![]() The era of commercial jet transportation, led by the enormous popularity of the Boeing 707, had revolutionized long distance travel and made possible the concept of the " global village." Boeing had already developed a study for a very large fixed-wing aircraft while bidding on a US military contract for a huge cargo plane. The 747 was born from the explosion of air travel in the 1960s. The prototype 747, City of Everett, at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. In 1989, a Qantas 747-400 flew non-stop from London to Sydney, a distance of 11185 miles (18001 kilometres) in 20 hours and 9 minutes, although this was a delivery flight with no passengers or freight aboard. In some configurations this is sufficient to fly non-stop from New York to Hong Kong - a third of the way around the globe. ![]() The 747-400, the only series currently in production, flies at high-subsonic speeds of mach 0.85 (567 mph or 913 km/h), and features intercontinental range (7260 nm (13446 km)). As of November 2006, 1469 planes have been built with 89 more on order in various 747 configurations, making it a very profitable product for Boeing. The hump created by the upper deck has made the 747 a highly recognizable icon of air travel. ![]() A typical three-class layout accommodates 416 passengers, while a two-class layout accommodates a maximum of 524 passengers. The four-engine 747, produced by Boeing's Commercial Airplane division, uses a two-deck configuration. The Soviet-built Antonov An-225 cargo transport remains the world's largest aircraft in service, while the Hughes H-4 Hercules had a larger wing-span. First flown commercially in 1970, it held the size record for more than 35 years until surpassed by the Airbus A380 (due to enter service in 2007). The Boeing 747, commonly called a Jumbo Jet, is among the most recognizable jet airliners and is the largest passenger airliner currently in service. 1970- 01-22 with Pan American World Airways and Trans World Airlines
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