14
$\begingroup$

Reading this article, I came across the quote :

Pilots also enjoy its creature comforts: at BA the 747s are known as the ensuite fleet. “Our little bedroom is within the cockpit: you can stick your pyjamas on and clean your teeth without anyone seeing you. And coming out the bunk when you wake up, it’s a different light and you’re in a plane cockpit in the sky,” he says.

I know there are crew sleep areas on large aircraft but I've never heard of there being a bunk.

Does anyone have a floor plan for the cockpit which would illustrate how do they fit those cabins there?

|improve this question|||||
$\endgroup$
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Related: How do pilots rest on long-haul flights?, though that's about sleeping quarters that are not in the cockpit. $\endgroup$ – Jeffrey Bosboom Apr 30 '15 at 4:15
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ The crew rest area is often bunks. Bunks = beds stacked above each other, which is the most space-efficient way to squeeze several beds in small area when it has normal walking height (on 747 it does). $\endgroup$ – Jan Hudec Apr 30 '15 at 5:01
13
$\begingroup$

Yes, there is a crew rest with two beds (bunk) connected to the cockpit on the 747. As MainMa notes, this can be found on 747-400 or 747-8 models, but not the older models. It can be seen on the seating charts here:

Crew rest location on 747

The crew rest is directly across from the two lavatories. While the lavatories open into the aisle of the cabin (grey area), the crew rest opens into the cockpit. There is a layout here that shows a how the upper deck is arranged. It's a freighter, but is was converted from a passenger plane, so it has the same crew rest location.

With the introduction of the 747-400, the position for the flight engineer was removed (seen below), with those functions being replaced by computers. This opened up a bit of room behind the pilot seats.

747-100 Flight Engineer Station
Source

|improve this answer|||||
$\endgroup$
9
$\begingroup$

The answer depends on the precise model of Boeing 747.

For instance, the Boeing 747-8 (third generation of 747) features two beds which are clearly visible here, in blue:

enter image description here
The original image of the complete aircraft is available here.

The setup is very close to the one shown in fooot's answer. In the same way, Boeing 747-400 has two bed as well, as can be seen on this schema.

On the other hand, the much older Boeing 747-300 doesn't seem to have any beds:

enter image description here
See the original image here

Other sources (including the detailed 8300x3800 cutout of Boeing 747-100) confirm that there are apparently no beds on older Boeing 747-100, 747-200 or 747-300 models.

|improve this answer|||||
$\endgroup$
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Really nice picture of 747-8. Is there one with higher resolution available where one can read the text? $\endgroup$ – Farhan♦ May 1 '15 at 14:21
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @Farhan: unfortunately, I couldn't find a higher resolution of the cutout, and given the numerous logotypes (FlightGlobal where the image is hosted, Spirit Aerosystems, Flight International, Boeing and General Electric), it is not even clear what is the original source of the cutout. Note that the red and orange colors of the model correspond to the the ones Boeing used for demo models in 2011 (see here), and not to a specific company. $\endgroup$ – Arseni Mourzenko May 1 '15 at 15:22
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Isn't fifth generation correct for 747-8? $\endgroup$ – Peter Dec 5 '16 at 8:23
  • $\begingroup$ @Peter: -100, -200, and SP were first-generation, -300 was "1 1/2 generation", -400 was second-generation, -8 is third-generation. $\endgroup$ – Sean Oct 14 '19 at 6:45
6
$\begingroup$

I found it difficult to find a specific floor plan. I've seen references that the 747 had a lot of different plans, with many airlines having a crew rest area in the rear of the upper deck rather than off the cockpit.

No floor plan, but there are several location with photos available of the rest area on the -8. CNET has one.

No longer on the Boeing web site, there is an archived copy of the crew rest area for a -400 freighter that has a floorplan for the area.

This page isn't as detailed, but shows the crew rest area on a 747 to scale with more of the upper deck. Unfortunately it lacks detail with how it connects to the cockpit.

And not a 747, but here is a page with a graphic of the 787 crew rest area.

|improve this answer|||||
$\endgroup$

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.