Boeing’s last-ever 747 just rolled off the assembly line, marking the end of an era. Here’s the history of how the revolutionary plane changed the world.

• Boeing just produced its last-ever Boeing 747 jumbo jet, which will be delivered to cargo giant Atlas Air.

• The first Queen of the Skies was built for Pan Am, taking its maiden commercial flight over 52 years ago in 1970.

• Despite its popularity among customers, most airlines have retired the 747 in favor of more fuel-efficient planes.

One of the greatest feats of American aerospace engineering is coming to an end.

On Tuesday, Boeing’s final 747 rolled off the assembly line in Everett, Washington, It’s the last of four jumbo jets on order for cargo carrier Atlas Air. The plane will be delivered in early 2023.

Source: Air Live, Aviation Source News

“As we say goodbye to the Queen of the Skies, we’re proud of her legacy as an airplane that propelled aviation innovation and later laid the foundation of our family of freighters,” Boeing 747 and 767 program manager Kim Smith said.

Source: Atlas Air

The event marks the end of a nearly 53-year era of air travel that helped catapult the industry into what it is today.

Boeing’s iconic 747 will leave the assembly line for the last time this year. See one of last jumbo jets the planemaker will ever build.

Take a closer look at the story of the Boeing 747, the aircraft that made international travel accessible for more than just the rich and famous.

Source: Airline Ratings

The history of the Queen of the Skies begins about a decade before its existence when Boeing introduced its 707 quad-jet in 1957.

The jet was the manufacturer’s first long-haul narrowbody plane made in collaboration with launch customer Pan American World Airways.

Shortly after the Boeing 707 rushed the world into the jet age, airlines were already looking for bigger and better aircraft to tackle skyrocketing demand, including Pan Am CEO Juan Trippe.

Source: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Boeing conceived the 747 in the mid-1960s, which ignited the widebody market to add more capacity to planes while simultaneously lowering operating costs.

Story continues

Source: Boeing

At the request of Trippe, the new plane was twice the capacity of the 707, as well as sported the lowest seat-per-mile cost in the industry at the time.

Source: Deutsche Welle, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Over 50,000 employees working on the project at a new assembly plant in Everett, Washington, according to Boeing, that was so large it was given its own zip code. They were called “The Incredibles” and led by veteran Joe Sutter.

Source: Boeing

The aircraft they produced would be the Boeing 747-100, the first variant of a new aircraft that featured four engines and two levels.

It was the first jet aircraft of its kind and nothing like the flying public had seen before.

Pan Am first flight flew in the early morning hours of January 22, 1970, from New York to London operated by Pan Am, inaugurating a new era for air travel.

The aircraft was seen as a status symbol for airlines, with the extra space allowing for additional luxuries and extravagances on some airlines.

Most airlines of the time including Pan Am and Qantas used their upper decks for as bars, lounges, or restaurants.

They were a glamorous place where passengers could hide away while flying high in an enclosed tube.

It was the most exclusive club in the sky.

The aircraft allowed airlines to fly more people further, with normal passenger capacity for the aircraft growing to upwards of 300 seats in later variants.

The range of the aircraft gradually increased over the years with the -400 variant — one of its more modern bestsellers — having the ability to fly over 7,000 nautical miles, enough to connect New York with nearly every continent with a non-stop flight.

Source: Boeing

A testament to its popularity, Boeing produced numerous variants of the aircraft over a half-century beyond the initial model. After the 747-100 came the 747-200…

…the 747SP…

…the 747-300…

…the 747-400…

…the 747-8i…

Read More: See inside the the world’s largest private jet: a Boeing 747 with an interior so large it took 4 years to design and build

…and the 747-400LCF Dreamlifter.

The jets have been used for passenger and cargo flying, as well as military usage, making them incredibly versatile.

Even to this day, the Boeing 747 continues to outlive most of its rivals from the time period, including the supersonic, and similarly iconic, European Concorde.

Its supremacy went unmatched for decades despite a long list of competitors until Airbus unveiled a dual-level and quad-engine aircraft of its own, the Airbus A380.

Emirates wants Airbus to build a new version of its A380 jet. See the full history of the superjumbo jet from marvel to reject.

But, with the rise of more fuel-efficient, two-engine aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350XWB, the need for quad-engine aircraft dwindled, despite Boeing’s best efforts with the larger and more modern 747-8i.

Most operators of the more recent 747-400 variant have retired or are in the process of retiring their fleets, with only three opting to upgrade to the 747-8i for passenger service, including Korean Air…

…Lufthansa…

…and Air China.

The rest were cargo airlines, such as UPS Airlines…

…Qatar Airways Cargo…

…and Atlas Air.

For cargo carriers, the all-important nose door was a key selling point for the aircraft as the 747 is the only Western-built, mass-produced aircraft to feature it.

Boeing ending production of the 747 means cargo carriers will lose a key feature and be left scrambling when it’s gone

Despite being an all-American plane, every US airline has retired the Boeing 747 from their fleets, with United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both flying their last Queen of the Sky in 2017.

Source: The Points Guy

Among the most common operators of the aircraft today are European and Asian airlines such as Korean Air…

…and Lufthansa.

However, the coronavirus pandemic accelerated the retirement of the 747 in favor of more cost-efficient planes like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350, like Australian flag carrier Qantas…

…British Airways…

…Virgin Atlantic Airways…

…French charter airline Corsair…

…and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

Perhaps the most well-known operator of the aircraft currently is the United States Air Force, which flies the President of the United States on a modified Boeing 747-200.

The blue-and-white 747 with “United States of America” lettering on the side is an iconic symbol of the presidency.

While the current model will soon be retired, the Boeing 747-8i will soon replace it as the next Air Force One.

Read More: Biden will be the first president to use the new Air Force One – here’s what we know about the $5.3 billion aircraft

With the last 747 order wrapping up, Boeing’s iconic program will finally come to an end.

But, Boeing will continue to support the plane for years to come, stating: “Our customer commitment does not end at delivery, and we’ll continue to support 747 operations and sustainment well into the future.”

Source: Boeing

As the Queen of the Skies ends its reign, its legacy will surely live on as the aircraft that revolutionized the aviation industry and made the world a smaller place for over 50 years.

Read the original article on Business Insider