The Boeing Dreamlifter is so big people are questioning the physics of take off
Published on Oct 20, 2023 at 5:51 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Oct 23, 2023 at 1:46 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Some things need to be seen to be believed – and the Boeing 747 Dreamlifter taking off is one of them.
The footage was captured at AirVenture air show held annually in Wisconsin, United States.
CHECK OUT THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE TAKE OFF IN THE VIDEO BELOW:
“The chunky 747 blasting out of AirVenture” the caption reads.
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The video was posted by Infinite Flight back in July and has since been viewed over 22 million times.
What’s captured on camera are crowds pointing their phones in the direction of the huge aircraft.
As the aircraft begins to move, it gathers speed before eventually lifting its wheels off the tarmac and heading skywards.
But commenters on the video can’t believe their eyes.
“I still can’t believe we can just fly any heavy object,” one said.
“Why does it look like it’s struggling?” another said.
“I’ll never understand the physics of how this thing can take flight,” a third said.
And they could be onto something – the stats of the world’s longest aircraft (71.7m or 235ft) are pretty amazing.
Standing at 21.5 m (70.5ft tall), it has a fuselage width of 8.4 m (27.5ft).
Its range when fully loaded is 4,200 nautical miles (7,778 km / 4,833 miles).
The Boeing 747 Dreamlifter was designed to transport components for the 787 Dreamliner from suppliers worldwide to US factories.
This was meant to be faster than shipping them.
Rather than the Boeing Dreamlifter being built from scratch, four existing passenger-configured 747-400s were converted.
The reconfiguration was done in Taiwan with Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation.
One came from Air China, another from Malaysia Airlines, and two from China Airlines.
The result? A specialized and striking aircraft with a bulging fuselage and spacious cargo compartment.
Its main cargo compartment has a volume of 1,840 cubic meters.
Its name: the Boeing 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF), otherwise known as the Dreamlifter.
After making its first test flight in 2007, today it transports parts between Boeing facilities.
They played a big part in transporting vital medical supplies during the COVID pandemic.
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London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.
