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{{distinguish|Boeing 747SR}}
{{distinguish|Boeing 747SR}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
{{Infobox aircraft
|name = Boeing 747SP
| name = Boeing 747SP
|image = N747SP Boeing 747SP inflight over land.jpg
| image = Boeing 747SP-94, Syrianair - Syrian Arab Airlines JP6045151.jpg
|caption = Boeing 747SP in 1977
| caption = A Boeing 747SP of [[Syrian Air]] at [[Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport]] in 2007.
⚫
| type = [[Wide-body aircraft|Wide-body]] [[jet airliner]]
}}{{Infobox aircraft type
⚫
| national_origin = United States
⚫
|type = [[Wide-body aircraft|Wide-body]] [[jet airliner]]
| manufacturer = [[Boeing]] Airplane Company
⚫
|national origin= United States
⚫
| designer =
|manufacturer = [[Boeing Commercial Airplanes]]
⚫
| first_flight = July 4, 1975
⚫
|designer =
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| introduction = April 25, 1976 with Pan Am
⚫
|first flight = July 4, 1975
⚫
| retired =
⚫
|introduced = 1976 with Pan Am
⚫
| status = In limited service<!--See Produced field for production status -->
⚫
|retired =
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| primary_user = [[Pan Am]] (historical)
⚫
|status = In limited service<!--See Produced field for production status -->
⚫
| more_users = [[United Airlines]] (historical) <br /> [[South African Airways]] (historical) <br />[[Iran Air]] (historical) <br />[[Qantas]] (historical)
⚫
|primary user = [[Pan Am]] (historical)
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| produced = 1976–1982, 1987–1989
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|more users = [[United Airlines]] (historical) <br /> [[South African Airways]] (historical) <br />[[Iran Air]] (historical)
⚫
| number_built = 45<ref>{{Cite web |title=747 Model Summary |url=http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/displaystandardreport.cfm?cboCurrentModel=747&optReportType=AllModels&cboAllModel=747&ViewReportF=View+Report |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928195003/http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/displaystandardreport.cfm?cboCurrentModel=747&optReportType=AllModels&cboAllModel=747&ViewReportF=View+Report |archive-date=September 28, 2018 |access-date=December 29, 2010 |publisher=Boeing}}</ref>
⚫
|produced = 1976–1982, 1987–1989
⚫
| developed_from = [[Boeing 747-100]]
⚫
|number built = 45<ref>{{Cite web |title=747 Model Summary |url=http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/displaystandardreport.cfm?cboCurrentModel=747&optReportType=AllModels&cboAllModel=747&ViewReportF=View+Report |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928195003/http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/displaystandardreport.cfm?cboCurrentModel=747&optReportType=AllModels&cboAllModel=747&ViewReportF=View+Report |archive-date=September 28, 2018 |access-date=December 29, 2010 |publisher=Boeing}}</ref>
⚫
| variants = [[Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy|SOFIA]]
⚫
|developed from = [[Boeing 747-100]]
⚫
|variants with their own articles = [[Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy|SOFIA]]
}}
}}
|}


The '''Boeing 747SP''' (for ''Special Performance'') is a shortened version of the [[Boeing 747]] wide-body airliner, designed for a longer [[Range (aircraft)|range]]. It is the highest flying subsonic [[passenger airliner]], with a [[Ceiling (aeronautics)|service ceiling]] of 45,100 feet (13,700 meters).
The '''Boeing 747SP''' (for ''Special Performance'') is a shortened version of the [[Boeing 747]] wide-body airliner, designed for a longer [[Range (aircraft)|range]]. It is the highest flying subsonic [[passenger airliner]], with a [[Ceiling (aeronautics)|service ceiling]] of {{convert|45,100|feet|meters}}.
<!--Development-->
<!--Development-->
Boeing needed a smaller aircraft to compete with the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]] and [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]] tri-jet wide-bodies, introduced in 1971/1972. [[Pan Am]] requested a [[Boeing 747-100|747-100]] derivative to fly between [[New York City|New York]] and the [[Middle East]], a request also shared by [[Iran Air]], and the first order came from Pan Am in 1973.
Boeing needed a smaller aircraft to compete with the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]] and [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]] tri-jet wide-bodies, introduced in 1971/1972. [[Pan Am]] requested a [[Boeing 747-100|747-100]] derivative to fly between [[New York City|New York]] and the [[Middle East]], a request also shared by [[Iran Air]], and the first order came from Pan Am in 1973.
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== Development ==
== Development ==
⚫
The idea for the 747SP came from a request by [[Pan Am]] for a 747 variant capable of carrying a full payload non-stop on its longest route between [[John F Kennedy International Airport|New York]] and [[Mehrabad International Airport|Tehran]].<ref name="eden92">Eden, Paul. (Ed). ''Civil Aircraft Today.'' 2008: Amber Books, pp. 92–3.</ref> Joined with Pan Am's request was [[Iran Air]]; their joint interest was for a high-capacity airliner capable of covering Pan Am's New York–Middle Eastern routes and Iran Air's planned New York-Tehran route<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Dennis |title=Boeing 747-100/200/300/SP (AirlinerTech Series, Vol. 6) |publisher=Specialty Press |year=2000 |isbn=1-58007-026-4 |location=North Branch, Minnesota |page=76}}</ref> (New York to Tehran was the longest [[non-stop flight|non-stop commercial flight]] in the world for a short time). The aircraft was launched with Pan Am's first order in 1973, and the first example was delivered in 1976.<ref name=eden96 /><ref>Pan Am orders baby jumbo ''[[Freight & Container Transportation]]'' October 1973 page 9</ref><ref>Pan Am's New Order ''[[Australian Transport]]'' November 1973 page 41</ref>
⚫
[[File:Iran Air Boeing 747SP Lofting-1.jpg|thumb|[[Iran Air]] 747SP from above, {{cvt|47|ft}} shorter than the 747, with four exit doors per side]]

⚫
The idea for the 747SP came from a request by [[Pan Am]] for a 747 variant capable of carrying a full payload non-stop on its longest route between [[John F Kennedy International Airport|New York]] and [[Mehrabad International Airport|Tehran]].<ref name="eden92">Eden, Paul. (Ed). ''Civil Aircraft Today.'' 2008: Amber Books, pp. 92–3.</ref> Joined with Pan Am's request was [[Iran Air]]; their joint interest was for a high-capacity airliner capable of covering Pan Am's New York–Middle Eastern routes and Iran Air's planned New York-Tehran route<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Dennis |title=Boeing 747-100/200/300/SP (AirlinerTech Series, Vol. 6) |publisher=Specialty Press |year=2000 |isbn=1-58007-026-4 |location=North Branch, Minnesota |page=76}}</ref> (New York to Tehran was the longest [[Non-stop flight|non-stop commercial flight]] in the world for a short time). The aircraft was launched with Pan Am's first order in 1973, and the first example was delivered in 1976.<ref name=eden96 /><ref>Pan Am orders baby jumbo ''[[Freight & Container Transportation]]'' October 1973 page 9</ref><ref>Pan Am's New Order ''[[Australian Transport]]'' November 1973 page 41</ref>


