Boeing 747-400

Boeing 747-400
A Boeing 747-400 operated by British Airways, the largest 747 operator
Role	Wide-body jet airliner
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Boeing Commercial Airplanes
First flight	April 29, 1988
Introduction	February 9, 1989 with Northwest Airlines
Status	Out of production, in service
Primary users	British Airways Cathay Pacific Korean Air Lufthansa
Produced	Passenger versions: 1988-2007 Freighter versions: 1988-2009
Number built	Total: 694 747-400: 442 747-400M: 61 747-400D: 19 747-400ER: 6 747-400F: 126 747-400ERF: 40
Developed from	Boeing 747-300
Variants	Boeing YAL-1 Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter
Developed into	Boeing 747-8

The Boeing 747-400 is a four-engine widebody commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The -400 series is the best-selling model in the successful 747 family. Its most distinguishing feature from the other 747 models are its winglets, although the -400D does not feature any. With seatings for a maximum of 624 people, the 747-400 can fly non-stop for 7,670 nautical miles (14,200 km), depending on model.

The 747-400 is the second-most recent version of the Boeing 747 aircraft, to be superseded by the more economical and advanced Boeing 747-8. The last -400 model was delivered in December 2009.

Design and development

The 747-400 was announced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in October 1985. Compared to the 747-300 the 747-400 has 6 feet (1.8 m) wing tip extensions, 6 feet (1.8 m) winglets, and a glass cockpit, which dispensed with the need for a flight engineer. The 747-400 also improved on the 300 version with the addition of a fuel tank in the horizontal stabilizer, engines with improved fuel efficiency and higher thrust, an all-new interior, revised fuselage/wing fairings and newer in-flight entertainment. Like the 747-300, the passenger version of the 747-400 has the stretched upper deck (SUD) as a standard feature. The SUD is almost twice as long as the original 747 upper deck. The SUD was previously offered as a retrofit and first appeared on two Japanese 747-100 SR models. While the wingspan was increased, the overall weight of the wings was decreased due to the use of composites and aluminum alloys.

The modernized glass cockpit of the Boeing 747-400

The first 747-400 was rolled out in January 1988 and flew for the first time on April 29, 1988. Certification was received on January 10, 1989 with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines, May 18, 1989 with General Electric CF6-80C2s and June 8, 1989 with Rolls-Royce RB211-524Gs. The first 747-400 was delivered to launch customer Northwest Airlines on January 26, 1989, with service entry on February 9 with a flight from Minneapolis to Phoenix.

The extended range freighter (ERF) entered service in October 2002. The next month, the extended range (ER) passenger version entered service with Qantas, the only airline ever to order the passenger version of the 747-400ER. Qantas uses the aircraft on its Melbourne-Los Angeles and Sydney-San Francisco flights, which are too long to operate using a standard 747-400.

The Boeing Signature Interior was later made available on the 747-400, either as interior refitting on existing 747-400s or as a "fresh-from-installation" option on newer 747-400s and 747-400ERs. One example, China Airlines's four newest Boeing 747-400s (tail number B-1821x), also the last four passenger 747-400s built, were newly built with Boeing Signature Interior. One of these (B-18210) has a hybrid livery, with China Airlines' tail and Boeing's fuselage liveries.

In an effort to promote sustainable and alternative fuel development, as well as lower emissions, several airlines are studying the use of oil extracted from the jatropha plant. Air New Zealand carried out the first commercial flight using jatropha oil for fuel; the airline's 747-400 had one engine burning a mix of 50% jatropha oil and 50% jet fuel for two hours during the flight while engineers collected data. Continental Airlines tested jatropha oil in one of its airliners on January 7, 2009. Jatropha is easy to grow, needs little fertilizer or water, and produces an oil-rich plant.

Variants

747-400

Air India 747-400 Konark, the first 747-400 to enter the Air India fleet.

A Cargolux 747-400F

An All Nippon Airways 747-400, decorated with images of different Pokémon.

Boeing 747-400 in Boeing livery

The 747-400 is an improved version of the 747-300 with increased wingspan, winglets, revised engines and a glass cockpit that removed the need for a flight engineer. The 747-400 passenger version features a stretched upper deck (SUD) like the 747-300 as a standard feature. In 1989, a Qantas 747-400 flew non-stop from London to Sydney, a distance of 9,720 nmi (11,190 mi, 18,001 km) in 20 hours and 9 minutes, to set a commercial aircraft world distance record. This was a delivery flight with no commercial passengers or freight aboard.

Production of the 747-400 passenger version officially ceased on March 15, 2007. The last four -400s on order were cancelled by Philippine Airlines (which switched to the 777-300ER). The last to order the -400 was China Airlines in November 2002, with the last passenger 747-400 constructed in 2005 and delivered in April of that year. It was the 1358^th 747 (MSN33737/B-18215).

