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Commemorative Tattoo for the 40th Anniversary of the Boeing 747 Airliner First Flight

Posted on February 15, 2009

Easily the world’s most recognizable airliner – the Boeing 747 turned 40 years old on February 9th. On that day in 1969, test pilots Jack Waddell and Brien Wygle took the aircraft aloft from the new Boeing facility built specifically for the 747 at Paine Field in Everett, WA.

Being the aircraft that inspired the term “Jumbo Jet”, the 747 revolutionized high-volume passenger air travel and continues to be operated on long-haul routes worldwide by many airlines. The latest commercially produced version, the 747-400, concluded production in 2009 and Boeing is currently re-evaluating the 747-8 program which would continue the line, but the current economy may stall or cancel the program.

One of the most famous 747′s, Air Force One – the aircraft of the president of the United States, made the news this past week as President Barack Obama took his first trip aboard the aircraft to an event in Williamsburg, VA. There has been talk of a possible replacement of SAM 28000 and 29000 — the specially designed 747-200B aircraft, and some believed the Airbus A380 would be a possible option. EADS (manufacturer of the A380) has stated that it will not bid, which leaves only Boeing with the 747 as the option for a replacement ship.

Today’s tattoo features the Boeing 747 and ironically comes to us from an artist in Russia — home of the Antonov An-225 Mriya — an aircraft ranked with the 747 as one of the largest aircraft ever built. Artist Andrey Smolentsev of Mir Tattoo in Moscow, Russia created the beautiful tribute piece to the jumbo jet for us to admire today.

Please click on the image above or the link below for a larger image.

Click the above image for the full-size photo.

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