airplanes

Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental is in the air

EVERETT, Wash.--"Ready, ready, go."

With those words, blasted from a public address system at Paine Field here, Boeing's first 747-8 Intercontinental revved its engines and began its high-speed roll down the runway for takeoff.

And at 9:58 a.m. PDT today, the all-new model of Boeing's most iconic passenger plane took to the air for the first time, trailed by two T-33 chaser planes and cheered on by hundreds of Boeing employees.

Piloted by Mark Feuerstein and Paul Stemer, the plane took off into a clear sky and quickly banked left, headed for … Read more

Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental set for first flight

EVERETT, Wash.--The skies are clear, the sun is out, and the plane is ready. Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental is all set for its first flight.

With a two-hour window for the inaugural flight starting at 10 a.m. PT today, it appears that all is go for inaugural flight of the all-new version of Boeing's most iconic passenger jet. The flight comes about 13 months after the February 8, 2010, first flight of the 747-8 Freighter.

Thousands of Boeing employees and families, as well as fans of the 747, and a cadre of press will be on hand … Read more

Boeing schedules 747-8 Intercontinental's first flight for Sunday

Boeing announced today that its all-new 747-8 Intercontinental, the longest passenger plane in its history, is expected to take its first flight on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, the aviation giant said that the plane--which it unveiled in a huge ceremony just last month--had passed what is called final gauntlet testing, which "simulates flight conditions to test systems and ensure flight readiness," Boeing said in a release, adding that as part of the testing process, its test pilots "put the airplane through its paces."

Over the next few days, then, the plane will be subjected to &… Read more

Have onboard Wi-Fi? See what's happening below

Have you often looked out the window of a plane and wished you could find out about what you're seeing down below? Thanks to a new service that went into alpha testing today, you could soon do just that.

Known as MondoWindow, the service aims to let anyone onboard a Wi-Fi-enabled plane get real-time information about the places they're flying over. And as the service gets more sophisticated, it will likely add all kinds of additional features like audio programming, videos, and games, all related specifically to the places you can see five miles below you.

MondoWindow comes … Read more

A day at the 787 Dreamliner assembly line

EVERETT, Wash.--The 787 Dreamliner program may be three years behind schedule and battling a legacy of delays, but that isn't stopping Boeing from building the next-generation airplanes one after another.

Yesterday, as the last act of a three-day media extravaganza timed to Boeing's Sunday unveiling of the 747-8 Intercontinental, I got a chance to take a first-hand look at the Dreamliner assembly line.

By now, the story of the 787 is well-chronicled. Originally unveiled on July 8, 2007, (07/08/07) the plane was supposed to take its first flight later that year and begin carrying passengers … Read more

Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental is here

EVERETT, Wash.--Sporting an all-new corporate color scheme--red and orange and white instead of the company's traditional blue and white--Boeing unveiled its next-generation 747-8 Intercontinental here today.

With the formal unveiling, the aviation giant made it clear that its 787 Dreamliner is hardly its only card in the global commercial aviation poker game.

Billed as the most fuel-efficient and cheapest airliner to operate in the world, the new plane seems poised to join its predecessors in the 747 line as an iconic representation of what air travel can and should be.

And while preorders of the 747-8 Intercontinental are … Read more

Boeing's 747-8 Intercontinental unveiled

EVERETT, Wash.--The 747-8 Intercontinental is here.

Sporting an all-new corporate color scheme--red and orange, instead of blue, Boeing pulled back the wraps on the next-generation of its iconic 747 line. Touting the plane as being able to carry more passengers longer and faster, and at better fuel and cost efficiency than other commercial planes, Boeing is hoping to make a big splash in the industry with the new plane.

CNET was on hand for all the festivities. Please stay tuned for a full story and photo gallery on the big event. But for now, enjoy this photo of the … Read more

747-8 Intercontinental flight expected this spring

EVERETT, Washington--Boeing expects to make the first flight of its next-generation 747-8 Intercontinental sometime in early spring of this year.

That was the word from Elizabeth Lund, the 747 program's vice president and deputy program manager, at a media event here today.

Of course, given lengthy delays with Boeing's 787 Dreamliner program, it would be fair to say that no "expected" date can be firmly counted on. Indeed, Boeing maintains that despite the expected schedule, the plane will take its first flight, and make its first delivery "when it's ready," Lund said.

Still, … Read more

Inside the Boeing 747-8 factory

EVERETT, Wash.--Boeing tomorrow will formally unveil the 747-8 Intercontinental, the next generation of the aviation giant's iconic jumbo jet. The plane is said to be perhaps the most fuel-efficient in the world, and replaces the 747-400 as the company's most famous jet.

According to Boeing:

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 … Read more