Boeing 747-100

The Boeing 747 is an American jet airliner with a wide fuselage, often referred to by its nickname, Jumbo Jet or Queen of the Skies. Its characteristic « hump » at the front of the fuselage make the 747 a particularly recognizable device. The 747 is also the first wide-fuselage airliner aircraft produced. Built in the United States by the Boeing Group, the initial version of the 747 has a capacity two and a half times that of the Boeing 707, which is one of the major commercial aircraft of the 1960s. Put into service in 1970, the 747 held the passenger capacity record for 37 years, until the arrival of the Airbus A380.

The first edition of the jumbo jet, the 747-100, came out of the Everett assembly line (this factory was then the largest ever built) for a first flight on February 9, 1969 and certification in December of the same year. The 747-100 entered service in January 1970 for its first customer, Pan American World Airways. An evolution of the aircraft mass, the thrust of the engines and its range of action allowed the construction of the 747-100B. This evolution occurred as the 747-200 was already in production. In fact, only 9 copies of the 747-100B were built. Another variant of the 747-100, the 747-100SR (Short Range) is optimized for very short flights: with a capacity of 550 passengers, it is used on domestic flights in Japan.

Base 100 Series aircraft can travel just over 9,000 km on a full charge. The last aircraft delivered in this version was for the Japanese airline Japan Airlines in September 1986. The 747-100 passenger version can be distinguished from other versions by its upper deck, sometimes having only three portholes (a system of removable covers, the classic row of portholes also meeting). Some 747-100 had a second life after a modification to Special Freighter, a version never declined by Boeing. The entire cabin is equipped for cargo transport and a cargo side door is installed on the left side, between passenger doors 4 and 5. This type of aircraft does not have a nose door.

This is the forward section of a detailed model depicting the interior and exterior layout of a Boeing 747 in the original British Airways livery, built at a large scale to showcase the cabin, cockpit, and various passenger areas. The level of accuracy is high, with each zone faithfully represented according to the airline’s 1970s–1980s design, including furnishings, décor, crew members, and passengers in realistic settings.

Detailed image description

• The images show the interior of the model: the passenger cabin, the main lounge on the upper deck, the cockpit fully equipped with instruments, the blue leather first-class seats, beige pleated curtain partitions typical of the era, stairways leading to the upper deck, and crew members in uniform.
• The cockpit features three crew seats and a complete set of flight instruments.
• The upper-deck lounge/club areas include individual armchairs and sofas, arranged in a retro-luxury atmosphere, with a bar service area.
• The numerous passenger seats are arranged in the original Boeing 747 BA configuration, with accurately reproduced armrests and upholstery colors.
• Figurines of passengers and flight attendants are placed throughout all sections to simulate an in-flight scene.
• The exterior of the model faithfully reproduces the 747’s nose section, window layout, main entry door, landing gear, and the British Airways livery featuring the “Speedbird” logo.

Model dimensions at 1/16 scale

At 1/16 scale, this model is remarkably large. Based on the length of an actual Boeing 747 (approximately 70.6 m for a 747-100), the model’s dimensions would be approximately:

• Length: 4.41 meters
• Wingspan: 4.24 meters

The height would be proportionate (about 1.35 m for a real aircraft height of 16 m), so the model would stand around 1 meter tall. Such an exhibit is typically used in museums, air shows, or for training purposes.

This model is a true historical collector’s piece, showcasing with great precision the luxury and ingenuity of the Boeing 747’s cabin layout in the golden age of British Airways.

Boeing 747-100 BRITISH AIRWAYS Modèle de section de nez coupé à l’échelle 1/16ème