Question about 747's
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The Pacifier
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Cloverdale, BC
Question about 747's
I got into a little arguement with a co-worker yesterday over Boeing 747's. Everybody knows what a 747 looks like.
His opinion was that a 747 "widebody" didn't (or doesn't) have an upper deck except for the flight crew. And a widebody has a larger "girth".
My opinion is that, widebody or not, every widebody has upper deck seating. All of them, from the original 747, up to the new 400 series. And I thought all along that all 747's were "widebodies". It was just part of the "big 3" selling feature, that the DC 10, L1011, and 747 were all widebodies.
Somebody help me set my buddy straight, or set me straight.
His opinion was that a 747 "widebody" didn't (or doesn't) have an upper deck except for the flight crew. And a widebody has a larger "girth".
My opinion is that, widebody or not, every widebody has upper deck seating. All of them, from the original 747, up to the new 400 series. And I thought all along that all 747's were "widebodies". It was just part of the "big 3" selling feature, that the DC 10, L1011, and 747 were all widebodies.
Somebody help me set my buddy straight, or set me straight.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Marple Township, PA
747's, DC10's, and L-1011's were a revolution in aircraft design. Their fuselage diameter is substantially larger than the previous generation of jets (707, 727, 737, DC9), hence the term 'widebody'. Narrow-bodies are approx 10'-12' dia, widebodies approx 16' or greater. A 757 is a narrow body, a 767 is a wide body.
The 747 is currently the only widebody with both main- and upper-deck seating. It's design also allows the nose to open (on certain models) to load oversize/overlength cargo straight in. Early 74's sat about 30 in the uppers, later (-300 series and on) seat more. The cockpit is, as you mentioned, at the forward end of the upper deck.
Everybody else (DC10, L-1011, A300, etc) have cockpit and seating on the main deck.
Lower decks are used for baggage/cargo (and sometimes galleys).
The Airbus A380 will have triple decks, the lowest for cargo, and the main and uppers for passengers (or freight in FedEx's case).
The engine inlet for the 777 is so large, you could fit a 727 fuselage into it. Aircraft and engine design has grown tremendously in the last 40 years!
The 747 is currently the only widebody with both main- and upper-deck seating. It's design also allows the nose to open (on certain models) to load oversize/overlength cargo straight in. Early 74's sat about 30 in the uppers, later (-300 series and on) seat more. The cockpit is, as you mentioned, at the forward end of the upper deck.
Everybody else (DC10, L-1011, A300, etc) have cockpit and seating on the main deck.
Lower decks are used for baggage/cargo (and sometimes galleys).
The Airbus A380 will have triple decks, the lowest for cargo, and the main and uppers for passengers (or freight in FedEx's case).
The engine inlet for the 777 is so large, you could fit a 727 fuselage into it. Aircraft and engine design has grown tremendously in the last 40 years!
Last edited by DonsFx4; Oct 21, 2005 at 11:35 PM.
Lead Driver
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From: Tampa Bay, FL USA
The upper deck size varies between the different 747 models (there are quite a few). Some upper decks are quite short, with a small area behind the cockpit. Others are quite large, extending back nearly half the length of the plane. Do a Google image search and you'll see what I'm talking about. But the 747 is the only commercial widebody in service today with an upper deck. The only other commercial I can recall with an upper deck was the Caravelle of the 1960s. The lower deck held cars and cargo, most of them used as "air ferries" between GB and Europe. You probably remember it from the movie "Goldfnger."
New User
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There are many configurations depending on who ordered it.
These can be found on the Boeing site.
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747...ackground.html
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747...ssic_back.html
Maybe Terry (Tmyers) will chime in.
His favourite Plane like mine ......is the 747.
These can be found on the Boeing site.
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747...ackground.html
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747...ssic_back.html
Maybe Terry (Tmyers) will chime in.
His favourite Plane like mine ......is the 747.
Last edited by Mil1ion; Oct 22, 2005 at 10:38 AM.
Posting Guru
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From: Kiefer, Northeastern Okla
In the '60s my dad flew the C124 Globemaster that was convertible to carry vehicles and/or cargo on the lower deck with troops above. The front-loading fuselage used clamshell doors and an extendable loading ramp.
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From: Valley of the Sun AZ
The funniest one is a 747-SP it is a chopped 747 with 1/4 of the center fuselage missing.
747 do have upper decks, but not most are first class only and they can be really small as in 747-100's or large in 747-300's
Just think that it used to be required that any aircraft that flew over the ocean had to have two engines, so L-1011 and DC-10/MD-11 have three to satisfy this goal. The 777 broke the rules, because they can fly on one of those huge engines and it is way more economical for the aircraft industry. Now you can fly to Hawaii on 757, 767, 777's
Funny note: Parents just got back from a trip in which they flew on an Airbus and my mother hated the plane.
747 do have upper decks, but not most are first class only and they can be really small as in 747-100's or large in 747-300's
Just think that it used to be required that any aircraft that flew over the ocean had to have two engines, so L-1011 and DC-10/MD-11 have three to satisfy this goal. The 777 broke the rules, because they can fly on one of those huge engines and it is way more economical for the aircraft industry. Now you can fly to Hawaii on 757, 767, 777's
Funny note: Parents just got back from a trip in which they flew on an Airbus and my mother hated the plane.
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