Originally Posted by
Bergerie1
It was a truly wonderful aircraft to fly, all the more remarkable when one remembers how long ago it was designed.
Joe Sutter and his team got it absolutely right.
It was a remarkable achievement in a relatively short time frame including the building of a new factory for production. First flight in early 1969 and certified by the end of the year ! How does that compare with some of the protracted aircraft certification timescales today.
Dai Davies the ARB/CAA chief test pilot in his book "Handling the Big Jets" said "The 747 is a most impressive aeroplane with a number of exceptionally fine qualities". He was not wrong as proved by its long and distinguished service