Boeing 747 - Design and Development Since 1969 - Jetliner History Series

MBI Publishing Company, 1997

On February 9, 1969, the world stood in are as the first 747 took to the air on its maiden flight. Built as Boeing's answer to the airlines' call for bigger aircraft, the 747 instantly dwarfed all it's competitors. Nearly three decades later, the 747 remained the largest commercial aircraft and was still regarded as the `Queen of the Skies.' Since it entered service in 1970, about 1.6 billion people, or roughly a quarter of the world's population at that time, have flown on the 747. This book examines the roots of the 747 and the forces that shaped it into the familiar silhouette we know. With more than 120 contemporary and historical photographs and an exhaustingly researched text, this is the incredible story of the greatest commercial aircraft ever built...