Photo Album
A photographic survey of the Boeing 747 in airline, freight, military, scientific and space service.
The 747 has been photographed more than almost any other aircraft, and this album covers the range of what it has actually done — airline service, freight, government transport, science, firefighting and space.
Most of these images date from the 1990s and 2000s, when the 747 was still the default long-haul aircraft rather than a curiosity. A few are older.
Use the arrows or the thumbnail strip to move through the album, or open any photograph for its own page.
Where to go next
- The 747 family — every variant, from the 747-100 to the 747-8
- Special Boeing 747s — Air Force One, the Dreamlifter, the Shuttle Carrier and more
- The Boeing 747-8 photo album — the final generation, factory floor to first flight
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In this section
Boeing 747-8 Photos
The Boeing 747-8 in pictures — wing assembly, final construction, paint hangar roll-out, first flight and airline service.
747-400 Cargo
Japan Airlines Cargo Boeing 747-400F JA401J photographed on the ramp, showing the freighter's raised flight deck and nose door.
747-400D (Japan Airlines)
A Japan Airlines Boeing 747-400D, the high-density domestic variant built without the winglets fitted to other 747-400s.
747-8 Berths
Optional crew rest berths offered on the 747-8, tucked into the upper area of the cabin for long-haul operations.
747-8-Intercontinental forward fuselage
The first forward fuselage section of the 747-8 Intercontinental, delivered to Everett for final assembly.
Bahrain Royal Flight B747SP
The Bahrain Royal Flight Boeing 747SP, the shortened long-range 747 built for ultra-long routes and later favoured by VIP operators.
Boeing 747 8 Under Construction
A Boeing 747-8 under construction, with fuselage sections joined and systems being installed on the Everett line.
Boeing 747 8 Under Construction
A Boeing 747-8 on the Everett assembly line, showing the fuselage sections and wing joined during final assembly.
Boeing 747 Combi Layout
A cabin diagram of the Boeing 747 Combi showing the split main deck, with seating forward and space for seven cargo pallets aft.
Boeing 747 Dreamlifter LCF N780BA-2
The Boeing 747 Dreamlifter N780BA, a Large Cargo Freighter rebuilt with a bulged fuselage to carry 787 airframe sections.
Boeing 747 LCF Dreamlifter Takeoff
A Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter lifting off, its oversized fuselage built to carry Boeing 787 wings and fuselage barrels.
Boeing 747 Trijet
Concept artwork for the three-engined Boeing 747 studied in the late 1960s to compete with the L-1011 TriStar and DC-10.
Boeing 747-100 (United Airlines)
A United Airlines Boeing 747-100 in the carrier's early livery, showing the short upper deck of the first 747 generation.
Boeing 747-200 Rolls Royce Trent 1000 Test Bed
A Boeing 747-200 serving as the Rolls-Royce flying test bed for the Trent 1000, the engine developed for the Boeing 787.
Boeing 747-300
A Boeing 747-300 in flight, the first 747 to carry the stretched upper deck as standard equipment.
Boeing 747-400BCF Freighter
A Thai Airways Boeing 747-400BCF, a passenger 747-400 converted to a full freighter under Boeing's conversion programme.
Boeing 747-8 90% complete
The first Boeing 747-8 Freighter about 90 percent complete on the Everett line ahead of its first delivery.
Boeing 747-8 Cargolux
The first Boeing 747-8 Freighter rolls out of the paint hangar in the colours of launch customer Cargolux.
Boeing 747-8 Cockpit
The Boeing 747-8 flight deck, which carries 787-derived displays while preserving commonality with the 747-400.
Boeing 747-8 Concept
An early Boeing 747-8 concept image showing the stretched fuselage and new wing before the first aircraft flew.
Boeing 747-8 full length
A full side view of the Boeing 747-8, showing the fuselage stretch that made it the longest airliner of its day.
Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental
An artist's impression of the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, produced before the first passenger aircraft was completed.
Boeing 747-8 wing with new GEnx Engines
A Boeing 747-8 wing fitted with GEnx-2B engines, showing the new higher-aspect-ratio design and raked tips.
Boeing 747-8 With with performance-improved GEnx-2B engines
A Cathay Pacific 747-8 Freighter, the first 747 delivered with performance-improved GEnx-2B engines.
Boeing 747-8F at the fuel dock
A Boeing 747-8 Freighter at the fuel dock at Boeing's Everett plant during the flight test programme.
Boeing 747-8F Cargolux over Fresno
A Boeing 747-8 Freighter in Cargolux colours photographed on a test flight over Fresno, California.
Boeing 747-8i Engine Close Up
A close view of the GEnx-2B engine and its chevron nacelle on a Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental.
Boeing 747-8i first flight landing
The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental touching down at the end of its maiden flight in Boeing's orange and white test livery.
Boeing 747-8i first flight takeoff
The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental lifting off from Paine Field on its maiden flight in Boeing test colours.
