Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental roll-out

Seattle will see the first roll-out of the all new passenger Boeing 747 Intercontinental next Saturday (14 February).  It is the first major development of the ubiquitous 747 since the -400 series made its maiden flight in 1988.  The 747 itself dates from 1969.  Whilst also available in a successful cargo configuration (Boeing 747-8 Freighter) the Intercontinental has to date sold in small numbers with Lufthansa taking 20, Korean Air 5, and eight earmarked for use as private jets.  Orders for the parallel cargo aircraft stand at 74.

Compared with previous 747s the Dash 8 series has a lengthened fuselage, redesigned wings, and new engines.  A completely rehashed interior incorporates many of the features initially designed for the 787. 

The new aircraft will be capable of carrying up to 467 passengers in a three-class configuration over 8,000nm (15,000km) at a fast Mach 0.855.  Two extra freight pallet positions are offered with 26% more cargo volume than the 747-400.  Boeing has stated that compared to the 747-400, the Dash 8 will be 30% quieter, 16% more fuel-efficient, and have 13% lower seat-mile costs with nearly the same cost per trip. www.boeing.com/commercial

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