Boeing is recognizing the passing of
a major milestone with the design program of the 747-8
Intercontinental -- the completion of 25 percent of the design
releases for the new passenger airplane. This means a quarter of
the information needed to build parts and tools for assembly has
been completed and released for fabrication or procurement. "We
have made tremendous progress on the design engineering," said Mo
Yahyavi, vice president and general manager for the 747 Program.
"The engineering is proceeding as planned and we are a step closer
to bringing the 747-8 Intercontinental to market."
Since much of the design is the same as the 747-8 Freighter,
which Boeing is building first, the engineering focus is on work
that is unique to the 747-8 Intercontinental, comprising mostly
fuselage and interior design. The most obvious difference is that
the 747-8 Intercontinental fuselage will boast an extended upper
deck.
On the interior, the airplane will incorporate features from the
787 Dreamliner, including a new curved, upswept architecture that
will give passengers a greater sense of space and comfort, while
adding more room for personal belongings. The architecture will be
accentuated by lighting technology that provides smooth transitions
for a more restful flight.
"The 747 family has been a favorite among passengers," said
Michael Teal, 747-8 chief project engineer. "The 747-8
Intercontinental will build on the memorable experiences they've
had on a 747. The moment passengers step aboard a 747-8
Intercontinental, they will know it's a brand new airplane and
enjoy a more relaxing flying experience."
As for the airplane's performance, the 747-8 will be stretched
18.3 feet (5.6 meters) from the 747-400 to provide 467 seats in a
three-class configuration and a range of approximately 8,000
nautical miles (14,815 kilometers). It will deliver nearly
equivalent trip costs to those of the 747-400 and 13 percent lower
seat-mile costs, plus 26 percent greater cargo volume. The 747-8
Intercontinental also will be 16 percent more fuel efficient and
create a 30 percent smaller noise footprint than its
predecessor.
"The 747-8 Intercontinental will be a great airplane for our
customers," said Yahyavi. "Our team is focused on completing the
remaining detailed design needed to deliver the airplane in late
2011."
The 747-8, which includes the 747-8 Intercontinental and the
747-8 Freighter, was launched in November 2005 by Cargolux Airlines
and Nippon Cargo Airlines. Lufthansa was the first airline to order
the 747-8 Intercontinental in December 2006.