The Boeing 747, easily recognizable due to its humpback fuselage, is actually a by-product of the military development of the 70s. At that time, the US government needed a heavy-duty transport aircraft for which a tender was announced. Boeing did not receive a military order, but considered that a large civil transport aircraft would be in demand on the air transportation market.
So there were developments of the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, which was twice the size of the largest aircraft of the time. Each aircraft of this design then cost about $ 16.8 million (1966), so the company needed a large customer, which was Pan American. She ordered 25 aircraft of this design for a total of $ 525 million.
In 1969, the Boeing 747-100 was first presented at the Paris Air Show, and in the first six months of 1970, Pan American carried the first million passengers on the London - New York route through these aircraft.
Since then, Boeing has produced various aircraft, the passenger options of which are very diverse. First, the 747-100V model was created, which has a larger take-off mass. Then, for Japanese users, the 747SR was released, which was intended for short flights and volumetric passenger traffic. For long-haul flights, the Boeing 747 SP was intended. It should be noted that the original model 747-100 has undergone modifications for the Civil Reserve - in 19 aircraft of this series, transformations have been carried out to turn a passenger plane into a transporter in two days.
Today, such aircraft as the 747-200 fly over various countries and continents, which can carry about 450 passengers at a time up to 12.7 thousand km, rising to a maximum altitude of 13.7 km. You can also note its option - the Boeing 747-300 with an elongated upper cabin for passengers, which can accommodate a maximum of 660 people.
Boeing 747 transport ships are involved in both civilian and military passenger traffic. In 1990-1991, these stamps were involved in the transfer of American troops to Iraq (about 640 thousand soldiers were transported). At the Boeing and Lockheed production facilities, the Yal-1A model was developed, which carries a combat laser on board to destroy enemy missiles. A variation of 747-100 - 747-123 is also known, which carries a space shuttle on its "back" (thirteen flights were made with the Enterprise shuttle).
The disadvantages of aircraft of this series include the fact that in the early years of their flights, airports could not cope with passenger traffic, while unloading from receiving a large number of aircraft. For example, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport hardly “processed” passengers arriving at 2-3 Boeing, because their total number was 700-1000 people in a short period of time.
In addition, the crash of such vehicles is fraught with a large number of victims. In 1996, two passenger ships collided in India - 747 and Il-76. This accident claimed the lives of more than 350 people. And in the collision of two 747 (206V and 121) in 1977, about 580 passengers died.