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> Remember that Boeing's original plan was to use the 747 as a freighter. You have to wonder actually if that is even true (I've heard it as well obviously). R
by gist 9y ago
> Remember that Boeing's original plan was to use the 747 as a freighter.
You have to wonder actually if that is even true (I've heard it as well obviously). Reason being Boeing may have been thinking SST wouldn't work or be practical (after all it wasn't) but it was easier to sell a 747 based on saying it could be used as a freighter primarily. If they had said it was just another long range high capacity plane the project might have never gotten approval because of the 'bet the company' risk.
- mannykannot 9y agoNo-one could say it was just another long range high capacity plane, as there was nothing comparable. And at the time, Boeing was spending a lot of money on a specific Mach 3 SST project - it was only later that it concluded that it wasn't feasible.
- joezydeco 9y agoThe upper cockpit is a huge aerodynamic drag compared to previous designs. Perhaps the 747 was a hedge (and it turned out to be a good one if so), but the design kind of implies otherwise IMO.
- Animats 9y agoThere are, of course, Boeing 747 freighters. [1] [1] http://www.boeing.com/commercial/freighters/ http://www.boeing.com/commercial/freighters/