Here's why Boeing 747s have a giant hump in the front
Here's why Boeing 747s have a giant hump in the front.
The Boeing 747 is one of the most recognizable aircraft. One reason for that — besides its popularity — is its distinctive hump on the roof. The hump was an innovative solution to a design challenge. Following is a transcript of the video.
Turns out, that hump has been around since the '60s. Back then, everyone was excited about supersonic commercial flight, which could have taken you from NY to Paris in a few hours. A Boeing 747 that took 9 hours for the same trip would soon become obsolete.
So, the Boeing company planned ahead with its 747 model. The plane was designed for both passengers and cargo, so if passengers stopped flying it, the 747 was still useful. That's where the iconic hump comes in. Engineers decided to turn the front of the plane into a giant door. The nose would open up, making it easy to load tall cargo.
But there was just one problem: The cockpit was located over the nose. So, it was moved to a second deck. The extra space, behind the cockpit, was initially reserved for first-class passengers and had a full bar and lounge until the 1973 fuel crisis.