Originally Posted by
CargoOne
.. today it is hard to believe that prior to -400, 747 wasn't really a long haul aircraft compared to what we used to these days. LGW-MIA was not doable without enroute re-clearance.
I think you're being a bit harsh on the poor old beast...LHR-MIA was definitely "doable" on most typical days on a 747-100 without resorting to reclearance but there often wasn't much to spare in the way of weight. The -200 with RR engines would do the likes of LHR -SEA and, with, reclearance LHR-NRT non-stop.
You are right though, the -400 was a game changer and helped usher in "Ultra" Long haul..