Boeing 747-400 (AirlinerTech Series, Vol. 10) (Paperback)

by Robert F Dorr (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Boeing 747-400 is the transformed version of the airliner that changed the world. In many ways, it is a new aircraft rather than a development of the widebody "jumbo jet" that brought air travel to the everyday citizen. With an outer shell that dates to the mid-1980s and an interior that reflects a digital revolution and a new century, the 747-400 is a complex and smoothly functioning thing of beauty. Many regard the 747-400 as the most majestic flying machine to grace the skies.

This volume includes extensive technical information on the 747-400, including construction photos, details, and illustrations from tech manuals. It also includes information on 747-400 variants for the cargo industry and military, including the Air Force's YAL-A1, a platform for a prototype antiballistic-missile laser. Airlines that use the 400 are profiled, and an appendix includes a roster of all 591 400s built, listing type, line number, registration, and operator.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Specialty Press (December 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580070558
• ISBN-13: 978-1580070553
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,483,873 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 10 in The AirlinerTech Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the "Queen of the skies" in deep detail, February 28, 2004

By	Marco De Montis "de_montis" (Italy) - See all my reviews

This title in the excellent "Airlinertech" series, is a very deep analysis into the complex systems and updated technologies of the 747-400, a true "Queen of the skies". The book is very interesting, especially from the technical point of view, with many diagrams, explanation of the major systems and nice photos (I particularly like the production line shots, by the famed James Goodall). I would rather like more production line shots and less of the usual airport photos,together with a more in deep analysis of the engines, but otherwise, this is a very nice book, particularly on the "good value for money" aspect.
I hope Specialty Press will continue with this good technical standard.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good General Overview Of The 747-400, December 5, 2005

By	Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I generally like the "Airliner Tech" series, and this volume is no exception. The book is a concise monograph on the pride of Boeing, the 747-400 series. Robert Dorr writes authoritatively on the history of the program and discusses all significant variants, including unbuilt variants, and even the ultra-obscure YAL-1. There is a very nice chapter of beautiful color photographs that enthusiasts of the 400 will love, and a production list that is useful for identifying aircraft by tail number, should you be so inclined.

The book is very strong on program history and coverage of variants, and attempts a discussion of technical points with modest success. The first chapter (which traces a sample long-range flight) is generally accurate with a few minor (largely procedural) discrepancies. The discussion of aircraft systems contains, like a previous reviewer noted, a number of errors which are trivial for general enthusiasts, but which could have easily been corrected with proofreading from a pilot or ground school instructor experienced on the 400. (In the interest of full disclosure here, I have a B-747-4[00] type rating, and have also instructed on the aircraft, which may serve to make me pickier than many.) Make no mistake though, I think this is a fine book overall, inasmuch as the errors will not be noticed except by people already intimately familiar with the aircraft, and who are unlikely to read the book for technical data.

This book is a fine introduction to the 747-400, and I look forward to other books in the series. What the book lacks in technical perfection is easily overcome in quality of production, photography, and value. I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the Queen of Boeing's fleet.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive, August 17, 2002

By	Clive Fouche (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having read the previous book in the Airliner Tech Series dealing with the 747-100/200-300/SP as well as other books on the famous Jumbo Jet I will say that for some one looking for technical details this is a good book to read. Being an engineer and having worked on both the 747-200 and -400 I noticed that a lot of the technical drawings are taken directly from the Boeing manuals. As with the book covering the 747-100/200/300/SP this book had a number of printing errors and omissions that Specialty Press needs to be a bit more carefull about, something I found highly annoying. For somebody keen on modelling this book would be a great research tool.