Boeing 747-8i first flight takeoff
The 747-8 Intercontinental taking off on its first flight.
The 747-8 Intercontinental lifting off from Paine Field on its maiden flight, 20 March 2011.
The orange and red scheme was used throughout the flight test programme. More on the first flight.
Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental in orange and red livery lifting off on its first flight
Related topics
747-8 Intercontinental first flight video
Footage of the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental leaving Paine Field on its maiden flight on 20 March 2011.
The 747-8 Intercontinental first flight
The 747-8 Intercontinental made its maiden flight from Paine Field on 20 March 2011, a year after the freighter first flew.
Boeing 747-400 vs 747-8
The 747-8 is bigger, heavier and quieter than the 747-400, with a new wing, GEnx-2B engines and a stretched fuselage - but it sells a fraction as well.
Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental vs 747-8F
The 747-8I and 747-8F share an engine, a wing and a weight, but split on the upper deck, the nose door and what they are built to haul.
Launching the 747-8 Intercontinental
Boeing launched the 747-8 family in November 2005, and Lufthansa became the first airline to order the passenger Intercontinental in December 2006.
Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental: Technical Specifications
The 747-8 Intercontinental was the passenger 747-8, with a lengthened fuselage and new wing. Lufthansa was its only major airline customer.
More in Photo Album
Photo Album
Photographs of every major Boeing 747 variant and special-mission jumbo - airline service, freight, Air Force One, the Dreamlifter and SOFIA.
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.