Before the European giant A-380 appeared on the market, the largest aircraft in the world was the Boeing 747, whose cabin capacity, or rather, 2 passenger decks, was more than 500 people. Like other aircraft of the company, this liner has undergone several modifications, but its main differences have not changed. The aircraft contained 2 decks, original nose, 4 engines, and the largest passenger capacity.
The plane became the first wide-body airliner, which was planned only for cargo transportation. It began to be developed a year after the launch of the 737 version, as a result of which a fundamentally new aircraft did not work out. However, this was not required. The whole world followed the development of supersonic airliners, so the Boeing 747 had every chance of remaining a cargo plane. Especially for the cargo version, the cockpit was located on the second floor. It was originally planned to leave the second deck for passengers, while the first floor was given entirely to the cargo compartment. The aircraft also received four engines for greatercapacity.
First flights
Despite financial difficulties, the first wide-body airliner took to the air in 1970. Since the liner was a passenger liner, the upper deck became a service one, and all passengers were accommodated according to the principle usual for other aircraft. The capacity of the first Boeing 747 was only 200 people, but when compared with the 737 model, released in the same year and taking on board 100 people, the difference is twofold.
Active interest in the new airliner significantly crippled the positions of "concords" - supersonic European aircraft: many carriers revised their orders and shares of "Boeing 747" began to grow rapidly. On the basis of the first aircraft, the production of several modifications began. The first of these was developed for a Japanese carrier, while the order was for short-range aircraft. The response to the order of the Japanese was the modification 747-100SR. This version received an improved fuselage, smaller tanks, which significantly increased the capacity of the aircraft. The Boeing 747-100SR was able to take on board 500 and then 550 people. Later, the development of 747-300 will receive the same modification - a short-range aircraft.
Other modifications
Despite growing orders for passenger versions, Boeing has not abandoned its original plans to produce cargo planes. So the following modifications appeared: F - cargo version, M - combi, having the ability to take fewer passengers, but more luggage, B -improved chassis (for the first versions) and tanks (later). In addition, on the basis of 747-200, two classic "side number 1" was assembled to transport the US president.
Modification 200 served as a prototype for the next generation - 300s, the only difference of which was to be the presence of three engines instead of the standard four. But this decision was not continued - the Boeing 747-300 became a completely new airliner.
Boeing 747-300
One of the features of the new aircraft was a direct staircase to the second floor (previously a spiral was used), an enlarged upper deck, designed for an economy or business class, and at the same time the ability to vary the number of seats. Boeing 747-300 capacity ranges from 400 (three-class operation) to 600 when only one class of service is used.
The first Boeing 300 took off in 1980 and quickly became one of the most used. Until 2005 (the first takeoff of the A-380), this modification was considered the best model of a long-range main airliner, but it also showed significant shortcomings.
Operational problems
Simultaneously with the increase in the number of passengers, problems in operation began. The largest Boeing 747, whose capacity was growing rapidly, no longer corresponded to the parameters of airports. In addition, four engines versus three on competitor aircraft such as the DC-10 implied high fuel consumption. And with the onset of the crisis of 1970, many companies refused to work with the 747thmodel due to its unprofitability. If we recall that around the same time, the Boeing 767 and Airbus-300 (both with two engines) entered the market, almost immediately capturing the wide-body aircraft market, the 747th began to lose ground. And although the capacity of the Boeing 747 aircraft was still one of the largest, airlines began to first convert this version into a cargo version, and then simply sell it.
Long-haul aircraft
And, perhaps, another plane would have gone down in history, but it was the growth in the number of passengers that allowed Boeing 747 class aircraft to remain in service. The passenger capacity of this liner satisfied the demanding Great Britain and Japan, not to mention the fact that such an aircraft can be used on long-distance transcontinental flights or on busy lines.
The future of the 747
With the development of aviation, many carriers needed the possibility of long flights without refueling, in connection with which the developers again took up the Boeing 747. The passenger capacity in the new versions reached 800 people. The flight range met the standards of the previously released model 747-400. But very soon the projects of aircraft 747-500 and 747-600 went into the archive. The carriers wanted a new aircraft, not an upgrade of the old one. Nevertheless, the developers did not forget about the 747th: they finalized it, closed it, refined it again. This continued until 2005. Finally, after the release of the Boeing 787, the corporation announced the return of the 747 model. The new car is codenamed "Boeing747-8", or Advanced.
Carriers, remembering the dubious success of the first versions of the 747, first ordered 109 cars - a third of them in passenger design. The rest were required in the cargo version. A total of 121 vehicles have been sold to date. The capacity of the Boeing 747-8 did not stun - 581 people when using 2 classes of service. When using three travel classes (with the addition of the first class), the number of seats is reduced to approximately 400.
Best places
The article shows a typical layout of three classes in a Lufthansa aircraft (Germany). The liner has several first class seats - on the ground floor under the cockpits, 80 seats in business class and almost 300 seats in economy class. The total capacity of the Boeing 747-8 in this arrangement is 386 seats.
There were no complaints about the first class - there is a lot of free space for passengers, they can comfortably accommodate, while each seat is behind its own screen. Next are the front exits, buffets and restrooms. The first row seats in the business class, although spacious, but rest against a partition, behind which there are toilets and a kitchen, which can create some inconvenience. Armchairs 9C and 9H are located in close proximity to the aisle and toilet rooms. Similar inconveniences can be expected by passengers of the 81st and 88th rows (second floor, first and last rows). Passengers in the tenth row will have to look at the partition for the entire flightin front of you, which, of course, is quite uncomfortable. Business class is seated 6 people abreast, with two aisles separating them.
Economy class starts from rows 16 and 18. The sixteenth row has only 6 seats. Given that there are no passengers in front of them, there is enough free space for the inhabitants of this row and they do not risk finding themselves in the trap created by the reclined seat in front of the person sitting in front. The same applies to the middle section in the 18th row. The twentieth row is located next to the emergency exit - this explains the lack of windows. Passengers in the middle section in this row do not have the opportunity to take a horizontal position, since there is a wall of toilets at the back. The 21st-22nd rows repeat the arrangement of rows No. 16-18, except that in the 21st row there are only four places that are not fenced off from the rest. There is also enough legroom, the only drawback is that there are emergency exits nearby. The middle section, namely the 32nd and 33rd rows, has rear walls, so you won’t be able to relax and lie down. All seats in the 34th row have a partition in front of them, which may cause little space. The 45th-47th rows are at the tail of the aircraft, so it can be crowded there. The 49th row can be called the most unfortunate, since the shortcomings that were mentioned earlier are fully present in this sector.
Conclusion
The capacity of the Boeing 747 has been upgraded from version to version, but, according to carriers and direct users of this aircraft, although it requires a lot of fuel, ittranscontinental flights justifies itself. British Airways, which bought the largest Boeing 747 during the American crisis, with a capacity of up to 500 people, can serve as a serious confirmation. The number of cars of this class in the company's fleet today is 57 units.
