Retired 747-400 HL7489 goes on display in Los Angeles
Key officials from the California Science Center and Boeing, including Cho Won-tae, Chairman of Hanjin Group (fourth from left), and Jeffrey Rudolph, CEO of the California Science Center (third from left), attending the ceremony. (Photo=Korean Air)
A Boeing 747-400 aircraft donated by Korean Air to the California Science Center was unveiled for the first time on May 12 (local time).
The California Science Center held a commemorative ceremony at the ‘Korean Air Aviation Gallery’ on the same day. The event was attended by Cho Won-tae, Chairman of Hanjin Group, and Jeffrey Rudolph, the Center’s CEO.
Cho Won-tae, Chairman of Hanjin Group, stated, “For over 50 years, Los Angeles has been like a second home to Korean Air. Korean Air is proud to support the California Science Center. The ‘Korean Air Aviation Gallery’ aims to spark the curiosity of future generations. By showing young people the science and imagination hidden in flight, we hope to inspire them to grow into the pilots, engineers, and innovators of the future.”
The donated aircraft is a Boeing 747-400 (HL7489). It is a double-decker, wide-body passenger jet with a fuselage height reaching 19.4 meters. Introduced by Korean Air in 1994, it was retired in 2014 after 20 years of service, having completed 13,842 flights for a total of 86,095 flight hours.
Korean Air and the Center plan to transform the aircraft’s first and second-floor cabins, cargo hold, and landing gear into an exhibition enjoyable for all ages. Visitors will be able to enter the aircraft to view various exhibits and participate in interactive programs.
Planned exhibits include the operating principles of the landing gear and aircraft wheels, the hydraulic system and the aircraft’s internal structure, an exhibit on cargo hold loading and containers, an interactive cockpit exhibit, a virtual flight experience, an introduction to various airline careers, and the history of aviation as changed by the Boeing 747.
The ‘Korean Air Aviation Gallery’ is located within the California Science Center’s ‘Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center’. The Air and Space Center consists of three sections: an aviation gallery, an astronomy gallery, and a space shuttle gallery. The aviation gallery has been named the ‘Korean Air Aviation Gallery’ in recognition of Korean Air’s sponsorship.
In addition to the Boeing 747 donated by Korean Air, the gallery is scheduled to display about 20 other aircraft on the ground and in the air, including the Grumman F-11 Tiger, the U.S. Navy’s first supersonic fighter jet, and the Convair F-106A Delta Dart, the fastest single-engine turbojet-powered aircraft.
Michael Herh
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