Boeing 747-400 vs. 747-8: The Final Two Jumbo Jet Series Compared

With the recent end of 747 production, I thought it would be interesting to take a look and compare the last two 747 series – the 747-400 and the 747-8 to see where they differ and where the similarities lay.

In launching the 747-8 to extend the commercial life of the 747, Boeing had to find the right balance between ensuring commonality with previous 747 variants (in particular the 747-400) and changing, improving, and upgrading the aircraft’s design and operational performance. While the former as was important to the airlines that already operated the 747 such as Lufthansa and Korean Air, the latter was needed to make the 747-8 an attractive proposition for airlines looking to buy new high-capacity aircraft.

In this article, I will look into the physical characteristics of these two variants, compare operating performance statistics such as range, and reveal how many deliveries were made of each series.

History

The development of the 747-400 began in 1985 and it first entered service in February 1989 with Northwest Airlines.

The 747-400 was offered in passenger (747-400), freighter (747-400F), combi (747-400M), domestic (747-400D), extended-range passenger (747-400ER), and extended-range freighter (-400ERF) versions. The 747-400D was built for short-range operations with maximum seating for more than 600 passengers.

The longer-range 747-400ER went into service in late 2000 with Qantas; the only 747-400ER customer. The 747-400ER is the same size as the 747-400 but has a slightly longer range with an auxiliary fuel tank in the forward cargo hold and an option for a second tank. The combi version entered service in September 1989 with KLM, while the freighter version entered service in November 1993 with Cargolux.

The 747-400ERF entered service with Air France in October 2002. In January 2004, Boeing and Cathay Pacific launched the Boeing 747 Converted Freighter (BCF), to modify passenger 747-400s for cargo use. The first 747-400BCF was delivered in December 2005.

The last passenger version of the 747-400 was delivered in April 2005 to China Airlines, whilst the last 747-400F and 747-400ERF aircraft were delivered in 2009.

In November 2005, Boeing announced it was launching the 747-8 – the stretched fuselage and longer wingspan 747-8 Intercontinental (747-8I) passenger aircraft and the 747-8 Freighter (747-8F). The 747-8 was designed to be quieter, more economical, and more environmentally friendly than comparable aircraft.

The 747-8F made its maiden flight in February 2010 and the first delivery went to Cargolux in October 2011. The first 747-8I took its maiden flight in March 2011 and the first customer delivery was in early 2012 to Lufthansa. The final 747-8 was delivered to Atlas Air on January 31, 2023.

Dimensions

From a distance, the aircraft in these two 747 series look very similar, as you would expect. However, there are some subtle differences between the two.

The 747-8 has a longer wingspan and a longer fuselage. There’s also a key difference to bear in mind between the freighter and passenger variants of these two 747 series. In both cases, the freighter versions maintain the original ‘short’ upper deck first seen way back in the 747-100, whereas the passenger variants feature extended upper decks, with the 747-8I upper deck longer than the 747-400 upper deck.

The upper deck of the 747-8I has 26 windows on each side compared to just 10 on the 747-400. Lufthansa, one of 747-8I’s key customers, has fitted out the upper deck of its 747-8Is with 32 lie-flat business class seats. In contrast, the upper deck of Lufthansa’s 747-400s is fitted out with 22 lie-flat business class seats.

The two variants also have differing:

• Wingspan – The 747-8 has an additional 3.5m of wingspan to give an overall wingspan of 68.4m compared to 64.9m for the 747-400.
• Length – With a 76.3m long fuselage the 747-8 is 5.6m longer than the 747-400’s fuselage which measures 70.7m. Both the 747-8I and the 747-8F have a 1.5m fuselage insert after the wings and a 4.1m insert forward of the wings. The 747-8I forward fuselage insert allows the upper deck to be extended whereas the 747-8F forward insert is closer to the wings.

These bigger dimensions for the 747-8 result in either a higher passenger capacity or a higher cargo capacity compared to the 747-400. The 747-8I offers up to 66 additional seats compared to the 747-400 passenger variants (60 economy and 6 business class). The 747-8I offers 16% more revenue cargo volume than the 747 freighter variants.

Other visible differences include the engine cowlings of the 747-8 that have serrated edges, similar to the 787 Dreamliner and the 737MAX. Also, there are no winglets on the 747-8 as the 747-8 has raked wingtips. Winglets were included on many of the 747-400 variants. Not so visible is the tail height difference between these two 747 variants, the 747-400 is around 0.1m taller than the 747-8; that’s imperceptible to the naked eye.

Internally, there are some differences too.

Whilst both the 747-400 and the 747-8I have conventional straight staircases to the upper deck positioned so that they appear at the rear of the upper deck cabin, the 747-8I staircase provides a more welcoming experience with its dedicated two windows as you rise the staircase. The staircases on the 747-8I and the 747-400 are a far cry from the spiral staircases that were first seen on early 747 variants.

Apart from its new staircase, the 747-8I also features new inflight entertainment technology, greater headroom for passengers, sculpted ceilings, bigger overhead bins, dynamic LED lighting, and new 787-style toilets.

