A few days ago, we foretold of the Boeing event where they would release the new 747-8: Boeing’s largest airliner ever built. Well it happened, and Wired got some good pics at the event. The fly-by-wire plane still has to undergo further testing and log more flight hours. The fly-by-wire system is relatively new — earlier planes required mechanical linkage — and so a new law needed to pass in order for the system to be used. Fly-by-wire offers a lot of benefits including automatic vibration reduction, before the pilots even notice. The first flight of the intercontinental 747-8 will be at the end of March or early April. What this plane means for you, once it becomes certified, is a less-noisy, smoother trip from point A to point B. This plane is just unbelievable.
