I saw the new(ish) 747-800 with the stretched upper deck at HKG airport yesterday evening. I wonder why it only has slight sweep-backs at the end of the wings rather than the winglets on the 747-400? LH seems to be one of the few airlines which has ordered this version.

 

 

Great airplane, the 747. Made of aluminum not burnable plastic.  When a kid we made model airplanes from plastic components and then crashed them and set them aflame. Boy, did they burn!

Love the 747.  When I first started flying heavily, it was a goal to get a flight on the upper deck.  Very cool, and it is still one of my favorites. 

 

Haven't made it on the 747-8 yet.

Apparently it is not only the upper deck which has been stretched - by 13.3 ft - the entire aircraft is 18.3 ft longer than the 747-400 series and it is now the world's longest aircraft. But only KH and Korean have ordered the passenger versions so far - just 29 aircraft in total. The cargo version is more popular with many of the 67 orders already delivered.
 
But Bloomberg has a recent news item that Boeing's order book for the aircraft is so thin it is parking completed 748-800s in the Arizona desert.
 

Some 747-8 freighters are being parked in Arizona and near Boeing’s factory in Everett, Washington, according to the company, which isn’t disclosing how many planes are involved.

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-16/boeing-bets-on-jumbo-rebound-while-some-747-8s-in-desert.html

This one is not going to win any prizes for styling.

 

 

As for the sales, well if it isn't selling, presumably the operating costs of planes like the A380 and 777 must be lower.