[Batrachian]

I find it amazing that a 1960s design like the 747 can be economically viable today. It really shows the quality of the original design, which was actually a military cargo craft design, but when the Air Force went with the C-5 instead, Boeing sold it to the airlines. The rest, as they say, is history.

Well, DC-3s are still flying, too.

[Chode]

i've said it before, if you built brandy new DC-3's today with all new avionics etc., they would sell...

[freedumb2003]

I find it amazing that a 1960s design like the 747 can be economically viable today. It really shows the quality of the original design

The designs that came out of the 60's and 70's continue to operate and astound:

• SR 71 Blackbird (c 1966)
• F-15 Eagle (c 1973)
• F-14 Tomcat (c 1972)
• F-16 Falcon (c 1976)
• F-10 Thunderbolt (c 1976)
• B-52 StratoFortress (c 1955!)

Of course the very, very latest (F-117, F-22, F-35) finally can surpass these, but not by that much. The bulk of our aerial superiority lie in these 20-30 year old designs and of course, more importantly, the 20-30 something year old pilots, the best in the world, who fly them.