A shorter derivative of the 747-100, the SP was developed to target two market requirements.<ref name=eden96 /> The first was a need to compete with the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10|DC-10]] and [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar|L-1011]] while maintaining commonality with the 747,<ref name="eden96">Eden 2008, pp. 96–7.</ref> which in its standard form was too large for many routes. Until the arrival of the [[Boeing 767|767]], Boeing lacked a mid-sized wide-body to compete in this segment. The second market requirement was an aircraft suitable for the ultra-long-range routes emerging in the mid-1970s following the joint request. These routes needed not only longer range but also higher [[cruising speed]]s. Boeing could not afford to develop an all-new design, instead opting to shorten the 747 and optimize it for speed and range, at the expense of capacity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Boeing 747 Classics |url=http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747family/pf/pf_classic_back.html |access-date=January 23, 2009 |website=Boeing Commercial Airplanes |publisher=Boeing |quote=Boeing also built the 747-100SP (special performance), which had a shortened fuselage and was designed to fly higher, faster and farther non-stop than any 747 model of its time.}}</ref>
A shorter derivative of the 747-100, the SP was developed to target two market requirements.<ref name=eden96 /> The first was a need to compete with the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10|DC-10]] and [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar|L-1011]] while maintaining commonality with the 747,<ref name="eden96">Eden 2008, pp. 96–7.</ref> which in its standard form was too large for many routes. Until the arrival of the [[Boeing 767|767]], Boeing lacked a mid-sized wide-body to compete in this segment. The second market requirement was an aircraft suitable for the ultra-long-range routes emerging in the mid-1970s following the joint request. These routes needed not only longer range but also higher [[cruising speed]]s. Boeing could not afford to develop an all-new design, instead opting to shorten the 747 and optimize it for speed and range, at the expense of capacity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Boeing 747 Classics |url=http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747family/pf/pf_classic_back.html |access-date=January 23, 2009 |website=Boeing Commercial Airplanes |publisher=Boeing |quote=Boeing also built the 747-100SP (special performance), which had a shortened fuselage and was designed to fly higher, faster and farther non-stop than any 747 model of its time.}}</ref>


⚫
Originally designated ''747SB'' for "short body", it was later nicknamed "Sutter's balloon" by employees after 747 chief engineer [[Joe Sutter]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sutter |first=Joe |url=https://archive.org/details/747creatingworld00sutt/page/218 |title=747: Creating the world's first jumbo jet and other adventures from a life in aviation |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2006 |isbn=0-06-088241-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/747creatingworld00sutt/page/218 218]}}</ref> Boeing later changed the production designation to 747SP for "special performance", reflecting the aircraft's greater range and higher cruising speed.<ref name=747_Since_1969 /> Production of the 747SP ran from 1976 to 1983. However, a VIP order<ref name=eden96 /> for UAE's [[Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight]] led Boeing to produce one last SP in 1987. Pan Am was the launch customer for the 747SP, taking the first delivery, ''Clipper Freedom'', on March 5, 1976.<ref name="747_Since_1969">{{Cite book |last=Norris |first=Guy |url=https://archive.org/details/boeing747designd00norr/page/74 |title=Boeing 747: Design and Development Since 1969 |publisher=Motorbooks International |year=1997 |isbn=0-7603-0280-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/boeing747designd00norr/page/74 74]}}</ref> Pan Am then made the first flight of the 747SP on April 25, 1976, making a nonstop flight from New York to Tokyo.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
⚫
[[File:203bm - Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight Boeing 747SP-Z5, A6-ZSN@LHR,23.01.2003 - Flickr - Aero Icarus.jpg|thumb|The last 747SP, built in 1987 for [[Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight]]]]


⚫
The 747SP was the longest-range airliner available until the [[Boeing 747-400|747-400]] entered service in 1989. Despite its technical achievements, the SP never sold as well as Boeing hoped.<ref name=eden96 /> Increased fuel prices in the mid-1970s to early 1980s, the SP's heavy wings, high cost,<ref name=eden96 /> and reduced capacity, and the increased ranges of forthcoming airliners<ref name=eden96 /> were some of the many factors that contributed to its low sales. Only 45 were built, and, of those remaining, most are used by operators in the Middle East. However, some of the engineering work on the 747SP was reused with the development of the [[Boeing 747-300|747-300]]. In the 747SP, the upper deck begins over the section of fuselage that contains the wing box, not ahead of the wing box (as is the case with the 747-100 and [[Boeing 747-200|747-200]]). This same design was used in the 747-300 and newer 747-400, resulting in a stretched upper deck.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
⚫
Originally designated ''747SB'' for "short body", it was later nicknamed "Sutter's balloon" by employees after 747 chief engineer [[Joe Sutter]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sutter |first=Joe |url=https://archive.org/details/747creatingworld00sutt/page/218 |title=747: Creating the world's first jumbo jet and other adventures from a life in aviation |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2006 |isbn=0-06-088241-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/747creatingworld00sutt/page/218 218]}}</ref> Boeing later changed the production designation to 747SP for "special performance", reflecting the aircraft's greater range and higher cruising speed.<ref name=747_Since_1969 /> Production of the 747SP ran from 1976 to 1983. However, a VIP order<ref name=eden96 /> for the [[Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight]] led Boeing to produce one last SP in 1987. Pan Am was the launch customer for the 747SP, taking the first delivery, ''Clipper Freedom'', on March 5, 1976.<ref name="747_Since_1969">{{Cite book |last=Norris |first=Guy |url=https://archive.org/details/boeing747designd00norr/page/74 |title=Boeing 747: Design and Development Since 1969 |publisher=Motorbooks International |year=1997 |isbn=0-7603-0280-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/boeing747designd00norr/page/74 74]}}</ref>

⚫
The 747SP was the longest-range airliner available until the [[Boeing 747-400|747-400]] entered service in 1989. Despite its technical achievements, the SP never sold as well as Boeing hoped.<ref name=eden96 /> Increased fuel prices in the mid-1970s to early 1980s, the SP's heavy wings, high cost,<ref name=eden96 /> and reduced capacity, and the increased ranges of forthcoming airliners<ref name=eden96 /> were some of the many factors that contributed to its low sales. Only 45 were built, and, of those remaining, most are used by operators in the Middle East. However, some of the engineering work on the 747SP was reused with the development of the [[Boeing 747-300|747-300]]. In the 747SP, the upper deck begins over the section of fuselage that contains the wing box, not ahead of the wing box (as is the case with the 747-100 and [[Boeing 747-200|747-200]]). This same design was used in the 747-300 and newer 747-400, resulting in a stretched upper deck.


