Korean Air has unveiled its donated Boeing 747-400 at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, where the aircraft will become the centerpiece of the newly named Korean Air Aviation Gallery. The presentation marks an important step in the airline’s long-standing cooperation with the Los Angeles community, a city Korean Air has described as its second home market for more than half a century.
The unveiling ceremony was held on May 12 in Los Angeles and was attended by Walter Cho, Chairman and CEO of Korean Air and Hanjin Group, Jeffrey Rudolph, President and CEO of the California Science Center, Boeing representatives, project partners and members of the media.
The donated aircraft bears the registration HL7489. It is a Boeing 747-400, a double-deck wide-body aircraft standing 19.4 meters tall, which flew in Korean Air’s fleet from 1994 to 2014. During two decades of service, it completed 13,842 flights and logged a total of 86,095 flight hours. As one of Korean Air’s most recognizable aircraft, the 747-400 played an important role in the development of the airline’s international network and the expansion of long-haul air travel.
As part of the exhibition project, the aircraft will not be displayed merely as a static exhibit. The California Science Center and Korean Air will transform around 70 feet, or about 21 meters, of the forward fuselage section, including the upper and main decks, the lower cargo hold and the landing gear. The goal is to create an interactive educational space where visitors will be able to learn about the principles of flight, aircraft construction and different aviation careers.
Walter Cho emphasized that Los Angeles holds special importance for Korean Air. According to him, the city has been a “second home” for the airline for more than five decades, while the new gallery is intended as a place that will spark curiosity, wonder about flight and interest in future careers as pilots, engineers and other aviation professionals among young visitors.
Jeffrey Rudolph said the installation of the Boeing 747-400 represents one of the first major steps toward the future Korean Air Aviation Gallery. He added that the joint project between the California Science Center and Korean Air will become a unique educational resource for children and young people in Los Angeles, as well as for visitors from around the world.
One of the main attractions will be the “747 Experience”, which will include a simulated flight from Los Angeles to Seoul. Visitors will also be able to take part in a wind tunnel laboratory, try the “Wear-A-Wing” concept to better understand the forces that enable flight, and explore how wing shape, aircraft structure and different design requirements affect aircraft performance as part of the “Design a Plane” exhibit.
The exhibition will also present the mechanics of the landing gear and wheels, hydraulic systems, the aircraft’s internal structure, lower cargo hold loading procedures, an interactive cockpit display, virtual flight experiences and the roles of different aviation professions, from pilots and cabin crew to air traffic control and aircraft maintenance. Special emphasis will also be placed on the historical importance of the Boeing 747, an aircraft that strongly influenced the development of global air transport with its capacity, range and operating economics.
The Korean Air Aviation Gallery is one of three major exhibition spaces in the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. Alongside it will be the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery. Named in recognition of Korean Air’s sponsorship, the gallery is expected to display around 20 aircraft in addition to the Boeing 747.
Among the aircraft already installed and suspended from the ceiling are the Grumman F11F-1 Tiger, the U.S. Navy’s first supersonic fighter jet; the Convair F-106A Delta Dart, the fastest single-engine turbojet-powered aircraft; the Pitts Special S-1C aerobatic biplane; and the Hawker Siddeley Harrier T.4, one of the best-known aircraft capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing.
The opening date of the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center has not yet been announced.