747-400F

The 747-400F (Freighter) is an all freight version which uses the fuselage design of the 747-200F. The aircraft's first flight was on May 4, 1993 and it entered service with Cargolux on November 17, 1993. Major customers include Atlas Air, Cargolux, China Airlines, Korean Air, Nippon Cargo Airlines, Polar Air Cargo, and Singapore Airlines. The -400F can be easily distinguished from the passenger -400 by its shorter upper-deck hump.

The 747-400F has a main deck nose door and a mechanized cargo handling system. The nose door swings up so that pallets or containers up to 40 ft (12 m) can be loaded straight in on motor-driven rollers. An optional main deck side cargo door (like the 747-400M (Combi) allows loading of dimensionally taller cargo modules.

Boeing has delivered 126 Boeing 747-400F aircraft with no unfilled orders as of November 2009. The last -400F was delivered to Nippon Cargo Airlines.

747-400M

The 747-400M (a passenger/freight or "Combi" variant) first flew on June 30, 1989 and entered service with KLM on September 12, 1989. The -400M has a large cargo door fitted to the rear of the fuselage. The last 747-400M was delivered to KLM on April 10, 2002.

747-400D

The 747-400D (Domestic) is a high density seating model developed for short-haul domestic Japanese flights. The aircraft is capable of seating a maximum of 568 passengers in a 2-class configuration or 660 passengers in a single-class configuration. The -400D lacks the wing tip extensions and winglets included on other variants. The benefits of winglets would be minimal on short routes. The -400D may be converted to the long range version when needed. The 747-400D is also unusual in having more windows on both sides of the upper deck than the basic -400 series. This allows for additional seating all the way down the upper deck, where a galley is situated on most international models.

The 747-400 Domestic first flew on March 18, 1991 and entered service with Japan Airlines on October 22, 1991. The last was delivered to All Nippon Airways in December 1995.

747-400ER

The 747-400ER (Extended Range) was launched on November 28, 2000 following an order by Qantas for six aircraft. This was ultimately the only order for the passenger version. The -400ER can fly an additional 500 miles (805 km) or carry 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) more freight. Qantas received the first -400ER on October 31, 2002.

The 747-400ER includes the option of one or two additional 3,240 US gallon body fuel tanks in the forward cargo hold. Manufactured by Marshall Aerospace, these tanks utilize innovative metal to metal honeycomb bonded technology to achieve a high dry weight to fuel volume ratio. Similar technology has been used in the development by Marshall of body fuel tanks for the 777-200LR and P-8A Poseidon MMA aircraft.

747-400ERF

The 747-400ERF (747-400ER Freighter) is the freight version of the -400ER, launched on April 30, 2001. The 747-400ERF is similar to the 747-400F, except for the increased gross weight capability which allows it to carry more cargo weight. Unlike the 747-400F, this airplane is not fitted with the cargo compartment fuel tanks.

The first -400ERF was delivered to Air France (via ILFC) on October 17, 2002. The 747-400ERF has a maximum takeoff weight of 910,000 pounds (412,769 kg) and a maximum payload of 248,600 pounds (112,760 kg). It offers the cargo airline the choice of either adding 22,000 pounds (9,980 kg) more payload than other 747-400 freighters, or adding 525 nautical miles (972 km) to the maximum range. It has a maximum range of 5,700 miles (9,200 km), about 326 miles (525 km) farther than other 747-400 freighters, and has a strengthened fuselage, landing gear and parts of its wing, along with new, larger tires.

Boeing has delivered 40 Boeing 747-400ERFs with no outstanding orders as of 2009. The last 747-400, a -400ERF was delivered on December 22, 2009. The new 747-8 Freighter will have more payload capacity but less range than the 747-400ERF.

747-400 converted freighters

B-HOU, the first Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF), landing in Frankfurt

The 747-400BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter), formerly known as the 747-400SF (Special Freighter), is a conversion program for standard passenger 747-400s. The project was launched in 2004 and will be done by approved contractors such as TAECO, KAL Aerospace and SIA Engineering. The first Boeing 747-400BCF was redelivered to Cathay Pacific Cargo and entered service on December 19, 2005.

The 747-400BDSF (Bedek Special Freighter) is another converted version freighter by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The first 747-400BDSF was redelivered to Air China Cargo.

747 Large Cargo Freighter

A 747 LCF Dreamlifter with its swing-tail cargo bay open

Main article: Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter

Boeing announced in October 2003 that because of the amount of time involved with marine shipping, air transport will be the primary method of transporting parts for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Pre-owned passenger 747-400 aircraft have been converted into an outsize, "Large Cargo Freighter" (LCF) configuration to ferry sub-assemblies to Everett, Washington for final assembly. The LCF has a bulging fuselage similar to that of the Super Guppy or Airbus Beluga cargo planes used for transporting wings and fuselage sections. The conversion, designed by Boeing engineers from Puget Sound, Moscow and Canoga Park, Cal., and Gamesa Aeronáutica in Spain, is carried out in Taiwan by a subsidiary of the Evergreen Group. Boeing has purchased four second-hand aircraft and converted all of them. The fourth and final making its first flight in January 2010.