Boeing 747-8i Launch Day
Launch day for the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, as the first aircraft was presented publicly at Everett.
Boeing 747-8i Taking Off
A Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental rotating on takeoff, showing the raked wingtips of the redesigned 747-8 wing.
Boeing 747-8i WIng Assembly
Wing assembly for the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental in the Everett factory, before mating to the fuselage.
Boeing Airborne Command E-4B
A USAF Boeing E-4B, the 747-200-based National Airborne Operations Center used as a survivable command post.
Boeing Hangs GEnx-2B Engines on the 747-8 Freighter
GEnx-2B engines being hung on the first Boeing 747-8 Freighter during assembly and testing at Everett.
Boeing VC-25A 82-8000 - Air Force One
Boeing VC-25A 82-8000, one of two 747-200B airframes that carry the call sign Air Force One when the President is aboard.
British Airways 747s at the gate at Heathrow
British Airways Boeing 747s lined up at their gates at London Heathrow, once the largest 747-400 fleet in the world.
Comparison of Boeing 747-8 and Airbus A380
A scale diagram comparing the Boeing 747-8 with the Airbus A380 and other large aircraft, showing relative length and wingspan.
Evergreen 747 Waterbomber
The Evergreen 747 Supertanker in flight, a converted jumbo able to drop tens of thousands of litres of fire retardant.
First Boeing 747-8 Freighter Leaves Paint Hangar
The first Boeing 747-8 Freighter leaves the Everett paint hangar in a special light livery of white, red and orange.
First Lufthansa 747-8i Landing
The first Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental on landing, marking the type's entry into passenger service.
General Electric Test Bed for GEnx testing
General Electric's Boeing 747-100 flying test bed N747GE, used to certify engines including the GEnx.
KLM Boeing B744
A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 747-400 in the carrier's blue livery, seen on the ground between long-haul rotations.
Lufthansa 747-8i (Computer Graphics)
A Boeing computer rendering of the Lufthansa 747-8 Intercontinental, produced before the first aircraft was painted and delivered.
Lufthansa 747-8i Landing
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental on final approach, gear down and flaps extended for landing.
Lufthansa 747-8I paint hangar roll out
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental rolling out of the Everett paint hangar in full airline colours.
Lufthansa 747-8i Promo Landing Shot
A Lufthansa promotional photograph of the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental on landing in the airline's blue and yellow livery.
Lufthansa 747-8i without paint
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental in bare green primer before receiving its airline paint scheme.
Lufthansa Boeing 747-8i
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental on the ramp at Everett in full airline livery ahead of delivery.
Nigeria's Arik Air orders Boeing 747-8i
Nigeria's Arik Air ordered two Boeing 747-8 Intercontinentals, becoming the first African customer for the type.
Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) 747-400F
A Nippon Cargo Airlines Boeing 747-400F, part of a fleet built around long-haul main-deck freight out of Japan.
Shuttle Atlantis heads home on a modified 747
Space Shuttle Atlantis riding home atop a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft after landing away from Florida.
Shuttle Carrier
Space Shuttle Atlantis mounted on the NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, the modified 747 used to ferry orbiters across the United States.
SOFIA airborne over farmland
SOFIA in flight with its telescope door open, revealing the 2.5 metre infrared telescope carried in the rear fuselage.
SOFIA in its original gold scheme
SOFIA, the airborne infrared observatory built into a former United Airlines 747SP, seen in flight in NASA and DLR markings.
SOFIA under tow outside its hangar
SOFIA under tow outside its hangar, showing the converted 747SP that carried a 2.5 m infrared telescope.
Space Shuttle Carrier in flight with Space Shuttle
A NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in flight with an orbiter mounted on its back, escorted during a ferry leg.
Space Shuttle Carrier loading the Enterprise
Space Shuttle Enterprise being hoisted onto the NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft using the mate-demate device.
Space Shuttle Carriers (SCA)
NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, two heavily modified Boeing 747s fitted with orbiter mounts and additional tail fins.
Space Shuttle Discovery on its last flight aboard SCA
Space Shuttle Discovery on its final ferry flight aboard the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, en route to museum display.
The Inside of Air Force One
A cutaway diagram of Air Force One, showing the three decks of the VC-25A including the presidential suite and medical facilities.
The size of the Boeing 747-8
A diagram of the Boeing 747-8 fuselage stretch, marking the plugs added forward and aft of the wing compared with the 747-400.
The Size of the Boeing 747-8
How the 747-8 compares with the 747-400: the main external differences are wingspan and fuselage length, with near-identical height.
USAF Airborne Laser
The USAF Airborne Laser, a modified Boeing 747-400F carrying a megawatt-class chemical laser in a nose turret.
YAL-1A Airborne Laser
The YAL-1A Airborne Laser in flight, the prototype aircraft built to destroy ballistic missiles during their boost phase.