Great pictures, thanks! I was getting ready to ask why the registration numbers were going backwards - but then I read this: http://cargofacts.net/photo/second-747-8f-for-nippon-cargo-airlines Dude, you bought a used aircraft!
Yeh, I know. JA11 and JA12 are test airplanes. So around 2 years old. From what Boeing told us, they'll get brand new engines in 2014. Apparently the 747-8 didn't quite make the fuel performance it was supposed to. In 2014, GE will have updated the engines. So all our deliveries between now and then will get the newer engines in 2014. The catering was good..... Image Unavailable, Please Login
I dunno, Lou, that landing looked awfully good to me. You can tell from the wind noise on the video that conditions were not great. And as for the snow, while I love Seattle, I'll stick to visiting there in the summertime, thank you!
Lou, That was a grease landing. Not even a hint of rebound. Hard to do when the sock is bobbing like that one. Nice stuff.
The snow you got was what is called Cascade Concrete around here. During the day it can come down fast and accumulate but melts almost as fast as it hits the ground due to higher ambient temps and retained (relative) heat in the ground. Very heavy and very wet. At night it can crust up and any residual water turns to ice. It has to freeze around here for at least a week before we get "regular" snow. Right now we are in the 20's at night with clear skies day and night. Go figure.
Lou, out of 100, that landing was 110. Beautiful, smooth, gentle and a perfect blend of lift and descent. Really hard to do many times but that was perfect.
I once had to drive home from Everett to Mountlake Terrace in that stuff. You're right, it was heavy, and once I got off Evergreen Way (which was crawling), I went galumphing the rest of the way home in my Honda Accord. They hadn't plowed the road yet, and the car was bouncing on top of the snow pack. It was a wild ride, but thanks to front wheel drive, the Honda handled it just fine. Still, a normally 25-minute trip took about 90.....
Yup, I have found that driving in "snow" is easy, it's the deep slush and ice that will kick your ass.
Jim, you bring back memories of 1969-70 when I had to drive from Bellevue to Everett when I was working on the 747. That winter produced a monster snow and I drove a VW that somehow handled the snow without complaint even when the pan was dragging. Later on in February we could drive out to the ramp where number one 747 was being prepped and it was the only thing out there. We had a blast cutting donuts and spinning out in long sideways slides on the compact snow. Seems pretty unbelievable now but there were'nt many people out there and they didn't even look at us. Now, as a retiree, I can't even get into the lobby of the administration building without being challenged and checked. Haven't had a snow like that since.
I have absolutely no idea what the pilots are talking about but, this thread is awesome! I am fascinated by it all. Thanks guys!
Thanks guys. It actually didn't feel all that smooth in the cockpit. Light weight landings can sometimes feel that way. The speed brakes pop up and plant you on the runway. This is the first landing of mine I've ever seen video of.
Plus you had the extra 8 'speed brakes' of the reversers hanging out, even without spooling the engines. ha... Looked awfully smooth in the video...
I'd like to post one final picture. It's probably my favorite so far. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread..... Lou Image Unavailable, Please Login
Lou, I guess all I do now is remember things from long ago but they are nice memories. I used to conduct tours of the 747 assembly line for VIP's and airline types like you when the first few were on the line and number one was near the door to go out to the flight line. The sheer size of the structures there were staggering to the tourists and the new aerodynamic features were fun to explain and to demonstrate. We had set up a working model of the variable Camber Kruger flaps that was very interesting to the guests. In the 727 days I had the president of Tokyo University and his little wife and their entourage on a tour of the factory. This was in the early 60's and the Japanese hadn't attained their lead in technology and they were extremely interested in everything and how it was done. In the sub assembly area I lost the president's wife and had to perform a frantic return to where we last saw her. I found her INSIDE a wing center section looking closely at the structure. First time that ever happened. Then in final assembly she wanted to know what the radome was covered with and I told her. When she had a quizzical look on her face her husband said, " DATU EEZEU NEOPWEEN WAHBBA ! On the 747-400 program the Japanese engineers associated with the Japanese airline customers gobbled up Boeing design and process documents until restrictions were put in place.
Lou, thanks for posting this. I'm curious-- we're there many issues on the airplane when you picked it up? I've only ever picked up one new airplane from the factory, a Citation, and I think we had around 20 issues after the first flight. Most of them were cosmetic things like paint spots and scratches, but there were a few others as well (nothing truly airworthiness). Also, if you can share, how many hours on it when you did your first flight?
We left with one DMI (Deferred Maintainence Item). One of the 3 flap computers wasn't working right. Inflight we had a "status" messages alerting to a forward cargo temp problem. Status messages aren't critical. Upon landing all 4 reversers worked, but upon stowing them the #1 reverser wouldn't stow. This airplane was one of the test airplanes, so it had around 600 hrs on it. They say a typical new airplane has between 8 - 10 hours.... I'm hoping to pick up another one this summer.
Late reply, but I'm glad you got the keys! They look great. I've always wanted to go on a tour of the Boeing factory. Maybe one day.
Lou- Are the reversers a service item if it does not prove to be electronic, or does that require an engine swap?
