Boeing 747-100 "City of Everett"

The wheels are up, the flaps are retracted, and we are well on our way to 10,000 supporters! Thank you to everybody who agrees with me that the Boeing 747 deserves a place in the Lego lineup! In celebration of this milestone, I present the 747-100 in the livery of its launch customer - Pan American World Airways, better known as Pan Am. While the set would likely be released in Boeing's "House Colors," it's still fun to see what it would look like in airline colors.

In the 1960s, jet travel was booming. More people were flying than ever before - and airlines were struggling to cater to the increased demand. Juan Trippe, president of Pan American World Airlines, approached Boeing about developing a new airliner to solve this problem - a plane more than double the size of the wildly successful 707. Pan Am then worked very closely with Boeing throughout the program, all the way up until the first 747 passenger flight took place on January 22, 1970, with Pan Am operating the flight from New York to London. No other airline - before or since - has been so closely involved in the development of an aircraft. Thus, I felt it was only fitting to at least recognize Pan Am's contribution, even if it doesn't end up in the final set.