== Design ==
== Design ==
⚫
[[File:Iran Air Boeing 747SP Lofting-1.jpg|thumb|[[Iran Air]] 747SP from above, {{cvt|47|ft}} shorter than the 747, with four exit doors per side]]

Apart from having a significantly shorter fuselage and one fewer cabin door per side, the 747SP differs from other 747 variants in having simplified [[flap (aircraft)|flaps]] and a taller [[vertical tail]]<ref name=eden96 /> to counteract the decrease in yaw moment-arm from the shortened fuselage. The 747SP uses single-piece flaps on the [[trailing edge]]s, rather than the smaller triple-slotted flaps of standard 747s.
Apart from having a significantly shorter fuselage and one fewer cabin door per side, the 747SP differs from other 747 variants in having simplified [[flap (aircraft)|flaps]] and a taller [[vertical tail]]<ref name=eden96 /> to counteract the decrease in yaw moment-arm from the shortened fuselage. The 747SP uses single-piece flaps on the [[trailing edge]]s, rather than the smaller triple-slotted flaps of standard 747s.


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== Variants ==
== Variants ==
[[File:SOFIA ED10-0182-01 full.jpg|thumb|The 747SP used as the NASA [[Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy]]]]
[[File:SOFIA ED10-0182-01 full.jpg|thumb|The 747SP used as the NASA [[Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy]]]]

From 2007 until 2022, a specially modified 747SP was used as the [[Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy]] ''(SOFIA)'' astronomical observatory,<ref name=eden96 /> operated jointly by [[NASA]] and Germany's [[DLR Institute for Planetary Research|DLR]]. A former Pan Am and United Airlines aircraft acquired in 1997, its airframe was modified to carry a 2.5-meter-diameter [[reflecting telescope]] to high altitude, above 99.9% of the light-absorbing water vapor in the atmosphere. The telescope and its detectors covered a wide wavelength range from the near [[infrared]] to the sub-millimeter region; no window material is transparent over this whole range, so the observations were made through a {{Convert|13|ft|abbr=out}} square hole in the port upper quarter of the rear fuselage, aft of a new pressure bulkhead. A sliding door covered the aperture when the telescope was not in use.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=October 2010 |title=NAS's new airborne observatory |journal=Sky and Telescope |volume=120 |issue=4 |pages=22–28}}</ref> Astronomers take data and control the instrument from within the normally pressurized cabin. Originally delivered to Pan Am and named "Clipper Lindbergh", the name was displayed in script on the port side of the aircraft.
From 2007 until 2022, a specially modified 747SP was used as the [[Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy]] ''(SOFIA)'' astronomical observatory,<ref name=eden96 /> operated jointly by [[NASA]] and Germany's [[DLR Institute for Planetary Research|DLR]]. A former Pan Am and United Airlines aircraft acquired in 1997, its airframe was modified to carry a 2.5-meter-diameter [[reflecting telescope]] to high altitude, above 99.9% of the light-absorbing water vapor in the atmosphere. The telescope and its detectors covered a wide wavelength range from the near [[infrared]] to the sub-millimeter region; no window material is transparent over this whole range, so the observations were made through a {{Convert|13|ft|abbr=out}} square hole in the port upper quarter of the rear fuselage, aft of a new pressure bulkhead. A sliding door covered the aperture when the telescope was not in use.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=October 2010 |title=NAS's new airborne observatory |journal=Sky and Telescope |volume=120 |issue=4 |pages=22–28}}</ref> Astronomers took data and control the instrument from within the normally pressurized cabin. Originally delivered to Pan Am and named "Clipper Lindbergh", the name was displayed in script on the port side of the aircraft.{{cn|date=November 2024}}


In September 2022, ''SOFIA'' ceased operations after the conclusion of its final mission. The retirement was made both on the grounds of cost and suitability for the requirements of the decade to come.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Alison |last1= Klesman |title=SOFIA flying observatory takes final flight |url=https://astronomy.com/news/2022/09/sofia-flying-observatory-takes-final-flight |website=Astronomy.com |date= 29 September 2022 |access-date=30 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref> The aircraft was later flown to the [[Pima Air & Space Museum]] in [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]], [[Arizona]], to be put on public display.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.space.com/nasa-sofia-flying-telescope-aircraft-retire-museum |title=NASA's retired flying telescope heads to museum |website=Space.com |first1=Stefanie |last1=Waldek |date=13 December 2022 |access-date=15 December 2022}}</ref>
In September 2022, ''SOFIA'' ceased operations after the conclusion of its final mission. The retirement was made both on the grounds of cost and suitability for the requirements of the decade to come.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Alison |last1= Klesman |title=SOFIA flying observatory takes final flight |url=https://astronomy.com/news/2022/09/sofia-flying-observatory-takes-final-flight |website=Astronomy.com |date= 29 September 2022 |access-date=30 September 2022 |language=en}}</ref> The aircraft was later flown to the [[Pima Air & Space Museum]] in [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]], [[Arizona]], to be put on public display.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.space.com/nasa-sofia-flying-telescope-aircraft-retire-museum |title=NASA's retired flying telescope heads to museum |website=Space.com |first1=Stefanie |last1=Waldek |date=13 December 2022 |access-date=15 December 2022}}</ref>
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|-
|-
!747-SP
!747-SP
|14||4||2||5||9||6||4||–||–||–||–||–||–||1||45
|14||4||2||5||9||6||4||{{n/a}}||{{n/a}}||{{n/a}}||{{n/a}}||{{n/a}}||{{n/a}}||1||45
|}
|}


