Boeing 747

The 747 was a gamble that nearly broke Boeing. Pan Am's Juan Trippe wanted an aircraft two and a half times the size of the 707, Boeing bet the company on it, and built the world's largest building in Everett to assemble it. The famous hump exists because the 747 was designed with a hinged nose for a freighter future — the cockpit had to go somewhere, so it went upstairs, and the space behind it became the most glamorous cabin in aviation.

For 37 years it was the largest passenger aircraft in the world, and it did something bigger than any record: it made intercontinental flight affordable. Seat costs fell so far that the jet age finally opened to ordinary travellers. Every US president since 1990 has flown in one, and the freighter — the reason for the hump — still carries a huge share of the world's air cargo.

Production ended in January 2023 after 1,574 aircraft across five generations. Passenger 747s are now down to a devoted few operators, led by Lufthansa; the freighters will fly for decades. The final variant, the 747-8, remains the longest airliner in service until the 777-9 arrives — 76.25 metres of it.