The first set of wings for the Boeing 747-8F have been completed, said Boeing, as they make progress on the 747-800 freighter and the Intercontinental (passenger version). The 135-foot wings add Boeing’s latest aerodynamic technologies, allowing the aircraft to fly farther and more efficiently. The newly advanced airfoil is said to improve overall performance and fuel efficiency.
Personally, I’m very happy to hear that the wings are assembled – we haven’t heard too much from the 747-8 program. The 787 Dreamliner has been stealing the show, but that’s expected; it’s a completely new model (not to say that the 748 isn’t). Currently, the 747-8 Intercontinental isn’t doing nearly as well as I thought – but there is a good chance for carrier to catch on / order more planes once the recession clears. Currently, the freighter has an order count of 78, versus the Intercontinental that has an order count of 28 (mostly from Lufthansa).
Here are the specs, from Wikipedia:
747-8I 747-8F Cockpit crew Two Seating capacity 467 (3-class) N/A Length 250 ft 8 in (76.4 m) Wingspan 224 ft 7 in (68.5 m) Height 64 ft 2 in (19.6 m) Cabin width 20.1 ft (6.1 m) Empty weight 466,700 lb (211,700 kg) 413,600 lb (187,600 kg) Maximum zero fuel weight 635,000 lb (288,000 kg) 709,000 lb (322,000 kg) Maximum take-off weight 970,000 lb (440,000 kg) Cruising speed Mach 0.855 Mach 0.845 Range fully loaded 8,000 nmi (15,000 km) 4,475 nmi (8,288 km) Cargo capacity 5,705 cu ft (161.5 m3) 30,177 cu ft (854.5 m3) Service ceiling 43,000 ft (13,000 m) Engines (4x) GEnx-2B67 Thrust (4x) 66,500 lbf (296 kN)