Delivery times will be reduced from up to 30 days to as low as a day with the 747 LCF. The LCF can hold three times the volume of a 747-400F freighter. The LCF is not a Boeing production model and will not be sold to any customers or see any airliner operation. The LCFs are for Boeing's exclusive use.

Government, military and other variants

• C-33: Proposed U.S. military transport version of the 747-400, intended to augment the C-17 fleet. The C-33 cost less and had greater range, although it could not use austere runways or handle outsize military equipment and had a higher expected operating cost. The plan was canceled in favor of the purchase of additional C-17s.

• YAL-1: "Airborne Laser" carrier based on a 747-400F for the United States Air Force. The aircraft has been heavily modified to carry a nose mounted turret and Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) equipment.

Operators

Commercial airlines

Thai Airways International 747-400

Singapore Airlines 747-400 at London Heathrow Airport

Air New Zealand 747-400

British Airways Boeing 747-400 tailfins.

As of July 2010 a total of 664 Boeing 747-400 were in service with the commercial operators listed below:

Aerolíneas Argentinas AeroSur Air Atlanta Icelandic Air Cargo Germany Air China Air France Air India Air New Zealand Air Pacific AirBridge Cargo AlWafeer Air All Nippon Airways Asiana Airlines Atlas Air Blue Sky Airlines British Airways – largest operator Cargolux Cargolux Italia Cathay Pacific China Airlines China Airlines Cargo China Southern Airlines Corsairfly Delta Air Lines El Al EVA Air Evergreen International Airlines Garuda Indonesia Global Supply Systems Grandstar Cargo Great Wall Airlines

Jade Cargo International Japan Airlines Kalitta Air KLM Korean Air Kuwait Airways Lion Air Lufthansa Mahan Air Malaysia Airlines Martinair Nippon Cargo Airlines Orient Thai Airlines Philippine Airlines Polar Air Cargo Air Pullmantur Qantas Royal Air Maroc Saudi Arabian Airlines Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines Cargo SonAir South African Airways Thai Airways International TNT Airways Transaero United Airlines UPS Airlines Virgin Atlantic Airways World Airways Yangtze River Express

Other non-airline users

• Abu Dhabi Flight
• Bahrain Amiri Flight
• Dubai Air Wing
• Government of Brunei
• Government of Kuwait
• Government of Saudi Arabia
• Japan Air Self-Defense Force
• Kingdom Aircraft Leasing
• Republic of Korea Air Force
• Royal Flight of Oman
• United States Air Force

For former operators, see List of Boeing 747 operators.

Deliveries

Type	Total	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000	1999	1998	1997	1996	1995	1994	1993	1992	1991	1990	1989
747-400	442					2	3	6	5	19	9	34	43	30	18	16	32	42	47	48	54	34
747-400D	19															2	1	6	8	2
747-400ER	6							3	3
747-400ERF	40	6	6	8	6	2	5	4	3
747-400F	126	2	8	8	8	9	7	6	15	12	15	10	8	4	3	5	4	2
747-400M	61								1		1	3	2	5	5	2	3	6	6	12	8	7
Total	694	8	14	16	14	13	15	19	27	31	25	47	53	39	26	25	40	56	61	62	62	41

Specifications

Model	747-400	747-400ER	747-400F	747-400ERF
Cockpit crew	Two
Seating capacity or Cargo capacity	416 (3-class) or 524 (2-class) 624 (400D, 1-class)		Main deck: 30 pallets Lower deck: 32 LD-1 containers Max. payload: 248,300 lb (112,630 kg)	Main deck: 30 pallets Lower deck: 32 LD-1 containers Max. payload: 248,600 lb (112,760 kg)
Overall length	231 ft 10 in (70.6 m)
Wingspan	211 ft 5 in (64.4 m)
Wing area	6027.78 ft2 (560 m2)
Aspect ratio	7.4
Overall height	63 ft 8 in (19.4 m)
Operating empty weight (typical)	394,100 lb (178,800 kg)	406,900 lb (184,570 kg)	364,000 lb (165,107 kg)	362,400 lb (164,382 kg)
Maximum take-off weight	875,000 lb (396,890 kg)	910,000 lb (412,775 kg)	875,000 lb (396,890 kg)	910,000 lb (412,775 kg)
Cruising speed at 35,000 feet	Mach 0.85 (567 mph, 493 knots, 912 km/h)	Mach 0.855 (570 mph, 495 kn, 917 km/h)	Mach 0.845 (564 mph, 490 kn, 908 km/h)
Maximum speed at 35,000 ft	Mach 0.92 (614 mph, 533 kn, 988 km/h)
Takeoff field length (MTOW, SL, ISA)	(3,018 m)	(3,090 m)	(3,018 m)
Maximum range	7,260 nmi (13,450 km)	7,670 nmi (14,205 km)	4,445 nmi (8,230 km)	4,970 nmi (9,200 km)
Maximum fuel capacity	57,285 US gal (216,840 L)	63,705 US gal (241,140 L)	57,285 US gal (216,840 L)
Engine models (x 4)	PW 4062 GE CF6-80C2B5F RR RB211-524H	PW 4062 GE CF6-80C2B5F	PW 4062 GE CF6-80C2B5F RR RB211-524H	PW 4062 GE CF6-80C2B5F
Engine thrust (x 4)	63,300 lbf (282 kN) PW 62,100 lbf (276 kN) GE 59,500 lbf (265 kN) RR	63,300 lbf (282 kN) PW 62,100 lbf (276 kN) GE	63,300 lbf (282 kN) PW 62,100 lbf (276 kN) GE 59,500 lbf (265 kN) RR	63,300 lbf (282 kN) PW 62,100 lbf (276 kN) GE

