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The Boeing 747 begins its final descent

theatlantic.com

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Re: The Boeing 747 begins its final descent

#131
post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know, having more color doesn't seem that much more expensive? I guess the fabrics are expensive and stain relatively easily, but if public transport can keep them clean so can airlines IMO. Some fabric seats are over 3 decades old and they're still in a really good shape.

Public transport can’t keep them clean. BART famously had disgusting carpets until the 2010s.

If a poor second world country can have clean seats on public transport surely...

Re: The Boeing 747 begins its final descent

#132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know, having more color doesn't seem that much more expensive? I guess the fabrics are expensive and stain relatively easily, but if public transport can keep them clean so can airlines IMO. Some fabric seats are over 3 decades old and they're still in a really good shape.

Maybe it looks better because there are only 9 seats in an aisle in the picture compared to standard 10 nowadays?

10?! That's news to me. I had to fly american airlines and there was still 9.. oh it has been more than half a decade.

Re: The Boeing 747 begins its final descent

#133
post #16

1969 was truly the pinnacle of US aerospace industry - Concord, Boeing 747 and Apollo 11 all happened during this year.

The Concorde wasn't made in the US. It was a UK/France partnership.

The US was still very much involved in its development and testing, so I think we can still chalk it up as a win for multi-country collaboration, eh :3

Re: The Boeing 747 begins its final descent

#134

It’s such a beautiful plane. Despite having worked for Airbus, the 747 triggers emotions for me that the A380 simply doesn’t. It represents an era of aerospace engineering that will not come back (in many cases probably for the better - but still!)

It was the last aircraft designed using a slide rule and conventional drafting --- the conventional wisdom is that if one printed up a compleat set of blueprints and loaded it on the plane it would be too heavy to take off, though of course, the anticipation was that it would soon be replaced by supersonic passenger aircraft, so it was designed to be easily converted to cargo.

Amazing aircraft, well-deserving of the "Queen of the Skies" moniker, I can still vividly remember going up to the upper deck and cockpit and the view out of the front/side windows.

Re: The Boeing 747 begins its final descent

#135
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering who the current face of the country is and how we are acting on the world stage, it’s the least they can do.

How is this kind of ritual flagellation supposed to mitigate Trump though?

Ironically, it's this ritual self-flagellation that helped elect Trump.

Normies lost faith in the media partly because they were seen as not really loving America. And if you don't trust the media, then it's a lot easier to believe Trump's lies.

Re: The Boeing 747 begins its final descent

#136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it is much nicer than the 737/A320 class. Just thinking of the curve of a 737 makes my neck knot up. Bigger planes like the 747/757/767/777 are much more comfortable as well as modern planes like the A220/E195. 737 class planes are so ubiquitous that many passengers have no idea another experience is possible.

I’ve flown on a wide variety of planes, and never found any difference in comfort from the plane itself. It’s all about the seats.

The 737 is noticeably louder than other planes on the ground and in the passenger cabin and especially for the pilot. 787/A350 and the A220 have a higher cabin pressure and better air quality that helps you feel better. It could be that most of my wide body experience was going over the Atlantic on 747s in the 1990s and a few times circa 2012 flying 767s on the JFK-LAX route which felt luxurious. As I see it, I’d rather fly coach on a better plane than “first” on a worse plane. (e.g. first on a 737 is like business on a widebody, in an A380 first-class is crazy over the top) 737 first still has your ears ringing, under-oxygenated, feeling cramped inside a small cylinder, etc. Luggage bins are nicer on a big plane too.

Re: The Boeing 747 begins its final descent

#137

It’s such a beautiful plane. Despite having worked for Airbus, the 747 triggers emotions for me that the A380 simply doesn’t. It represents an era of aerospace engineering that will not come back (in many cases probably for the better - but still!)

Flew one from Chicago to Tokyo quite a few years back, what a great flight that was!

Re: The Boeing 747 begins its final descent

#138
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Today’s airliners cruise slower than a 747.

But they do so much more efficiently, and the speed difference is minimal (Boeing 747-8 cruises at 706 mph, 787 Dreamliner at 690 mph).

There’s nothing sexy about incremental efficiency advances.

Re: The Boeing 747 begins its final descent

#139

Anyone interested should read Joe Sutter's book, 747. Sutter was the lead engineer for the development of the 747 and he has some awesome stories. One interesting story is that Juan Trippe (CEO of PanAm) wanted Boeing to create a double-decker airplane. He was enamored with the idea of "ocean liners" cruising the sky. But Sutter (and other engineers) knew that it would be impossible to create what he wanted, so inste…

I hated the top deck when flying east from NY to London. The rising sun poured in every time a crew member opened the cockpit door, waking me up. Best seat for me was the single one in the lower deck at the very nose of the aircraft. The 747 was a great aircraft to fly in though. The tower of power effect on take-off really reassured you that you were going to get where you were going.

What do you mean by this tower of power effect? Was it just that the 747 had a more powerful take-off or something due to 4 engines?

Re: The Boeing 747 begins its final descent

#140

Anyone interested should read Joe Sutter's book, 747. Sutter was the lead engineer for the development of the 747 and he has some awesome stories. One interesting story is that Juan Trippe (CEO of PanAm) wanted Boeing to create a double-decker airplane. He was enamored with the idea of "ocean liners" cruising the sky. But Sutter (and other engineers) knew that it would be impossible to create what he wanted, so inste…

The upper deck was really intended as a first class lounge and I think I was up there once. But obviously wasn't very economical and got turned into business class seating once that came in.
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