EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — The biggest plane Boeing Co. has ever built has taken off on its first flight.
The 747-8 freighter lifted off from Paine Field in Everett at 12:39 p.m. Monday — one day short of the 41st anniversary of the first flight of the initial model of the 747.
The 747-8 is 250 feet long — about 18 feet longer than current 747s — and has new wings, engines and technology to make it more fuel-efficient. The new freighter is expected to enter service late this year, while a passenger version is due for delivery in late 2011.
