Travel Technology in the 70’s
With the jumbo jet engine created just decades before,
America would introduce something that would revolutionize air travel forever.
This was the jumbo jet 747, it was designed and manufactured by Boeing and
entered service on January 1, 1970. In the 60’s there was an incredible increase
in air travel that led companies to the idea of some sort of “super craft” that
could fly longer and travel farther. Boeing was the first to put this idea on
paper and take this huge challenge of creating the first jumbo jet. This reason
this became such a major challenge was because those working on the aircraft
were given 4 years to develop, build, and test the aircraft. Reason being, is
Boeing had promised Pan Am that it would be completed in 1970. Pan Am was
actually very big in the 747’s success, as it had ordered 25 of the 100
original series, and because of the lack of orders Boeing might not have been
able to complete the 747 without Pan Am. The workers at Boeing truly had
overcome all the doubt and adversity and completed the task right on time. They
were even named “The Incredibles”, because of the immense amount of work they
did in such a short amount of time.
This aircraft was incredibly
intricate and complex, but also very safe and comfortable. Pratt and Whitney
(Engineers) developed a massive high-bypass turbofan engine that contained four
backup hydraulic systems, split control surfaces, multiple structural
redundancy, and sophisticated flaps for the runways. This aircraft was not only
huge in size, holding about 400 passengers, but also one of the safest
aircrafts made. However, the 747 was not created just to be a passenger
aircraft, but also a freight cargo aircraft. Boeings first idea was to make the
747 into a cargo plane for military use. But, realized that the 747 could be
used to revolutionize transportation. And revolutionize it did. The Boeing
could travel much longer and fly at speeds of over 500 mph; it was an
incredible invention and remained the largest aircraft for 35 years. Boeing had risked it all on this idea of
the 747 and the building of the Everett factory, all they had was put into this
project and they nearly went bankrupt for this aircraft. But, in the end their
hopes were met and the 747 became the worlds largest passenger aircraft in the
world.
That's pretty crazy that the 747 was created in the 70s. I remember being around 5 years old and going on vacation to the east coast. It seemed like every time we flew, we were in a 747. Also, I can't believe we have vehicles that allow people to travel at over 500 miles per hour. That speed just blows my mind. And the weird thing is, you dont even feel it when you're in the plane. The amount of systems that are built into planes are astonishing. All the variables they have to take into consideration and the amount of things the pilot must have to keep in mind scares me. If just one thing fails, hopefully other systems can pick up the slack. Flying is one of the most interesting concepts on the planet, but it really is scary when you look at what the planes are made of and how they stay up in the air.
ReplyDeleteIncredible how Boeing is still one of the largest companies out there, and how that might have never happened had they not taken the chance on the 747. On the other hand, Pan Am also took a chance on the 747 and they ended up going bankrupt two decades later. Boeing’s commitment to its contract with Pan Am on delivering a revolutionary aircraft is incredible. Perhaps that is why they are one of the biggest contractors for the U.S. military. And, I never really think about the fact that planes carry other things beside people. I can definitely see how the 747 changed everything. From how people traveled and the international airline industry carried their business, to how other industries benefited from the faster speeds and large cargo area.
ReplyDeleteThis aircraft that Boeing developed must have been scary at the time as it was a huge investment and a lot of money on the line. We do not think much about what work goes into a plane when being developed. This plane took four years; it must have been tiring but so rewarding at the end. How much longer exactly could it fly, do you know? 400 passengers on a plane seems insane, I am amazed how they could develop a plane to fly that long and far, while holding that many people. The best part about the plane is that was safe and comfortable. It must have been a highly developed plane for its time considering it remained the largest aircraft for 35 years. That is a long time to stay on top of the industry; it really was revolutionary.
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