The shiny new Boeing 747-8 made its air show debut today at Paris, and parked up just opposite an elder sibling - a 1972 vintage Air France 747-100 (F-BPVJ) which is an exhibit at the Le Bourget museum.
No doubt Airbus wags won't be able to resist the temptation to point out that the 747 is such an old design that the original queen of the skies is already a museum piece. But the reality is that Airbus would surely love its A380 orders to match even the number of 747s that have already passed into retirement!
The US manufacturer, which is exhibiting both the 747-8I passenger model and 747-8F freighter at the show during the week, has delivered 1,418 747s of all variants, and aims to start shipping the new model this year.
Just for fun (!), here's a comparison of old and new 747s at Le Bourget - focused on the areas of difference (beyond the obvious fuselage stretch). These include the cockpit, wingtips, trailing edge, main landing gear doors and wing/body fairing. Enjoy...
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