Biggest Boeing 747 ever takes to the sky

EVERETT, Wash. -  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.

The company said the plane performed well during tests at Paine Field on Saturday.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes spokesman Tim Bader says pilots taxied the plane at low and high speeds, reaching a top speed of 103.5 mph.

Boeing has slightly more than 100 orders for the freighter, a small number due to the sour economy.

"It's really not very good," said aviation industry analyst Scott Hamilton. "We have to remember that the program was launched prior to the global recession.

While Boeing also plans a passenger version of the plane, the focus is on the world cargo market.

According to Hamilton, the 747-8 fills a niche market; that of supplying cargo on demand.

"So that companies don't have millions or billions of dollars of inventory sitting on the shelf," Hamilton said. "They will have the parts shipped just in time to be put into installation into the production line. This is where an air cargo fleet can really help."

The new jet is the largest Boeing has ever built, at 250 feet long. That's about 18 feet longer than the existing 747-400 jumbo jet and more than twice the length of the Wright Brothers' first flight.

The aircraft has a new wing design and the 747-8 is 16 percent more fuel efficient than its predecessor, the 747-400. Boeing is hoping the larger sized aircraft will compete well against Airbus' A380.

If all goes well with the maiden flight, the 747-8 will be flown to Moses Lake for further testing. Boeing is also said to have two additional 747-8 cargo planes which are expected to be added to the test-flight program within the next few weeks.