Boeing 747-8 test-flight successful

The Boeing 747-8, the first test-flight of which had been put off twice, is the biggest commercial jet that Boeing Company, the second largest aircraft maker, has so far built.

The first test-flight of the freighter version of the Boeing 747-8 follows the successful test-flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet in December 2009.

The company said the Boeing 747-8 completed a three-and-a-half-hour flight around the Puget Sound area, after taking off from an airfield north of Seattle, Washington, the United States, “without any hitches.”

After the test-flight, pilot Mark Feuerstein said it was “a real privilege” to be at the controls of “this great airplane on its maiden flight.” The Boeing 747-8, Mark Feuerstein added, performed as expected and “handled just like a Boeing 747-400.”

During the test-flight, the basic handling qualities as well as the engine performance of the 747-8 were tested, and the plane attained a cruising altitude of 17,000 feet and a speed of around 426 kilometres/ hour.

The high-capacity, wide-bodied Boeing 747-8 commercial plane is powered by 4 GEnx-2B engines made by General Electric.

According to the company, the freighter version of the Boeing 747-8 has a range of 8,275 kilometres and has 16% more cargo volume than the Boeing 747-400. The total payload capacity of the 747-8 is around 134, 000 kilograms.

Boeing Company, based in Chicago, the United States, had twice put off the first test-flight of the 747-8 in 2009. The first delivery of the Boeing 747-8 has been scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2010.

The wide-body Boeing 747-8, with a length of 253 feet, is the longest commercial plane ever built by the Boeing Company.

The Boeing 747-8 Freighter is about 18 feet (5.5 metres) longer than the 747-400.

According to reports, the 747-8 has borrowed technology from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with a view to reducing operating costs, even though the 747-8 is not as much innovative and fuel-efficient as the Dreamliner, which uses carbon-composite materials.

In a statement, the 40-year-old Boeing Company said it has 108 orders on its books for the 747-8 aircraft – 76 orders for the cargo freighter model, and 32 orders for the passenger model. The list prices ranges from $293 million to $308 million.

The Boeing 747 family of planes has been in service since 1969, and the 747 is Boeing Company’s biggest and “most recognisable” commercial aircraft.

According to the company, the 747-8 has new engine, re-designed wings to improve efficiency, as well as higher fuel efficiency and lower operating costs than the Airbus A380 Superjumbo, the closest competitor of the Boeing 747-8.

The freighter model of the Boeing 747-8, the company claims, can carry 16% more cargo than the earlier 747 model, and the intercontinental passenger model of the 747-8 can carry 51 more passengers than the Boeing 747.

commented out, original code, new code with adsense below -->

Making a landmark in the history of the legendary 747 Jumbo family, a freighter version of Boeing Company’s 747-8 jet has successfully made its first test-flight.

The Boeing 747-8, the first test-flight of which had been put off twice, is the biggest commercial jet that Boeing Company, the second largest aircraft maker, has so far built.

The first test-flight of the freighter version of the Boeing 747-8 follows the successful test-flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet in December 2009.

The company said the Boeing 747-8 completed a three-and-a-half-hour flight around the Puget Sound area, after taking off from an airfield north of Seattle, Washington, the United States, “without any hitches.”

After the test-flight, pilot Mark Feuerstein said it was “a real privilege” to be at the controls of “this great airplane on its maiden flight.” The Boeing 747-8, Mark Feuerstein added, performed as expected and “handled just like a Boeing 747-400.”

During the test-flight, the basic handling qualities as well as the engine performance of the 747-8 were tested, and the plane attained a cruising altitude of 17,000 feet and a speed of around 426 kilometres/ hour.

The high-capacity, wide-bodied Boeing 747-8 commercial plane is powered by 4 GEnx-2B engines made by General Electric.

According to the company, the freighter version of the Boeing 747-8 has a range of 8,275 kilometres and has 16% more cargo volume than the Boeing 747-400. The total payload capacity of the 747-8 is around 134, 000 kilograms.

Boeing Company, based in Chicago, the United States, had twice put off the first test-flight of the 747-8 in 2009. The first delivery of the Boeing 747-8 has been scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2010.

The wide-body Boeing 747-8, with a length of 253 feet, is the longest commercial plane ever built by the Boeing Company.

The Boeing 747-8 Freighter is about 18 feet (5.5 metres) longer than the 747-400.

According to reports, the 747-8 has borrowed technology from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner with a view to reducing operating costs, even though the 747-8 is not as much innovative and fuel-efficient as the Dreamliner, which uses carbon-composite materials.

In a statement, the 40-year-old Boeing Company said it has 108 orders on its books for the 747-8 aircraft – 76 orders for the cargo freighter model, and 32 orders for the passenger model. The list prices ranges from $293 million to $308 million.

The Boeing 747 family of planes has been in service since 1969, and the 747 is Boeing Company’s biggest and “most recognisable” commercial aircraft.

According to the company, the 747-8 has new engine, re-designed wings to improve efficiency, as well as higher fuel efficiency and lower operating costs than the Airbus A380 Superjumbo, the closest competitor of the Boeing 747-8.

The freighter model of the Boeing 747-8, the company claims, can carry 16% more cargo than the earlier 747 model, and the intercontinental passenger model of the 747-8 can carry 51 more passengers than the Boeing 747.