Joe Sutter lead the team that designed the most significant aeroplane since the Wright brothers. This was during a time when America the good still prevailed. Remarkably from napkin drawing to finished product the plane was produced in just 29 months. All without computer, just paper and slide rulers. Contrast this to the 787 which took 5 years despite Star Trek technology. The 787 claim to fame is really only the use of Carbon fibre.
The 747 was twice as big as any passenger plane that came before it, had a globe trotting ability and pioneered two commercial design features that have dictated airplane design since. ( Widebody and hanging engines) Ed Note, the B-47 bomber had hanging engines and its likely the design came from operation paperclip.
I flew millions of miles in Joe Sutter's planes and am forever in his debt.
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