# Boeing 747

By [pulner](https://paragraph.com/@pulner) · 2022-12-11

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The **Boeing 747** is a large, long-range [wide-body airliner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide-body_aircraft) designed and manufactured by [Boeing Commercial Airplanes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Commercial_Airplanes) in the United States between 1968 and 2022. After introducing the [707](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_707) in October 1958, [Pan Am](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am) wanted a jet 2+1⁄2 times its size, to reduce its [seat cost](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seat_cost) by 30% to [democratize](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratization_of_technology) air travel. In 1965, [Joe Sutter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sutter) left the [737](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_737) development program to design the 747, the first twin-aisle airliner. In April 1966, Pan Am ordered 25 Boeing 747-100 aircraft and in late 1966, [Pratt & Whitney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney) agreed to develop the [JT9D](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JT9D) engine, a [high-bypass turbofan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-bypass_turbofan). On September 30, 1968, the first 747 was rolled out of the custom-built [Everett Plant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everett_Plant), the world's [largest building by volume](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_buildings#Largest_usable_volume). The first flight took place on February 9, 1969, and the 747 was certified in December of that year. It entered service with Pan Am on January 22, 1970. The 747 was the first airplane dubbed "Jumbo Jet", the first wide-body airliner.

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*Originally published on [pulner](https://paragraph.com/@pulner/boeing-747)*