Today, CNET published about 35 photos from the Boeing plant in Everett, Washington. Pictured is the launch plane for the 747-8 Intercontinental. Just picture yourself, seated in that nice new airplane http://news.cnet.com/2300-11386_3-10006626.html
There is going to be life broadcast from Boeing today (yes, here in Australia it is already 13, so actually for us it will be tomorrow), available at http://www.newairplane.com/747/incredible/. The exact time for the broadcast is 13 February 2011 at 19:00 GMT.
It was my understanding that despite Lufthansa being the commercial launch customer, the first handful (8 or so) off the line would be going to private buyers (governments, etc).
Its that of being a publicly known commercial airline. The first are freighters. Another is for a Prince somewhere. What is publicly known (or online) isn't the whole thing as you said. Its just better the more time they get in the air and learning to fly and maintain them; before WE are on them. The 747-8 in many ways is the same or similar to the past, but changes to the airframe, engines and critical systems provides a level of risk less than a clean sheet plane, but definitely more than aircraft #999.
From what I understand the aircraft that will be used for the rollout today will end up with Sheik whoever. The first Lufthansa aircraft is still on the assembly line, but will be rolled out in a week or two. First flight of the sheik's plane is scheduled for mid-March, LH's bird will take to the skies for the first time in mid-April. Looking good so far for an on-time first delivery, as long as the flight tests go better than the 7 late 7's.
It's a beautiful bird... will LH use the extra size to expand their seating capacity, or did they absorb the space within a similar configuration?
The 748 is supposed to get the new business class seats. I'll only believe it though once see it with my own eyes.
That plane looks like the one I saw on the Starmegado tour of Boeing. An awesome plane I asked if they would raffle one off but no luck
NewbieRunner I would like to say he is a realist... heck wasn't the 380 supposed to get fully flat C...
Aero.de today features an article on 747-8 RC021 which currently does flight tests and is already in the basic livery for delivery to LH in early 2012. published on aero.de, copyright by Boeing The article also states that LH will have this bird placed inbetween the 345-seater A340-600 and the A388 with 526 seats. The 747-8 will feature 8 F, 80 C and 298 Y seats. So guesses are that the upper deck will have the 80 C and lower deck F and Y? Looking forward to see this nice bird flying for LH hopefully in Q1 of 2012 - so in less than one year!
