My favorite plane through all my travels in the humpty 747. Lots of international trips on the plane. Last few years with most of my travel on Delta and Southwest, neither of which own any, I thought I had seen the passing of the classic. The A-380 was supposed to be the final nail in its coffin.
So I am delighted to see the 747-8 come to life (launch the Adobe Flash player from this page). Newer wing design and efficient engines mean 15% more fuel efficient per seat mile. 10% more seats than current 400 version. Lower carbon emissions per passenger. 30% lower noise at take off. For airlines, no need to completely retrain crew or maintenance stff. Calm lighting which adjusts through time zones. And plenty of other creature comforts.
The 747-8 will package many of the features being introduced in the 787 Dreamliner.
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