.85 carrying around 500 passengers. The first model, 747-100 ordered by Pan Am, entered service in 1970 with a take-off weight of 340-ton. Along with the -100 model, the 747-100B, -100SR for short range/high-capacity flights and -100SF freighter were introduced in 1970.

The Boeing 747-8 family of aircraft program was officially launched by Boeing on 14 November 2005. The aircraft family includes to versions the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger airplane and the 747-8 Freighter airplane also known as the 747-8F. The new aircraft will feature technologies taken from Boeing 787 Dreamliner program which is due in 2008. Among those technologies to be inserted into the 747-8 program highlights low emissions, fuel-efficient GEnx engine provided by General Electric. Besides the 747-8 will offer lower trip costs, lower noise emissions, an upgraded flight deck and an improved wing.

The 747-8 Freighter will be 5.6 m (18.3 ft) longer than the 747-400 freighter. With a total payload capacity of 140 metric tonnes (154 tons), including tare weight, the 747-8F provides 16 percent more cargo revenue volume than the 747-400F. The additional 117m3 (4,124 ft3) from the longer fuselage offers space for four additional main-deck pallets, two additional lower-hold pallets and two additional lower-hold containers. Cargo can be loaded and unloaded on the 747-8F using both the nose and side doors for maximum speed and efficiency.

According to Boeing, compared to the A380, the 747-8F will offer 20 percent lower trip costs. In addition, the 747-8F will maintain the operational flexibility of today's 747 freighters, with good profit potential at less-than-full loads. Both models, 747-8F and 747-400F, accommodate 3.1-meter (10-foot) high pallets, providing operators with maximum flexibility.

Boeing 747-8F Freighter airplane is expected to enter into service in the third quarter of 2009. The launch customers for the Freighter aircraft are Luxembourg-based CargoLux with 10 firm order aircraft plus another 10 as option and Japanese carrier Nippon Cargo Airlines which agreed on 8 firm orders and took options on six additional airplanes. CargoLux would take delivery of its first 747-8F in the third quarter of 2009 and Nippon Cargo Airlines in the fourth quarter. The 18 firm order 747-8Fs were valued at $5 billion.

The 747-8 family of aircraft development is due to a Boeing forecast which states that world aviation will need about 900 A380/B747 high capacity airplanes before 2025.

On 18 July 2006, Boeing and Emirates signed a purchase agreement for 10 747-8 freighters worth $2.8 billion to be operated by Emirates SkyCargo. In parallel, Emirates also signed the engine contract with General Electric for 45 GenX engines valued at $600 million. The contract was signed at the Farnborough Air Show in England and was finalized October 9, 2006, in Dubai, UAE. The engine deal also included a 10-year $300 million OnPointSM Solutions maintenance and overhaul of Genx engines agreement. Aircraft deliveries were expected to start in 2010.

On 12 September 2006, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings placed an order for 12 GEnx-powered Boeing 747-8 freighters valued at about $3.4 billion thus becoming the launch for the airplane in North America. The engine deal with General Electric was valued at more than $700 million. Aircraft deliveries were expected to begin in 2010.

On 17 October 2006, Guggenheim Aviation Partners, LLC ordered four Boeing 747-8 Freighters with an option to order an additional two airplanes. The order was valued at $1.12 billion with deliveries starting in 2009. The engine contract for General Electric's Genx was valued at $175 million.

Specifications
Weights: Payload 154,000 kg (339,506 lb)

Engine/s Performance: Thrust 266,000 lb (120,658 kg)

Other: Number of Engines 4

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China / 10

Aircraft ordered by Cathay Pacific Airways (10)

Japan / 8

Aircraft ordered by Nippon Cargo Airlines (8)

Luxembourg / 13

Aircraft ordered by Cargolux (13)

Russia / 5

Aircraft ordered by Volga-Dnepr Group (5) to be operated by Air Bridge Cargo subsidiary;

South Korea / 5

Ordered by Korean Air (5) November 2006.

United Arab Emirates / 15

Ordered by Emirates (10); DAE Capital (5)

United States of America / 16

Ordered by Atlas Air (12); and Guggenheim Aviation Partners (4).