Boeing 747 is one of the most iconic aircraft in the world. One can immediately spot a 747 by its iconic HUMP. But the how does 747 got its iconic hump [Upper Deck]?
Designers didn’t intend to build a passenger aircraft
The designer of Boeing 747, Joe Sutter, was working on a project for U.S. Airforce. U.S. Airforce wanted a cargo aircraft that can carry large containers. Challenge for Sutter was that the containers are about 8 feet tall and 20 feet long. This means the cargo compartment needs be taller than 8 feet.
Another challenge for the designers was to make nose that can lift up when cargo was being loaded. This means the crew cannot be present inside the cabin when cargo is being loaded. This led to shifting the cockpit above the nose and to make it aerodynamic they had to extend It a little. This extra space is the being utilised for air-conditioning equipment’s, which created more space for cargo.
Why was it Converted to a Passenger Aircraft?
Boeing lost the contract by U.S. Airforce, for which the aircraft was originally designed, to Lockheed C 5 Galaxy. Now Boeing and Joe Sutter had an aircraft design which no one wanted in aviation industry because airline operators were very optimistic about supersonic aircraft. They thought that in few years sky was ruled by supersonic jets and no one needs a large and slow aircraft.
Photo credit : – Jetphotos.com
Things change for Boeing when the CEO of PANAM, Juan Trippe, saw Boeing 747 and immediately saw an opportunity. Trippe places the order for 747 and demanded that the air-conditioning units sifts to the bottom of the aircraft and the space behind the cockpit is made for first class passengers. This move from Trippe give rise to competition and many other operators also placed orders for 747.
Conclusion
The PANAM came as the saviour of 747 and made its first flight on 22nd January 1970.
This was the story behind the making of Boeing 747 and its iconic Hump. Comment and share this post if you liked it and please share your Ideas for our future post.
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