It's well know that the 747 is extraordinary in terms of engineering. Why? From the naive perspective, it's the-same-thing-only-bigger. I'm not quite that naive

It's well know that the 747 is extraordinary in terms of engineering. Why? From the naive perspective, it's the-same-thing-only-bigger. I'm not quite that naive, but I'd love to hear an authoritative analysis rather than the popular wisdom. I would guess that engines powerful and efficient enough to fly a plane so much larger than any predecessors, and to fly it further, would also be a significant achievement.