World’s First Boeing 747 Restored to Original Splendor

The restoration of the original Boeing 747 included repainting, reupholstering the interior and rebuilding test equipment present on the first flight.

The world’s first Boeing 747 has found renewed life, thanks to the Museum of Flight in Seattle. USA Today reports the recently reopened relic has been restored to its first flight splendor, with no detail overlooked.

The original 747, dubbed RA001 by its creators, served as the prototype for what would become the world’s best-selling jumbo jet. Since the first flight on February 9, 1969, Boeing has sold over 1,500 747s around the world. According to USA Today, RA001 was retired in 1993, after completing 12,000 flights. Since then, the aircraft was left to slowly decay.

In 2012, the Museum of Flight approved the restoration project, to bring RA001 back to original glory. Over 60 gallons of paint were used to repaint the original 747 in the original livery, while teams worked on reconstructing the original test equipment in the aircraft. From dated computer equipment, to upholstery in the original upper lounge, crews worked to recreate every detail as the aircraft would have flown in 1969.

The restored aircraft was opened to the public in October, with high reviews from visitors. “To be able to be standing here today in this airplane is just mind-boggling,” aviation enthusiast David-George Dauphinee told USA Today, praising the museum’s “phenomenal” restoration.

The restoration marks the first step in permanently preserving RA001 for future generations. The museum has plans to build a shelter over the original 747, in order to protect the airplane from the Pacific Northwest elements. Completion of the shelter is projected for 2016.

 [Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA Today]