More than a half-century ago, Boeing unveiled the 747, a massive and striking aeroplane that captured the public imagination and brought air travel to the masses. The jet has been a workhorse since, ferrying passengers and cargo around the world. But this week Boeing handed over the last 747 it will ever make.

With a distinctive hump, the 747, nicknamed the “Queen of the Skies,” is perhaps the most widely recognisable commercial plane ever built. The plane transformed air travel and became a symbol of American ingenuity. It could still be flying decades from now, a longevity that aviation historians said was testament to the work that engineers, designers and others put into repeatedly remaking the plane.