Boeing is set to roll its last 747 out of a Washington state factory on Tuesday after more than half a century.
The jumbo jet — which has taken on numerous roles as a cargo plane, a commercial aircraft capable of carrying nearly 500 passengers and as the Air Force One presidential aircraft — debuted in 1969. It was the largest commercial aircraft in the world and the first with two aisles, and it still towers over most other planes.
The 747’s design included a second deck extending from the cockpit back over the first third of the plane, giving it a distinctive hump that made the plane instantly recognizable and inspired a nickname, the Whale.
