The Last 747

[B.Butler]

Has departed the Everett factory. Nice appreciation from the Seattle Times here.

[Stephanie Belser]

Fifty-five years is a good production run. Think back about what airplanes were being made 55 years before Boeing began cutting metal on 747s.

[Russell Holton]

Fifty-five years is a good production run.

I think there were quite a few models that went from first flight to completely retired in a span of 55 years.

[B.Butler]

Think back about what airplanes were being made 55 years before Boeing began cutting metal on 747s.

[Terry Carraway]

I just Googled longest production run for aircraft. The requirement was, less than 1 decade production hiatis.

Cub. Counting the current crop of Cub copies, 1930 to today.

Longest production run by a single manufacturer - Bonanza, 1947 to current

Another long one is the AN--2, 1947 to 2001, but a turbo prop variant, AN-3, is still being produced.

Honorable mention is the C-130. 1954 to current, but only 2300 built.

Rotary win g-- UH-1 Huey, 1959 to current.

[B.Butler]

DC-3/R4D/C47/Dakota/R4Q/C117/BT67 all count as one marque? If so, 1935 to present. Longer if you count DC-2.

[Terry Carraway]

BT67 is REmanufactured. So not really new aircraft.

[B.Butler]

BT67 is REmanufactured. So not really new aircraft.

Hmmm... if you are gonna count the Pseudo-Cubs and the AN-3, I think I have a case.

[Terry Carraway]

AN-3 can make a case that it really is a - number change. Same airframe, different engine. New construction.

[Tom Charlton]

I just Googled longest production run for aircraft.

One of my faves:
The twin bitch, er I mean, the Beechcraft model 18: 1937–1970. (33 years)
I think back in its day it was a production longevity record.

Regards,
Tom Charlton

[Bill Bridges]

One of my faves:
The twin bitch, er I mean, the Beechcraft model 18: 1937–1970. (33 years)
I think back in its day it was a production longevity record.

Regards,
Tom Charlton

Tom,

I was setting on the ramp at Phu Bai in December, 1971. It was dark (about 19:00) and raining. While I'm setting there one of the Air America BE-18's (the were dark blue) taxies on to the ramp, the door opens and a guy gets out an walks toward the operations center. The guy had on a wide-brim fedora and long trench coat and was carrying a large brief case. For an instance I thought I was in some kind of time warp and that was Humphrey Bogart getting off the plane.

Stuff like this starts happening to a person when they've spent too much time in an assault helicopter company. ROFL

[Tom Charlton]

For an instance I thought I was in some kind of time warp and that was Humphrey Bogart getting off the plane.

Likely one of many unknowable mysteries?<G>.

Stuff like this starts happening to a person when they've spent too much time in an assault helicopter company. ROFL

Thanks for being there. Except for one afternoon, Formosa was as close as I got where I wrenched on C-130s

Regards,
Tom Charlton