=== Current operators ===
=== Current operators ===
[[File:Boeing 747SP-J6 Pratt & Whitney AN2732961.jpg|thumb| Pratt & Whitney engine testbed testing the [[PW1000G]] engine]]
[[File:Boeing 747SP-J6 Pratt & Whitney AN2732961.jpg|thumb| Pratt & Whitney engine testbed testing the [[PW1000G]] engine]]
⚫
[[File:203bm - Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight Boeing 747SP-Z5, A6-ZSN@LHR,23.01.2003 - Flickr - Aero Icarus.jpg|thumb|The last 747SP, built in 1987 for [[Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight]]]]
As of May 2024, there were just two Boeing 747SPs remaining in active service, both with [[Pratt & Whitney Canada]] as engine [[testbed|testbeds]]. 18 other airframes were stored or otherwise preserved. The remaining aircraft were either scrapped, otherwise destroyed, or abandoned.<ref name="747sp.com" /> The remaining active aircraft operators are:
{{As of|2024|6}}, there are just two Boeing 747SPs remaining in active service, both operating as [[testbed]] aircraft for engine manufacturer [[Pratt & Whitney Canada]].<ref>[http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_05_07_2012_p42-452087.xml MRJ Geared Turbofan Starts Flight Tests On 747SP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706170039/http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_05_07_2012_p42-452087.xml|date=July 6, 2012}} [[Aviation Week & Space Technology]]</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Donner |first=Ronald |date=May 10, 2012 |title=Pratt & Whitney's Flying Test Bed:The five engine 747 |url=https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/commercial-airline/blog/10712153/pratt-whitneys-flying-test-bed |access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref> Eighteen more aircraft are stored or otherwise preserved. The remaining aircraft were either scrapped, otherwise destroyed, or abandoned.<ref name="747sp.com" /> In 2016, the last 747SP in commercial service was withdrawn from service after 40 years by [[Iran Air]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chini |first=Amin |date=June 21, 2016 |title=Iran Air Grounds Boeing 747SP, Suspends Kuala Lumpur Service (Jun 21, 2016) |url=http://www.aviationiran.com/2016/06/21/iran-air-grounds-boeing-747sp-suspends-kuala-lumpur-service/ |access-date=January 1, 2017 |website=AviationIran.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Production List – airframe 21093 |url=http://www.747sp.com/747sp-production-list/21093-307/ |access-date=January 1, 2017 |website=747SP.com}}</ref> In 2020, the last aircraft in governmental use was stored by the Royal Flight of Oman.<ref>{{Cite web |title=21785 / 405 – Production List |url=https://www.747sp.com/747sp-production-list/21785-405/ |access-date=April 30, 2022 |website=Boeing 747SP Website |language=en-GB}}</ref>

*2 Pratt & Whitney Canada (used as an engine testbed)<ref>[http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_05_07_2012_p42-452087.xml MRJ Geared Turbofan Starts Flight Tests On 747SP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706170039/http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_05_07_2012_p42-452087.xml |date=July 6, 2012 }} [[Aviation Week & Space Technology]]</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Donner |first=Ronald |date=May 10, 2012 |title=Pratt & Whitney's Flying Test Bed:The five engine 747 |url=https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/commercial-airline/blog/10712153/pratt-whitneys-flying-test-bed |access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref>

In 2016, the last 747SP in commercial service was withdrawn from service after 40 years by [[Iran Air]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chini |first=Amin |date=June 21, 2016 |title=Iran Air Grounds Boeing 747SP, Suspends Kuala Lumpur Service (Jun 21, 2016) |url=http://www.aviationiran.com/2016/06/21/iran-air-grounds-boeing-747sp-suspends-kuala-lumpur-service/ |access-date=January 1, 2017 |website=AviationIran.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Production List – airframe 21093 |url=http://www.747sp.com/747sp-production-list/21093-307/ |access-date=January 1, 2017 |website=747SP.com}}</ref> In 2020, the last aircraft in governmental use was stored by the Royal Flight of Oman,<ref>{{Cite web |title=21785 / 405 – Production List |url=https://www.747sp.com/747sp-production-list/21785-405/ |access-date=April 30, 2022 |website=Boeing 747SP Website |language=en-GB}}</ref> and one of two aircraft remaining in VIP use by the [[Las Vegas Sands]] was written off by accidental damage sustained in a hangar collision after [[Hurricane Laura]] and scrapped soon afterwards<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 27, 2020 |title=Hurricane Laura destroys VQ-BMS |url=https://www.747sp.com/vq-bms-incident-2020-08-27/ |access-date=April 30, 2022 |website=Boeing 747SP Website |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 22, 2021 |title=VQ-BMS Broken up |url=https://www.747sp.com/vq-bms-broken-up/ |access-date=April 30, 2022 |website=Boeing 747SP Website |language=en-GB}}</ref> The other aircraft was withdrawn from service on May 1, 2024 and sent to be scrapped. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-01 |title=VP-BLK Sands Aviation Boeing 747SP |url=https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/boeing-747sp-vp-blk-sands-aviation/3wodqe |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=www.planespotters.net |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/C6co1pwshgS/?img_index=1 |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=www.instagram.com}}</ref>


