REVELL

Boeing 747-8F Cargolux LX-VCF ‘Facemask’

- Andy McCabe

Kit No: 03836

Scale: 1/144

Type: Injection Moulded Plastic

Manufacturer: Revell

www.revell.de

The Boeing 747-8 is the fourth generation of the Boeing 747 that first flew way back in1969. Subsequent updates included lengthening the fuselage and upper passenger cabin, improved engines and avionics, and winglets. The 747-8 has been further stretched by 5.6m to give an overall fuselage length of 76.25m. Two versions have been launched, the 747-8F Freighter and the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger airliner.

The major change to the 747-400 version is to the wings, which have been completely redesigned - although the basic structure and sweep has been kept the wings are now thicker and deeper, which increases the fuel capacity. Other noticeable differences to the wings are the omission of the wingtip winglets in favour of the raked wingtips as featured on the 787. The 747-8 features 4 x General Electric GEnx Engines, which are currently the only engine type available for the aircraft.

The first flight of the 747-8F Freighter took place from Paine Field in Washington on 8th February 2010, the 747-8i passenger version having its first flight from Everett, Washington, on 20th March 2011.

The 747-8F received orders from Luxembourg-based Cargo Company Cargolux for four aircraft in November 2005 with the company receiving its first aircraft on 12th October 2011. Cargolux have ordered fourteen of these aircraft and so far twelve have been delivered. Due to the consequences of COVID and the downturn in air travel, there has been a rapid rate of retirement for operators of 747s globally and freight haulers are now becoming the predominant users of the aircraft.