We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the earlier this year, and while the plane has been around for a long time, you still might be surprised to learn the story behind how the plane got it signature hump.
When the entered service in , it was a revolutionary plane. However, there were plenty of airline executives who were skeptical about the commercial viability of such a large jet.
The launch customer of the was scheduled to be Pan American World Airways, which would go on to operate almost 75 s. This in turn created a real problem in terms of where to put the cockpit. Having the cockpit on a hinged nose carried a number of safety risks, and it made no sense to bend all the wires to and from the cockpit each time the nose was opened and closed. Boeing decided to raise the cockpit above the nose cone, and — in order to maximize the planes aerodynamic efficiency — the hump was born.
Later versions of the would extend the hump further back on the plane, creating more room for premium cabin seats in the upper deck. Of course Juan Trippe was wrong, and the ended up being a resounding success, with over 1, produced in the last 50 years. Many airlines choose to operate both passenger and cargo versions of the plane, but you might even find a hybrid still flying today.
If the Queen of the Skies is still on your bucket list, you can still catch a ride on this aviation legend using points or miles. You might want to book that trip sooner rather than later, however, as airlines retire their fleet of s. For the latest travel news, deals and points and miles tips please subscribe to The Points Guy daily email newsletter.
Terms Apply. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Today, the upper deck on a Boeing is the same length as a Boeing The Boeing is the longest airliner in the world as well as one of the most recognizable because of that iconic hump. Get the latest Boeing stock price here. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options.
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It often indicates a user profile. But there was just one problem: the cockpit was located over the nose. Follow Tech Insider: On Facebook. Get the latest Boeing stock price here.
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