Boeing Gets Ready to Unveil its Coolest Plane in Years
Boeing on Sunday will officially unveil to the public its highly-touted 747-8 Intercontinental, a craft that is being heralded as the next generation of the aviation giant's iconic jumbo jet. The plane, described in some quarters as the most fuel-efficient in the world, will replace the 747-400 as Boeing's flagship aircraft.
Here's how Boeing describes it - and notice the intentional dig at its European rival Airbus:
"The 747-8 Intercontinental is the only jetliner in the 400- to 500-seat market, stretched [18.3 ft] from the 747-400 to provide 467 seats in a three-class configuration and a [8,000 nautical mile] range. Using 787-technology engines, the airplane will be quieter, produce lower emissions, and achieve better fuel economy than any competing jetliner. The 747 Intercontinental will provide nearly equivalent trip costs and 13 percent lower seat-mile costs than the 747-400, plus 26 percent greater cargo volume...The 747-8 is more than 10 percent lighter per seat than the [Airbus] A380 and will consume 11 percent less fuel per passenger than the 555-seat airplane. That translates into a trip-cost reduction of 21 percent and a seat-mile cost reduction of more than 6 percent, compared to the A380."All to be expected as this figures to be an intense competition, one in which the victor will waltz off with billions of dollars in contracts. On Saturday, the company opened up its hangers for a media briefing. CNET's Daniel Terdiman, who was on hand for the event, had an opportunity to snap away with his camera, offering outsiders a rare chance to see what goes on inside the factory where Boeing's next-generation 747-8 comes to life.
