The Boeing 747, also known as the “Queen of the Skies,” is one of the most recognizable aircraft in commercial aviation. Its distinctive feature is the bulge at the front of the fuselage, commonly referred to as the “hump.” But how has this design element changed throughout the evolution of the 747?
The origin of the hump is tied to the Boeing 747’s initial role as a cargo aircraft. Placing the cockpit on a second level allowed the nose of the aircraft to open for cargo loading.
In its first incarnation, the Boeing 747-100 had a teardrop-shaped hump that housed the cockpit and a lounge for premium-class passengers. However, airlines preferred to use this space for passenger seating, prompting Boeing to replace the original three windows on each side with ten.
In the Boeing 747-200 series, the upper deck’s ten windows became a standard feature rather than a modification, and the hump was slightly extended to comfortably accommodate up to 16 passengers.
With the Boeing 747-300, the upper deck was extended again by almost 7 meters, which also included the addition of emergency exit doors. Interestingly, Boeing offered the option to retrofit this extension into the earlier two series.
The Boeing 747-400 passenger version retained the same size hump as the 747-300 series, but the cargo version maintained the original hump from the 747-100.
The latest version, the Boeing 747-8, was the first to be stretched beyond the length of the 747-400. The upper deck was further lengthened, the staircase was made more compact, and the seating capacity was increased. However, the cargo version of the 747-8 still features the smaller hump.
