I was on a very early 747 Chicago to Toyko, the movie projector had issues, we made a VERY QUICK stop at Boeing Field and picked up repair technicians, about two minutes of not rolling and took off!
Also a flight from Toyko to LA(?) with about one hundred Vietnamese babies!
Chuck Yeager is credited with being the first pilot to break the speed of sound but that record has since been modified to include the caveat, “in level flight”. The reason for this is that a German Me-262 pilot is acknowledged to have broken the sound barrier during the war, but did so while diving his plane.
Aviation Ping!.....................
As long as the topic is exploring the 747 speed envelope,
what’s the slowest speed for a 747?
I’m of the understanding it’s in the ballpark of 110 knots.
Of course, the actual stall speed depends of gross weight, vintage, configuration, flaps/gear....
I have a copy of the original word perfect draft of tex johnsons biography as it was before being edited and several chapters cut out by the publisher
“Scotty, give me another two percent!”
“I’m giving you all she’s got, captain!”
“This is not logical...”
“STFU, Spok”
Air Force 1 will break the sound barrier in a dive and has a cruise of 630 knots with a takeoff weight of 830,000 pounds
18 degree dive in a 747.
The things boys do for fun.
Pulling it back to level flight must have been memorable.
China Airlines Flight 006.
Allegedly supersonic and 5G’s in the dive recovery.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Airlines_Flight_006