

The advancement in jet engine technology and aircraft design in general made it possible to have a supersonic jet airliner.Īs a result, Boeing designed the aircraft to have two purposes. During the 1960’s, air travel truly took off. The time period also had a large impact on its design. Juan Trippe and Pan Am had a lot of influence on the design, and had orders for the aircraft during its testing and design phases. This aircraft was intended to be used on Pan Am’s highest volume routes. However, this aircraft needed to be both wider, longer and carry more people than either the 707 or DC-8 ever could. He wanted an aircraft that could replace the ageing DC-8s and 707s. In 1964, Juan Trippe, then-President of Pan Am Airways approached Boeing with a request. However, this was not the end of the design that Boeing had designed… In 1963, the US military needed a large aircraft that could transport large freight, such as helicopters, tanks and cars.īoeing submitted a design to the US military, however, the design ultimately went to Lockheed, and the C-5 Galaxy. The 747, as with many aircraft, has its origins in a military cargo aircraft. 747 vs 787: The Basicsīefore we can decide which is the better aircraft between the 747 and 787, we must first some background information about each aircraft. In business, two-two-two is most common, as is one-one-one in first. On the 747, the most common configuration is the three-four-three configuration in economy. In business, one-two-one is most common as is one-one-one in first class. On the 787, the most common configurations are either two-three-three or three-three-three in economy. In business, a two-two-two configuration is used, as is a one-one-one in first. Most commonly on wide bodies, the aircraft utilizes either a three-three-three configuration in economy, or a three-four-three configuration. As such, wide bodies have two walkways and are used on high volume routes, including London to New York. When used in a passenger configuration, wide bodies tend to have three rows of seats, as standard from the manufacturer. Most commonly, these aircraft work as long haul passenger aircraft and/or cargo aircraft.

However, some people may not know what exactly a wide body is.Ī wide body is an aircraft who’s fuselage (aircraft body) is wider than most other aircraft. Since the release of the 787 in 2011, and the impending retirement of many 747s, many airlines have begun to wonder “747 vs 787- which do we need?” Today, we see which is better!īoeing currently considers the 787 to be the successor of the 747, as well as the 757 and 767 too! 747 vs 787: What is a Wide Body?īoth the 747 and 787 are considered to be wide body aircraft.
