Boeing's first 747-200 series model went into commercial service in 1971. A total of 393 aircraft were delivered over the next two decades, including the 747-238B. They were designed to serve as an all-cargo transport, carrying both passengers and freight depending on the time of year.
The 737-238B was active in a number of overseas airlines, including Air New Zealand, Air Lanka and Air Pacific. Boeing also kept the 737-238B stateside for cargo transport as part of American International Airways and Kitty Hawk International.
The 747 model has four engines, and the gross weight of the 747-200B series is 836,000 pounds, which for many years was more than that of any other aircraft ever built. It also can carry a maximum payload of 144,520 pounds for a distance of 6,854 miles and has a cruising speed of 564 miles per hour.
The 737-238B series has been involved in a number of airline incidents, including multiple accidents with Air India. One plane also was destroyed by a criminal occurrence, believed to be a bomb in the forward cargo compartment detonated over the Atlantic Ocean. There were 329 fatalities in this incident, including 307 passengers.
