Boeing 747 Advanced

Boeing Commercial Airplanes is working with airlines to create a new, enlarged version of the 747–400 which will use same engine and cockpit technology as the 787. The new 747 will be quieter, more economical and environmentally friendly. It will be capable of carrying up to 500 passengers in a 3-class configuration and fly over 8,000-nautical-miles (14,816 km) at .86 Mach.

The 747 Advanced is intended primarily as Boeing's response to the Airbus A380, and the company is hoping to woo traditional 747 customers who cannot justify the added size and expense of the superjumbo. But the order book for the existing passenger 747–400 has dried up completely – none have been ordered since 2002 and many loyal 747 customers have indeed already switched to the A380. Therefore it is widely recognised that this attempt to reinvigorate interest in the 35-year old Jumbo will be very much "make-or-break" for its future – should the Advanced fail to elicit any interest from airlines, then the 747 production line could close by the end of 2006.

Specification Changes

The 747 Advanced will be stretched 3.6m compared to the baseline 747–400, allowing it to carry 34 more passengers and 2 more freight pallets, while the range will be extended by 1,370 km, allowing city pairs such as Frankfurt – Buenos Aires, Hong Kong – New York or Sydney – Dallas.

The engines will be the same as used on the 787, however will likely be adapted to feature bleed air so as to keep the development cost of the aircraft itself down. Some use of composites will be made so as to keep the aircraft lighter, however structural changes will mostly be evolutionary with respect to the 747–400, and not revolutionary. The wing will likely be the same as the current 747–400 (previous design studies of 747s with new wings have proven costly, and no customer interest has been shown), with the addition of raked wingtips such as those found on the 767–400 or the 777–300ER.

Interior Changes

For the 747 Advanced, Boeing has proposed some changes to the interior layout of the aircraft. Most noticeable will be the stairway to the upper deck. On present 747–300 and -400 models, the stairway is straight, narrow, and runs from the galley area located at door 2 (the second door from the front of the aircraft), to the back of the upper deck, on the left hand side. The Advanced model proposes a sweeping curved stairway which will open onto the door 2 entry lobby, and rise up to the right hand side of the back of the upper deck. The window line will be extended to where the stairway reaches the upper deck, and a further set of windows may be placed overhead.

Further down the aircraft, it has been proposed to put 'SkySuites' in the crown area (the space above the passenger cabin, currently used for airconditioning ducts and wiring). The wiring and ducts will be moved to the side to create space for these facilities — consequently they will not have windows. The SkySuites will be small individual compartments with sliding doors or curtains, and which may feature beds, seating, and entertainment or business equipment. A common lounge area would also likely be provided. Boeing has also proposed smaller, more modest SkyBunks. Access to the crown area would be via a separate stairway at the rear of the aircraft. Passengers using the SkySuites, which will be sold at a premium price, will sit in regular economy class seats for take off and landing, and move to the crown area during flight.

It is not known how many other 787 interior features, such as the larger windows and futuristic cabin architecture, will be used on the 747 Advanced.

Freight Model

The 747 has proven to be a very popular freighter, and Boeing is planning a freight variant of the 747 Advanced, which may even be the initial model launched. The freight version would be stretched a further 5.1 m on the passenger model, with a 422 tonne maximum takeoff weight, which would allow it to carry 130 tonnes of cargo over 8,260 km. Four extra pallet spaces would be created on the main deck, while the lower deck would be able to hold 2 extra containers and 2 extra pallets.

External links

• Boeing.com
• Boeing 747 Family
• Boeing Commercial Airplanes
• Flug Revue Article on 747 Advanced (September 2004)