Boeing will deliver its 1,500th 747 when Lufthansa picks it up on Saturday. It is the first wide-body aircraft ever to hit the mark, 45 years after it originally took flight. The aircraft is a 747-8 Intercontinental, representing the latest iteration of what has been called the queen of the skies by publicists and, affectionately, the Whale, by pilots. First flown in 2011, the -8 included a substantial redesign of its wings, fresh cabin features, and new engines. The intention, when the program was launched back in November 2005, was to breathe new life into an already successful program, allowing customers to replace aging 747-400s with something bigger and better, while providing a viable alternative to Airbus ultra-huge A380.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/business-military/boeing-to-deliver-its-1500th-747