=== Former operators ===
=== Former operators ===
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** [[Royal Air Maroc]]
** [[Royal Air Maroc]]
* '''{{MUS}}'''
* '''{{MUS}}'''
**[[Air Mauritius]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ben R. Guttery |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBmGpaD36cMC&pg=PA125 |title=Encyclopedia of African Airlines |publisher=McFarland & Company |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-7864-0495-7 |page=125}}</ref>
** [[Air Mauritius]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ben R. Guttery |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBmGpaD36cMC&pg=PA125 |title=Encyclopedia of African Airlines |publisher=McFarland & Company |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-7864-0495-7 |page=125}}</ref>
* '''{{MOZ}}'''
* '''{{MOZ}}'''
** [[LAM Mozambique Airlines]]<ref name="Boeing 747SP">{{Cite web |title=Boeing 747SP |url=http://www.zap16.com/2008/12/boeing-747sp/ |access-date=December 30, 2010 |publisher=Zap16.com}}</ref>
** [[LAM Mozambique Airlines]]<ref name="Boeing 747SP">{{Cite web |title=Boeing 747SP |url=http://www.zap16.com/2008/12/boeing-747sp/ |access-date=December 30, 2010 |publisher=Zap16.com}}</ref>
Line 112: Line 106:
* '''{{USA}}'''
* '''{{USA}}'''
** [[American Airlines]]<ref name="aafleet">{{Cite web |title=Airfleets aviation – Airline Fleet, plane, airport : Boeing Airbus Embraer Atr Fokker Dash Beechcraft |url=http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b747-21962.htm|website=airfleets.net}}</ref><ref name="MyUser_Frequentlyflying.boardingarea.com_September_11_2015c">{{Cite web |date=February 11, 2011 |title=Vintage Airline Seat Map: American Airlines Boeing 747SP |url=http://frequentlyflying.boardingarea.com/vintage-airline-seat-map-american-airlines-boeing-747sp/ |access-date=September 11, 2015 |newspaper=Frequently Flying}}</ref>
** [[American Airlines]]<ref name="aafleet">{{Cite web |title=Airfleets aviation – Airline Fleet, plane, airport : Boeing Airbus Embraer Atr Fokker Dash Beechcraft |url=http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b747-21962.htm|website=airfleets.net}}</ref><ref name="MyUser_Frequentlyflying.boardingarea.com_September_11_2015c">{{Cite web |date=February 11, 2011 |title=Vintage Airline Seat Map: American Airlines Boeing 747SP |url=http://frequentlyflying.boardingarea.com/vintage-airline-seat-map-american-airlines-boeing-747sp/ |access-date=September 11, 2015 |newspaper=Frequently Flying}}</ref>
** [[Braniff International Airlines]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.braniffinternational.org/aircraft/747sp.htm |title= 747SP|website=www.braniffinternational.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831231121/http://www.braniffinternational.org/aircraft/747sp.htm |archive-date=August 31, 2006}}</ref><ref>[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_multi=SJ&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=11D15A90C20906D0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D Mercury Star News: Ballet's Head-turning Move, Fry's Owner Loans Decorated 747 For S.J. Dancers' Tour]. Nl.newsbank.com (November 21, 2007).</ref>
** [[Braniff International Airways]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.braniffinternational.org/aircraft/747sp.htm |title= 747SP|website=www.braniffinternational.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831231121/http://www.braniffinternational.org/aircraft/747sp.htm |archive-date=August 31, 2006}}</ref><ref>[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_multi=SJ&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=11D15A90C20906D0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D Mercury Star News: Ballet's Head-turning Move, Fry's Owner Loans Decorated 747 For S.J. Dancers' Tour]. Nl.newsbank.com (November 21, 2007).</ref>
** [[K. A. Paul#Global Peace One|Global Peace Ambassadors]]
** [[K. A. Paul#Global Peace One|Global Peace Ambassadors]]
** [[Las Vegas Sands]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Morgan |first1=Tommy |title=VQ-BMS Broken up |url=https://www.747sp.com/vq-bms-broken-up/ |website=747sp.com |publisher=747sp |access-date=2024-02-08}}</ref>
** [[Las Vegas Sands]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Morgan |first1=Tommy |title=VQ-BMS Broken up |url=https://www.747sp.com/vq-bms-broken-up/ |website=747sp.com |date=June 22, 2021 |publisher=747sp |access-date=2024-02-08}}</ref>
** [[Pan Am]]<ref>[http://airlineroute.net/2008/12/19/pa-w77/ 1977/78: PanAm Routes]. Airline Route (December 19, 2008).</ref>
** [[Pan Am]]<ref>[http://airlineroute.net/2008/12/19/pa-w77/ 1977/78: PanAm Routes]. Airline Route (December 19, 2008).</ref>
** [[Trans World Airlines]]
** [[Trans World Airlines]]
Line 121: Line 115:
; Asia
; Asia
* '''{{BHR}}'''
* '''{{BHR}}'''
** [[Bahrain]] Royal Flight<ref name="SPoperators" />
** [[Air transports of heads of state and government#Bahrain|Bahrain Royal Flight]]<ref name="SPoperators" />
* '''{{BRU}}'''
* '''{{BRU}}'''
** [[Brunei]] Government Sultan's Flight<ref name="SPoperators" />
** [[Air transports of heads of state and government#Brunei|His Majesty The Sultan's Flight]]<ref name="SPoperators" />
* '''{{IRN}}'''
* '''{{IRN}}'''
** [[Iran Air]]<ref>[http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/33152-iran-air-retires-the-b747sp-from-service ch-aviation.com – Iran Air retires the B747SP from service] November 26, 2014</ref>
** [[Iran Air]]<ref>[http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/33152-iran-air-retires-the-b747sp-from-service ch-aviation.com – Iran Air retires the B747SP from service] November 26, 2014</ref>
Line 138: Line 132:
** [[Civil Aviation Administration of China]]<ref name="SPoperators" />
** [[Civil Aviation Administration of China]]<ref name="SPoperators" />
* '''{{QAT}}'''
* '''{{QAT}}'''
** [[Qatar Airways]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Qatar Airways Fleet Details and History |url=http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/Qatar-Airways |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823121620/https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Qatar-Airways |archive-date=August 23, 2017 |access-date=September 12, 2017 |website=planespotters.net }}</ref>
** [[Qatar Airways]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Qatar Airways Fleet Details and History |url=https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Qatar-Airways |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823121620/https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Qatar-Airways |archive-date=August 23, 2017 |access-date=September 12, 2017 |website=planespotters.net }}</ref>
** Amiri of Qatar (VP-BAT was not part of the fleet under [[Qatar Amiri Flight]] or [[Qatar Airways]])<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 29, 2019 |title=N7477S (Ex VP-BAT) ferried to MZJ |url=https://www.747sp.com/n7477s-ferried-to-mzj/}}</ref>
** [[Qatar Amiri Flight]]<!-- VP-BAT was not part of the fleet under Qatar Amiri Flight or Qatar Airways --><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 29, 2019 |title=N7477S (Ex VP-BAT) ferried to MZJ |url=https://www.747sp.com/n7477s-ferried-to-mzj/}}</ref>
* '''{{ROC}}'''
* '''{{ROC}}'''
** [[China Airlines]]
** [[China Airlines]]
Line 155: Line 149:
** [[Dubai Royal Air Wing]]<ref name="SPoperators" />
** [[Dubai Royal Air Wing]]<ref name="SPoperators" />
* '''{{YEM}}'''
* '''{{YEM}}'''
** [[Yemen]] Government<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 19, 2015 |title=Soldiers loyal to Yemen's former president storm Aden airport |work=The Guardian |agency=Associated Press in Aden |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/19/soldiers-loyal-former-yemen-president-aden-airport-dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tommy Mogren |date=April 6, 2015 |title=Yemenia 747SP damaged during attacks |url=http://www.747sp.com/yemenia-747sp-damaged-attacks/ |publisher=B747SP Website}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gulf News |date=July 17, 2015 |title=Aden may tilt scales in conflict |work=[[Gulf News]] |url=http://www.747sp.com/documents/yemenia/7O-YMN_Damaged2015.pdf}}</ref>
** [[Yemenia]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 19, 2015 |title=Soldiers loyal to Yemen's former president storm Aden airport |work=The Guardian |agency=Associated Press in Aden |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/19/soldiers-loyal-former-yemen-president-aden-airport-dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tommy Mogren |date=April 6, 2015 |title=Yemenia 747SP damaged during attacks |url=http://www.747sp.com/yemenia-747sp-damaged-attacks/ |publisher=B747SP Website}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gulf News |date=July 17, 2015 |title=Aden may tilt scales in conflict |work=[[Gulf News]] |url=http://www.747sp.com/documents/yemenia/7O-YMN_Damaged2015.pdf}}</ref>