Sources: 747-400 specifications, 747-400/-400ER airport report, Gilchrist

Incidents and accidents

See also: Boeing 747 hull losses

Notable accidents and incidents

• On November 4, 1993, China Airlines Flight 605, flying from Taipei to Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport, touched down more than 2,100 feet (640 m) past the runway's displaced threshold during 20 knot (gusting 38) crosswinds. Combined with the disengagement of auto brakes and retracted speed brakes, manual braking and thrust reversal were not enough to prevent the aircraft from sliding into Victoria Harbour. No one was seriously injured, but it was the first hull loss of a 747-400.
• On July 23, 1999, a man hijacked All Nippon Airways Flight 61, a 747-400D bound for New Chitose Airport near Sapporo, Hokkaidō from Tokyo International Airport (Haneda). The man killed the pilot. Other crew members restrained him, and the airliner landed safely.
• On September 23, 1999, Qantas Flight 1, flying from Sydney to London via Bangkok, touched down more than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) from the threshold during a storm with heavy rain. Conflicting pilot actions led to an overrun and resulted in aircraft damage. No fatalities were reported, with only minor injuries.
• On October 31, 2000, Singapore Airlines Flight 006, a 747-400 flying on a Singapore to Los Angeles via Taipei route rammed into construction equipment while attempting to take off from a closed runway at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, caught fire and was destroyed, killing 79 passengers and four crew members.
• On January 31, 2001, Japan Airlines Flight 907, a 747-400D bound for Naha International Airport from Tokyo International Airport, nearly collided with a Japan Airlines DC-10. The 747 pilot suddenly dived and narrowly avoided the oncoming airliner.
• On March 12, 2003, Singapore Airlines Flight SQ286, a 747-400 departing Auckland, New Zealand for Singapore suffered a serious tailstrike on take-off causing major damage to the tail section of the aircraft. The airplane returned safely with no fatalities reported.
• On July 25, 2008, Qantas Flight 30, a 747-400 bound for Melbourne Airport from Hong Kong International Airport, made an emergency landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines with a gaping hole in its lower fuselage forward of the starboard wing; the aircraft lost a fairing. No one was hurt. After ruling out terrorism, authorities focused on the possibility of an exploding oxygen bottle from the emergency oxygen supply system. This theory was confirmed as the cause in an interim report issued by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
• On January 21, 2010, Cargolux Flight 7933, 747-400 LX-OCV, struck a vehicle on landing at Luxembourg International Airport. The van suffered major damage and the aircraft sustained a damaged tire. Three investigations have been launched into the incident.
• On September 3, 2010, UPS Airlines Flight 6 from Dubai International Airport to Cologne Bonn Airport, a 747-400 with two crew members on board crashed roughly 25 minutes after departure. The crew declared an emergency, apparently due to an in-flight fire, and after abandoning one attempt at landing were unable to see their instruments. The aircraft impacted with the ground at high speed, killing both crew members.
• On 28 July 2011, Asiana Airlines Flight 991, a Boeing 747-400F flying from Incheon Airport to Shanghai Pudong Airport, crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Jeju Island, South Korea, after reportedly suffering mechanical problems. Two crew members on board were killed.

See also

• Competition between Airbus and Boeing

Related development

• Boeing YAL-1
• Boeing 747-8

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Airbus A380

Related lists

• List of civil aircraft
• List of Boeing 747 operators

External links

External image
Boeing 747-400 cutaway
Boeing 747-400 cutaway from Flightglobal.com

• 747-400 page on Boeing.com
• 747-400 page on Airliners.net
• Boeing 747 cargo specifications