The 747-8 is the final version of the 747, serving as an updated version of the 747-400. While the 747-8 did get a bit bigger than the 747-400 — the 747-8 has 11.5 feet of extra wingspan, is 18 feet longer, and stands about four inches taller than its predecessor — the biggest advancements came in the form of technology.
Those upgrades include an overhaul of the cockpit that upgrades the screens to LCD from the 747-400’s cathode-ray-tube displays. In addition, it has an electronic airport map showing taxiways, runways, and gates, an upgraded flight management computer, and an electronic checklist. It also adds a vertical situation display for pilots to see the plane’s current and projected flight path.
The biggest advancement on the 747-8, though, is the improved jet engines. The 747-8 shares the GE GEnx engine found on the 787. They use composite fan blades and a composite fan case and have an impressively high bypass ratio. This means that they are a lot more fuel-efficient and have fan modules that are much easier to maintain.