; Europe
; Europe
* '''{{FRA}}'''
* '''{{FRA}}'''
** [[Corsair International]]
** [[Corsair International]]
** [[Union de Transports Aériens]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=21263 / 301 – Production List – Boeing 747SP Website |url=http://www.747sp.com/747sp-production-list/21263-301/ |website=www.747sp.com}}</ref>
** [[Union de Transports Aériens]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=21263 / 301 – Production List – Boeing 747SP Website |url=http://www.747sp.com/747sp-production-list/21263-301/ |website=www.747sp.com|date=July 21, 2022 }}</ref>
* '''{{ISL}}'''
* '''{{ISL}}'''
** [[Air Atlanta Icelandic]]<ref name="SPoperators" />
** [[Air Atlanta Icelandic]]<ref name="SPoperators" />
Line 177: Line 171:
* [[Pan Am#Record-setting flights|''Pan Am Flight 50'']]—to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pan Am. Flown October 28–30, 1977 from [[San Francisco International Airport|San Francisco]], with a time duration of 54 hours, 7 minutes, 12 seconds. 3 stopovers at [[Heathrow Airport]], [[Cape Town International Airport|Cape Town]] and [[Auckland Airport|Auckland]]. Flight 50 flew over both the North Pole and the South Pole.
* [[Pan Am#Record-setting flights|''Pan Am Flight 50'']]—to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pan Am. Flown October 28–30, 1977 from [[San Francisco International Airport|San Francisco]], with a time duration of 54 hours, 7 minutes, 12 seconds. 3 stopovers at [[Heathrow Airport]], [[Cape Town International Airport|Cape Town]] and [[Auckland Airport|Auckland]]. Flight 50 flew over both the North Pole and the South Pole.
* ''[[Friendship One]]''<ref name=eden96 />—Flown January 29–31, 1988 from [[Seattle–Tacoma International Airport|Seattle]], to raise funds for Friendship Foundation. Two stopovers were made, at [[Athens International Airport|Athens]] and [[Taoyuan International Airport|Taipei]]. The record lasted less than a month, as it was beaten by a [[Gulfstream IV]]. The round-the-world flight took 35 hours and 54 minutes over 23,125 miles.<ref name=eden96 />
* ''[[Friendship One]]''<ref name=eden96 />—Flown January 29–31, 1988 from [[Seattle–Tacoma International Airport|Seattle]], to raise funds for Friendship Foundation. Two stopovers were made, at [[Athens International Airport|Athens]] and [[Taoyuan International Airport|Taipei]]. The record lasted less than a month, as it was beaten by a [[Gulfstream IV]]. The round-the-world flight took 35 hours and 54 minutes over 23,125 miles.<ref name=eden96 />
* In 1976 a Boeing 747SP (ZS-SPA) of [[South African Airways]] was flown non-stop from the [[Boeing Everett Factory|Boeing Company factory]] in [[Seattle]] to Cape Town during its delivery flight. This was a world record for an un-refueled commercial aircraft, this record was held for over a decade.
* In 1976 a Boeing 747SP (ZS-SPA) of [[South African Airways]] was flown non-stop from the [[Boeing Everett Factory|Boeing Company factory]] in [[Seattle]] to Cape Town during its delivery flight. This was a world record for an un-refueled commercial aircraft, this record was held for over a decade.{{cn|date=November 2024}}


== Incidents and accidents ==
== Incidents and accidents ==
Line 183: Line 177:
* On October 5, 1998, a [[South African Airways]] Boeing 747SP-44 (ZS-SPF) operated by [[LAM Mozambique Airlines]] suffered an engine failure shortly after take-off from [[Maputo International Airport]], Mozambique. The no. 3 engine suffered an uncontained failure – flying debris caused damage to the no. 4 engine and the wing. A fire broke out that couldn't be extinguished immediately, forcing an emergency landing. All 66 people on board survived. As a result, the aircraft was withdrawn from service and scrapped.<ref name="Boeing 747SP" />
* On October 5, 1998, a [[South African Airways]] Boeing 747SP-44 (ZS-SPF) operated by [[LAM Mozambique Airlines]] suffered an engine failure shortly after take-off from [[Maputo International Airport]], Mozambique. The no. 3 engine suffered an uncontained failure – flying debris caused damage to the no. 4 engine and the wing. A fire broke out that couldn't be extinguished immediately, forcing an emergency landing. All 66 people on board survived. As a result, the aircraft was withdrawn from service and scrapped.<ref name="Boeing 747SP" />
*On January 15, 2004, [[Iran Air#Accidents and incidents|Iran Air Flight 800]], a 747SP-86 ([[aircraft registration]] EP-IAC), faced hydraulic malfunction shortly after takeoff from [[Beijing Capital International Airport]], the aircraft made an emergency landing, but the front landing gear collapsed. All people on board survived with no injuries.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=Boeing 747SP-86 EP-IAC |id=20040115-0 |accessdate=30 June 2023}}</ref>
*On January 15, 2004, [[Iran Air#Accidents and incidents|Iran Air Flight 800]], a 747SP-86 ([[aircraft registration]] EP-IAC), faced hydraulic malfunction shortly after takeoff from [[Beijing Capital International Airport]], the aircraft made an emergency landing, but the front landing gear collapsed. All people on board survived with no injuries.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=Boeing 747SP-86 EP-IAC |id=20040115-0 |accessdate=30 June 2023}}</ref>
*During the [[Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)|Yemeni Civil War]], a 747SP owned by the [[President of Yemen]], 7O-YMN, was struck by gunfire on March 19, 2015. Subsequent photographs show that the aircraft was then completely destroyed by fire afterward.
*During the [[Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)|Yemeni Civil War]], a 747SP owned by the [[President of Yemen]], 7O-YMN, was struck by gunfire on March 19, 2015. Subsequent photographs show that the aircraft was then completely destroyed by fire afterward.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
* On August 27, 2020, a [[Las Vegas Sands]] Boeing 747SP-21 (VQ-BMS) was damaged beyond repair during [[Hurricane Laura]]<ref name="AviationSafetyLasVegasSans747SP">[https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20200827-0&lang=en Accident description VQ-BMS]. Aviation-safety.net</ref> while undergoing maintenance. The right-hand wing fractured and the wing of another aircraft, believed to be BBJ N836BA, cut through the forward fuselage.
* On August 27, 2020, a [[Las Vegas Sands]] Boeing 747SP-21 (VQ-BMS) was damaged beyond repair during [[Hurricane Laura]] while undergoing maintenance. The right-hand wing fractured and the wing of another aircraft, believed to be BBJ N836BA, cut through the forward fuselage.<ref name="AviationSafetyLasVegasSans747SP">[https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20200827-0&lang=en Accident description VQ-BMS]. Aviation-safety.net</ref>


