Boeing Webcast Showcases New 747-8
Quieter and more fuel efficient than earlier versions of the aircraft, it will meet Heathrow Airport's "stringent noise standards" and be allowed to land there 24 hours a day, according to Boeing.
Boeing unwrapped its new 747-8 Intercontinental jetliner Sunday in a live webcast at 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. PST). Quieter and more fuel efficient than earlier versions of the aircraft, it will meet Heathrow Airport's "stringent noise standards" and be allowed to land there 24 hours a day, according to Boeing, which says the 747-8 also will meet 2008 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) emission standards and other environmental standards for years to come. All of Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ manufacturing sites either have achieved or will achieve ISO 14001 certification, according to the company.
The manufacturer conducted a successful first flight of the fifth 747-8 Freighter earlier this month in Everett, Wash. "The airplane performed well," Andy Hammer, test program manager for 747-8, said in the company’s news release. "It was a fine start to the test plan for this airplane." Each airplane in the test program is used for a specific set of tests; the fifth one focused on functionality and reliability testing.
Lufthansa, Korean Air, and Cathay Airways Pacific are among the early adopters.