Happy Birthday to the Queen

ANSETT AUSTRALIA B747-312 VH-INJ (MSN 23029)

52 Years ago today the the very first 747 "Queen of the sky's" took to the air.

After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet 2½ times its size, to reduce its seat cost by 30% to democratize air travel. In 1965, Joe Sutter left the 737 development program to design the 747, the first twin aisle airliner. In April 1966, Pan Am ordered 25 747-100 aircraft and in late 1966, Pratt & Whitney agreed to develop its JT9D engine, a high-bypass turbofan. On September 30, 1968, the first 747 was rolled out of the custom-built Everett Plant, the largest building in the world by volume. The first flight took place on the 9th February 1969 and the 747 was certified in December of that year. It entered service with Pan Am on the 22nd January 1970; it was the first airplane dubbed a "Jumbo Jet".The 747 was initially powered by JT9D turbofan engines, then GE CF6 and Rolls-Royce RB211 engines for the original variants. Boeing introduced the 747-200 in 1971, with more powerful engines for a heavier maximum takeoff weight (MTOW). The 747 was shortened for the longer-range 747SP in 1976, and the 747-300 followed in 1983 with a stretched upper deck for up to 400 seats in three classes. The heavier 747-400 with improved RB-211 and CF6 versions, along with the PW4000 (the JT9D successor), and a two-crew glass cockpit, was introduced in 1989 and is the most common variant. After several studies, the stretched 747-8 was launched on the 14th November 2005, with new General Electric GEnx engines, and was first delivered in October 2011. The 747 is the basis for several government and military variants, such as the VC-25 (Air Force One) as pictured above in the banner, or the E-4 Emergency Airborne Command Post, and some experimental testbeds like the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
By June 2020, 1,556 aircraft had been built, with 15 747-8s remaining on order.
How many 747's were built and in what configuration

747-100
A total of 168 747-100s were built; 167 were delivered to customers, while Boeing kept the prototype, City of Everett.

747-100B
A total of 9 747-100Bs were built, (one for Iran Air and eight for Saudi Arabian Airlines)

747-SR

A total of 29 747SRs were built

747-SP

A total of 45 747SPs were built,

QANTAS B747-SP VH-EAA (MSN 22495)

747-200

A total of 393 747-200 were built. Of these, 225 were -200B, 73 were -200F, 13 were -200C, 78 were -200M, and 4 were military.

QANTAS B747-238B VH-EBN (MSN 21353)

747-300
A total of 81 747-300 were built (56 for passenger use, 21 -300M and 4 -300SR versions.)

747-400
A total of 694 747-400 were built. The -400 was offered in passenger (-400), freighter (-400F), combi (-400M), domestic (-400D), extended range passenger (-400ER), and extended range freighter (-400ERF) versions.

QANTAS B747-438 VH-OJS (MSN 25564)

747-LCF Dreamlifter

A total of 4 747-LCF were built

DREAMLIFTER B747-4HS N718BA (MSN 27042)

747-8
The 747-8 has received 153 total orders, including 106 for the -8F and 47 for the -8I as of June 2020.

CATHAY PACIFIC B747-867F B-LJG (MSN 39244)

As of 2020, 61 Boeing 747s have been lost in accidents, in which a total of 3,722 people have died.

Below are a few more "Queens" I have taken photos of

CHINA AIRLINES B747-409 B-18215 (MSN 33737)

AERO TRANS CARGO B747-412 ER-JAI (MSN 26562)

BRITISH AIRWAYS B747-436 G-BYGC (MSN 25823)

KOREAN AIR B747-8B5 HL7624 (MSN 37656)

NIPPON CARGO B747-8KZ JA14KZ (MSN 37394)

JAPAN AIR B747-246 JA8131 (MSN 21680)

CARGOLUX B747-8R7 LX-VCF (MSN 35811)

UNITED B747-422 N177UA (MSN 24384)

ATLAS AIR B747-47UF N492MC (MSN 29253)

KALITTA AIR B747-446 N743CK (MSN 26350)

SOUTHERN AIR B747-281 N783SA (MSN 23919)

KLM B747-406 PH-BFH (MSN 24518)

IRON MAIDEN B747-428 TF-AAK (MSN 32868)

AIR NEW ZEALAND B747-4F6 ZK-SUJ (MSN 27602)