== Aircraft on display ==
== Aircraft on display ==
Line 194: Line 188:
== Specifications ==
== Specifications ==
[[File:B747FAMILYv1.0.png|thumb|upright=1.2|747-100 top view, cross-section, front view, 747 side views: 747SP, -100, -400, -8I, and LCF]]
[[File:B747FAMILYv1.0.png|thumb|upright=1.2|747-100 top view, cross-section, front view, 747 side views: 747SP, -100, -400, -8I, and LCF]]

{{sticky header}}
{{sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style="text-align:center; color:black;"
{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style="text-align:center;"
|-
|-
!Model
!Model

Latest revision as of 01:12, 4 December 2024

Not to be confused with Boeing 747SR.

Boeing 747SP
A Boeing 747SP of Syrian Air at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport in 2007.
General information
TypeWide-body jet airliner
National originUnited States
ManufacturerBoeing Airplane Company
StatusIn limited service
Primary usersPan Am (historical)
United Airlines (historical)
South African Airways (historical)
Iran Air (historical)
Qantas (historical)
Number built45[1]
History
Manufactured1976–1982, 1987–1989
Introduction dateApril 25, 1976 with Pan Am
First flightJuly 4, 1975
Developed fromBoeing 747-100
VariantsSOFIA

The Boeing 747SP (for Special Performance) is a shortened version of the Boeing 747 wide-body airliner, designed for a longer range. It is the highest flying subsonic passenger airliner, with a service ceiling of 45,100 feet (13,700 m). Boeing needed a smaller aircraft to compete with the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 TriStar tri-jet wide-bodies, introduced in 1971/1972. Pan Am requested a 747-100 derivative to fly between New York and the Middle East, a request also shared by Iran Air, and the first order came from Pan Am in 1973.

The variant first flew on July 4, 1975, was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration on February 4, 1976, and entered service that year with Pan Am.

The SP is 184 feet 9 inches (56.31 m) in length, 47 feet (14 m) shorter than the original 747 variants. Its main deck doors are reduced to four on each side to suit its lower capacity. The vertical and horizontal tailplanes are larger and its wing flaps have been simplified. With a 700,000-pound (320 t; 320,000 kg) maximum take-off weight, it can fly 276 passengers in three classes over 5,830 nautical miles [nmi] (10,800 km; 6,710 mi). One 747SP was modified into the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). The last example was delivered in 1987; some were converted to transports of heads of state. Sales did not meet the expected 200 units, and only 45 aircraft were ultimately produced.[2]

Development

[edit]

The idea for the 747SP came from a request by Pan Am for a 747 variant capable of carrying a full payload non-stop on its longest route between New York and Tehran.[3] Joined with Pan Am's request was Iran Air; their joint interest was for a high-capacity airliner capable of covering Pan Am's New York–Middle Eastern routes and Iran Air's planned New York-Tehran route[4] (New York to Tehran was the longest non-stop commercial flight in the world for a short time). The aircraft was launched with Pan Am's first order in 1973, and the first example was delivered in 1976.[5][6][7]

A shorter derivative of the 747-100, the SP was developed to target two market requirements.[5] The first was a need to compete with the DC-10 and L-1011 while maintaining commonality with the 747,[5] which in its standard form was too large for many routes. Until the arrival of the 767, Boeing lacked a mid-sized wide-body to compete in this segment. The second market requirement was an aircraft suitable for the ultra-long-range routes emerging in the mid-1970s following the joint request. These routes needed not only longer range but also higher cruising speeds. Boeing could not afford to develop an all-new design, instead opting to shorten the 747 and optimize it for speed and range, at the expense of capacity.[8]

Originally designated 747SB for "short body", it was later nicknamed "Sutter's balloon" by employees after 747 chief engineer Joe Sutter.[9] Boeing later changed the production designation to 747SP for "special performance", reflecting the aircraft's greater range and higher cruising speed.[10] Production of the 747SP ran from 1976 to 1983. However, a VIP order[5] for UAE's Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight led Boeing to produce one last SP in 1987. Pan Am was the launch customer for the 747SP, taking the first delivery, Clipper Freedom, on March 5, 1976.[10] Pan Am then made the first flight of the 747SP on April 25, 1976, making a nonstop flight from New York to Tokyo.[citation needed]

The 747SP was the longest-range airliner available until the 747-400 entered service in 1989. Despite its technical achievements, the SP never sold as well as Boeing hoped.[5] Increased fuel prices in the mid-1970s to early 1980s, the SP's heavy wings, high cost,[5] and reduced capacity, and the increased ranges of forthcoming airliners[5] were some of the many factors that contributed to its low sales. Only 45 were built, and, of those remaining, most are used by operators in the Middle East. However, some of the engineering work on the 747SP was reused with the development of the 747-300. In the 747SP, the upper deck begins over the section of fuselage that contains the wing box, not ahead of the wing box (as is the case with the 747-100 and 747-200). This same design was used in the 747-300 and newer 747-400, resulting in a stretched upper deck.[citation needed]

Design

[edit]
Iran Air 747SP from above, 47 ft (14 m) shorter than the 747, with four exit doors per side

Apart from having a significantly shorter fuselage and one fewer cabin door per side, the 747SP differs from other 747 variants in having simplified flaps and a taller vertical tail[5] to counteract the decrease in yaw moment-arm from the shortened fuselage. The 747SP uses single-piece flaps on the trailing edges, rather than the smaller triple-slotted flaps of standard 747s.

