Boeing Completes 25% Of 747-8 Design

Boeing said it has completed 25 percent of the design releases for the new 747-8 Intercontinental, meaning a quarter of the information needed to build parts and tools for assembly has been completed and released for fabrication or procurement.

Since much of the aircraft’s design is the same as the 747-8 Freighter, which Boeing is building first, the engineering focus is on work that is unique to the Intercontinental, comprising mostly fuselage and interior design, the airframer said. The most obvious difference is the extended upper deck of the Intercontinental.

The 747-8 will be stretched 18.3 feet from the 747-400 to provide 467 seats in a three-class configuration and a range of approximately 8,000 nautical miles.