747
by Joseph F. Sutter, Joe Sutter, Jay Spenser · first published 2006
6mentions
5recommended by
6HN commenters
2013–2025first – last mentioned
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Firsthand account by the 747's lead engineer and program manager, covering design decisions, engine and wing problems, and how safety, redundancy and testing were handled. Suits engineers and the curious.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Would highly recommend this book by Joe Sutter the engineering leader for the 747 program: http://www.amazon.com/747-Creating-Worlds-Adventures-Aviatio...
on “Fry's Electronics owns and operates a rare 747SP” ↗…written the specs that must be adhered to by all equipment producers, and, once the FAA approves those specs and procedures, ensures that they are followed. This book gets into how this worked with the 747: https://www.amazon.com/747-Creating-Worlds-Adventures-Aviati...
on “Boeing's folding wingtips get the FAA green light” ↗IIRC, they had a lot of problems with engine failures, as the 747 really pushed engine technology and size at the time. Joe Sutter's book [1] is an interesting look at the history of the 747 design (he was the lead designer). There was also an issue with the wing resonating,…
on “US FAA Grounds Boeing 787 Over Battery Concerns” ↗Perhaps 747: Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet and Other Adventures from a Life in Aviation https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0060882425
on “Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?” ↗Joe Sutter, lead engineer and PM for the 747, wrote a nice autobiography "747: Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet" https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060882425/ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1267151.747 The considerations for redundancy, safety,…
on “As the 747 Begins Its Final Approach, a Pilot Takes a Flight Down Memory Lane” ↗Am not OP, but wondering if the book being referred to is '747: Creating the World's First Jumbo Jet' by Joe Sutter. Sutter was one of the people who led the design of 747.
on “Boeing has started working on a 737 MAX replacement” ↗