Range

Let’s take a look at the ranges and MTOWs of the 747-8 variants and the longer-range, most recent 747-400 passenger and freighter variants:

Series/Variant	MTOW	Range
747-400
747-400ER	412.8 tonnes	7,670nmi (14,205km)
747-400ERF		4,985nmi (9,230km)
747-8
747-8I	447.7 tonnes	7,730nmi (14,320km)
747-8F		4,265nmi (7,899km)

Variants

The 747-400 series is characterized by a variety of variants, including three different passenger variants and three different original freighter variants (including the combi variant). On the other hand, the 747-8 was available in only one passenger version (the 747-8I) and one freighter version (the 747-8F).

A 747-8 business/corporate jet was also available, and it appears that around 17% of the total 747-8I orders were for corporate/VIP customers.

Series	Variant/Sub-Variant	Type	Entry into Service
747-400	747-400	Passenger	1989
	747-400M	Combi	1989
	747-400D	Passenger	1991
	747-400F	Freighter	1993
	747-400ER	Passenger	2002
	747-400ERF	Freighter	2002
	747-400BCF	Converted freighter	2005
747-8	747-8I	Passenger	2012
	747-8F	Freighter	2011
	747-8BBJ	Business Jet	2012

Deliveries

There’s a big difference between the 747-400 and the 747-8 when it comes to deliveries. The 747-400 series was the most popular of all 747 series accounting for 44% of all 747 deliveries (694 aircraft). In contrast, the 747-8 accounted for just 10% of all 747 deliveries (155 aircraft).

One interesting key difference between the 747-400 and the 747-8 deliveries relates to the proportion of passenger variants delivered compared to the proportions of freighter variants delivered. Around two-thirds of all 747-8 deliveries were freighters, whereas the situation is reversed with the 747-400 series where around one-third of deliveries were freighters.

The 747-8F has been particularly popular with large air cargo operators such as UPS. UPS alone was responsible for 18% of all 747-8 orders, and 26% of all 747-8F orders.

For the 747-400 series the top customers for the passenger variants included many of the world’s major full-service international airlines such as All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and United Airlines.

The 747-8I’s airline customer base was more limited and consisted only of Air China, Korean Air, and Lufthansa.

Engines

The 747-400 had three engine options from General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce. However, Boeing offered only General Electric GEnx engines on the 747-8; these are the same engines used on the 787 Dreamliner.

The GEnx engines are slightly more powerful than the 747-400 engine options as shown in the table below:

Manufacturer	Engine Type	Engine Thrust
747-400
Pratt & Whitney	PW4062	63,300lb (281.6kN)
Rolls Royce	RB211-524H2-T	59,500lb (264.7kN)
General Electric	CF6-80C2B5F	62,100lb (276.2kN)
747-8
General Electric	GEnx-2B67	66,500lb (296kN)

According to Boeing, the 747-8 engines are better for the environment. They reduce carbon emissions by 16% and are more fuel-efficient (on a per-seat basis) than the 747-400. They are also quieter than previous engine types, resulting in a 30% smaller noise footprint.

Wings

Boeing more or less introduced a new wing design for the 747-8.The 747-8 wings incorporate double-slotted trailing edge flaps (inboard) and single-slotted flaps (outboard) compared to triple-slotted flaps on the 747-400.

The most visible difference between the two wing designs is the raked wingtips seen on the 747-8 which result in a longer wingspan compared to the 747-400 which is equipped with winglets.

There are also modified leading edges and re-twisting and re-lofting of the 747-8 wing design. The resulting overall 747-8 wing area is 554m² compared to 525m² for the 747-400.

Cockpit Technology

The 747-8 cockpit has had a significant upgrade in terms of technology.

The improvements include Vertical Situation Display (VSD) which gives the pilots a clear view of the aircraft’s flight path, an upgraded Flight Management Computer (FMC), Airport Moving Map (AMM) technology which provides electronic maps of airport taxiways, runways, and gates, and LCD screen technology to replace the cathode-ray-tube screens seen in the 747-400 cockpit.

Similarities

The 747-8 is more efficient and more technologically advanced than the 747-400. However, the 747-8 is an evolution of the 747-400 and so many similarities remain. These similarities include:

• A common type rating
• 2-pilot cockpit crew
• 6.5m fuselage width
• 6.1m cabin width
• 43,000ft (13,000m) service ceiling
• Mach 0.92 maximum speed at35,000ft

The 747-400 and 747-8 also share many common ground servicing characteristics. Both freighter versions have nose-door loading capability and these aircraft can be serviced by many of the same cargo-handling ground equipment vehicles. Ground-support equipment such as pneumatic start carts, ground power units, potable water, and lavatory service carts are also common to both the 747-8I and the 747-400 passenger variants.

The tow tractors (tugs) that are used for the 747-400 can also be used to pull the 747-8. However, as the 747-8 has a higher MTOW compared to the 747-400, it requires a stronger towbar. And, because the 747-8 has a larger nose-landing-gear tire compared to the 747-400 it cannot be towed by towbarless tugs.

Summary

So, from a distance, it might not be immediately clear whether you are looking at a 747-8 or a 747-400, especially if the aircraft is a passenger variant. As the aircraft comes closer into view the ‘tell-tale’ longer upper deck of the 747-8I will give the game away.

However, this does not mean that Boeing has not made significant changes and advances with the 747-8. Aside from the longer wingspan and the longer fuselage, there are many more subtle changes that are part of the 747-8 design including different engines, interior design changes, cockpit technologies, performance improvements, and improved wing designs.

In summary, the 747-8 is a significant evolution of the 747-400 but retains many of the familiar and well-loved features of the 747-400.