Commissioned in April 1966 by Pan American Airways, the Boeing 747 was the first jumbo jet designed for the civil market. It revolutionised air transport by doubling the capacity of first-generation jets. Its success depended on the development of engines with high bypass ratios.
Boeing 747-128 F-BPVJ
4 Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7 turbofan engines, each delivering 21,320 kg of thrust with water injection.
- Envergure : 59.64 m
- Longueur : 70.66 m
- Hauteur : 19.71 m
- Surface alaire : 528.2 m²
- Masse en charge : 333390 kg
- Vitesse maximale : 925 km/h
- Plafond pratique : 11200 m
- Distance franchissable : 7399 km
Tarmac
Civil aviation
The first 747 made its maiden flight on 9 February 1969, and deliveries began in December. Two major technical problems afflicted the Jumbo: deformation of the pylons and engine nacelles, and a disappointing climb speed at full load. However, the 747-100 entered service on the New York-London route on 22 January 1970. The aircraft’s overcapacity forced airports to adapt to mass transport, which at first was only warranted on transoceanic routes.
For the Boeing, success exceeded expectations since 92 were delivered in 1971, and in total, no less than 206 Series 100 were produced up until 1990. In 2008, more than 1,400 Jumbo models were produced.
The Boeing 747-128 F-BPVJ made its maiden flight on 29 October 1972. It entered service with Air France on 14 March 1973, on a hire-purchase basis. It was acquired by the company on 31 January 1981. In February 1988, it passed the 50,000-hour mark. It made its last commercial flight, Beirut-Roissy, on 10 February 2000. It arrived at Le Bourget on 25 February, and after an interior refit designed by the Air and Space Museum architect, the F-BPVJ was opened to visitors in June 2003. The aircraft, which had accumulated 97,271 hours of anonymous use, then began its career as a star on the museum’s tarmac.
25/02/2000: the Boeing 747-128 F-BPVJ lands at Le Bourget
Here is the video of the arrival in flight at the museum of the tarmac giant: the Boeing 747-128 F-BPVJ. It is always a great emotion to find these last moments in the air, and to see the reactors stop for the last time…
