The austere 747 heading into antiquity?

Who will not remember the fist time they saw the airliner 747, the Queen of the skies? This plane is more than 6 stories tall, seats between 380 and 560 passengers, is longer than the Wright Brothers first flight, and has a 6000 mile range. Boeing started building 747's in the late '60s, and more than 1418 have taken to the skies. Technology has caught up and passed the 747. Now, 2 engine planes can navigate the long ranges previously reserved for the 747, and at lower fuel and replacement cost. The Airbus A330 and the Boeing 777 now dominate the long haul routes. Currently, there are orders for just 31 of the current 747-8's version as contrasted with 979 orders for the 787 Dreamliner. The 747 costs $350 million, while the smaller 2 engine planes sell for about $320 million each. Boeing reports that only 18 of the 747's will be built in the next 2 years.