• 

  Boeing

  Stock Code:

  BA

  Date Founded:

  1916-07-15

  CEO:

  Dave Calhoun

  Headquarters Location:

  Chicago, USA

  Key Product Lines:

  Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787

  Business Type:

  Planemaker

Pictured above is part of the record-breaking mural that adorns one side of Boeing's enormous Everett factory. The facility is the latest building in the world by volume, and is home to several of the US manufacturer's production lines. Simple Flying took a look around the facility, as well as the 737 factory, earlier this month.

747 production is winding down

Boeing produces its aircraft in several different locations, but a key part of its widebody production takes place in its enormous facility in Everett, Washington. Arguably the most iconic Boeing aircraft produced here is the 747 family, with the manufacturing of the jumbo jet having been ongoing for more than half a century.

Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests.

Today, the story of the 'Queen of the skies' is coming to an end, at least as far as production of the majestic quadjet is concerned. This is because Boeing has just three examples of the 747-8F left to deliver, with the third-last example pictured here. According to ATDB.aero, N861GT will be delivered to Atlas Air in July.

By the time production of the 747, which takes two months per aircraft, comes to a close, Boeing will have produced almost 1,600 examples of the quadjet across all variants. Of course, this doesn't mean that it will be gone from our skies any time soon, given the longer lifespans that cargo aircraft tend to experience.

The airline industry is always full of new developments! What aviation news will you check out next?

Other widebodies

Elsewhere in the Everett factory, more twin-aisle come to life in the form of Boeing's 777 family. The production line for this aircraft benefits from having no fixed tooling, and is currently making two 777s per month. Going forward, Boeing hopes to increase this production rate by 50%, allowing it to reach three per month.

Boeing works on the 777 all day, with three eight-hour shifts providing 24 hours of action per weekday. Work doesn't typically occur at the weekends, but Saturday and Sunday can act as a useful buffer period. While 787 production has been consolidated to North Charleston, South Carolina, the type's delivery pause means that several Dreamliners sit adjacent to the 777 lines awaiting inspection.

Where narrowbodies come to life

One aircraft type that the Everett factory isn't responsible for producing is the 737 family, with MAX production instead taking place around 37 miles (60 km) to the south in Renton, Washington. This factory, which also used to produce aircraft from Boeing's famous 757 family, is situated adjacent to Renton Municipal Airport (RNT).

This factory uses the same three-shift pattern as its counterpart in Everett, with most of the critical movement taking place in the third of these each day. It features three production lines, of which two are currently operational, and aircraft are moved between them with a roof-mounted crane. Pending parts and staff availability, Boeing hopes to increase 737 MAX production to 31 aircraft per month.

What do you make of Boeing's various factory lines? Have you ever visited any of these facilities? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!