The SP could accommodate 230 passengers in a 3-class cabin or 331 (303 economy, 28 business) in a 2-class cabin, and a maximum of 400 passengers in one class.[citation needed]

Variants

[edit]
The 747SP used as the NASA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy

From 2007 until 2022, a specially modified 747SP was used as the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) astronomical observatory,[5] operated jointly by NASA and Germany's DLR. A former Pan Am and United Airlines aircraft acquired in 1997, its airframe was modified to carry a 2.5-meter-diameter reflecting telescope to high altitude, above 99.9% of the light-absorbing water vapor in the atmosphere. The telescope and its detectors covered a wide wavelength range from the near infrared to the sub-millimeter region; no window material is transparent over this whole range, so the observations were made through a 13 feet (4.0 m) square hole in the port upper quarter of the rear fuselage, aft of a new pressure bulkhead. A sliding door covered the aperture when the telescope was not in use.[11] Astronomers took data and control the instrument from within the normally pressurized cabin. Originally delivered to Pan Am and named "Clipper Lindbergh", the name was displayed in script on the port side of the aircraft.[citation needed]

In September 2022, SOFIA ceased operations after the conclusion of its final mission. The retirement was made both on the grounds of cost and suitability for the requirements of the decade to come.[12] The aircraft was later flown to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, to be put on public display.[13]

Operators

[edit]

Deliveries

[edit]

Forty-five 747SP aircraft were built between 1974 and 1987.[14] The production line was ended in 1982 but reopened in 1987 to fulfill an order for the Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight.[15]

Type 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Total
747-SP 14 4 2 5 9 6 4 — — — — — — 1 45

Current operators

[edit]
Pratt & Whitney engine testbed testing the PW1000G engine
The last 747SP, built in 1987 for Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight

As of June 2024, there are just two Boeing 747SPs remaining in active service, both operating as testbed aircraft for engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Canada.[16][17] Eighteen more aircraft are stored or otherwise preserved. The remaining aircraft were either scrapped, otherwise destroyed, or abandoned.[14] In 2016, the last 747SP in commercial service was withdrawn from service after 40 years by Iran Air.[18][19] In 2020, the last aircraft in governmental use was stored by the Royal Flight of Oman.[20]

Former operators

[edit]

This list also includes organizations that used the aircraft temporarily, besides main operators.

Africa
America
Asia
Europe
Oceania

Records

[edit]

There were three significant commercial around-the-world record-setting flights flown by 747SP: two operated by Pan Am and the other operated by United Airlines with the aircraft being "loaned" to Friendship Foundation, in order to raise money for the foundation. Those flights are:

Incidents and accidents

[edit]
  • On February 19, 1985, China Airlines Flight 006, a 747SP-09 (aircraft registration N4522V) with 274 passengers and crew on a flight from Chiang Kai-shek Airport to Los Angeles suffered an inflight failure on engine number four. While the flight crew attempted to restore power the aircraft rolled to the right and started a steep descent from the cruising altitude of 41,000 feet, pulling 4.8 G and 5.1 G on two occasions. The captain managed to stabilize the aircraft at 9,500 feet and the aircraft diverted to San Francisco which was 550 km (297.0 nmi; 341.8 mi) away. Two passengers were injured and the aircraft suffered major structural damage.[54]
  • On October 5, 1998, a South African Airways Boeing 747SP-44 (ZS-SPF) operated by LAM Mozambique Airlines suffered an engine failure shortly after take-off from Maputo International Airport, Mozambique. The no. 3 engine suffered an uncontained failure – flying debris caused damage to the no. 4 engine and the wing. A fire broke out that couldn't be extinguished immediately, forcing an emergency landing. All 66 people on board survived. As a result, the aircraft was withdrawn from service and scrapped.[24]
  • On January 15, 2004, Iran Air Flight 800, a 747SP-86 (aircraft registration EP-IAC), faced hydraulic malfunction shortly after takeoff from Beijing Capital International Airport, the aircraft made an emergency landing, but the front landing gear collapsed. All people on board survived with no injuries.[55]
  • During the Yemeni Civil War, a 747SP owned by the President of Yemen, 7O-YMN, was struck by gunfire on March 19, 2015. Subsequent photographs show that the aircraft was then completely destroyed by fire afterward.[citation needed]
  • On August 27, 2020, a Las Vegas Sands Boeing 747SP-21 (VQ-BMS) was damaged beyond repair during Hurricane Laura while undergoing maintenance. The right-hand wing fractured and the wing of another aircraft, believed to be BBJ N836BA, cut through the forward fuselage.[56]

Aircraft on display

[edit]

Specifications

[edit]
747-100 top view, cross-section, front view, 747 side views: 747SP, -100, -400, -8I, and LCF
Model 747SP[58]
Cockpit crew Three[59]
2-class seats 331 (28F + 303Y)[58] or 343 (30F + 313Y)[60]
3-class seats 276 (25F + 57J + 194Y)[60]
Exit limit 400[59]
Overall length 184 ft 9 in (56.31 m)
Wingspan 195 ft 8 in (59.64 m)
Wing area 5,500 sq ft (511 m2)[61]
Overall height 65 ft 10 in (20.07 m)
Operating empty weight 325,260–336,870 lb (147.54–152.80 t)
Maximum take-off weight 700,000 lb (317,500 kg)
Maximum landing weight 450,000 lb (204,100 kg)
Engine models (x4) Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7(A/AH/F/FW/J)
Rolls-Royce RB211-524(B2/C2/D4)
Engine thrust (x4) JT9D: 46,950–50,000 lbf (209–222 kN)
RB211: 49,150–51,980 lbf (219–231 kN)
Maximum speed Mach 0.92 (542 kn; 1,004 km/h; 624 mph)[62]
Cruising speed Mach 0.86 (493 kn; 914 km/h; 568 mph)[62]
Service ceiling 45,100 ft (13,700 m)[62]
Maximum range 6,650 nmi (12,320 km; 7,650 mi)[a][60]
Max fuel capacity 50,360 US gal (190,630 L)

Note

  1. ^ JT9D, 233 passengers

See also

[edit]

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "747 Model Summary". Boeing. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  2. ^ Norris, Guy; Wagner, Mark (1999). Modern Boeing Jetliners. Osceola, Wisconsin: Zenith Imprint. p. 20. ISBN 0-7603-0717-2.
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Further reading

[edit]
  • Davies, R.E.G. (2000). TWA : an airline and its aircraft. McLean, Virginia: Paladwr Press. ISBN 1-888962-16-X.
  • Baum, Brian (1997). Boeing 747SP. Miami, Florida: World Transport Press. ISBN 0-9626730-7-2.
[edit]

Media related to Boeing 747SP at Wikimedia Commons

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