That of the platform for NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) telescope platform. Though not a smash hit by most ostensible measures, the 747SP did have at least one famous application. With these circumstances in mind, the 747SP never really stood a chance in hindsight. At the same time, newer, more efficient twin-engine, wide-body airliners like the Boeing 767 and the Airbus A300 series continued to cannibalize market shares that, had they not existed, the 747SP could have used as a lifeline to make the airliner generate a profit. This production figure was the exact number estimated by the company needed in order to break even, but far below the 200 or so airframes Boeing estimated the market demanded. Though one final example was manufactured for a customer in the United Arab Emirates in 1986, it's clear the 747SP didn't generate much of a profit for Boeing, if at all. Though Pan Am initially placed an order for at least 25 747SP airframes, this was ultimately cut down to a mere ten examples. When it was all said and done, 45 747SPs were manufactured by Boeing, with the first deliveries commencing in 1976. Despite being smaller than the normal 747, the SP could still carry up to 400 passengers in a single-class configuration and roughly 240 passengers with multi-level seating ranging from economy to first class. In one instance, Boeing test pilots managed to fly the 747SP at a scarcely believable 0.92 times the speed of sound, effectively the knife edge of supersonic. All while cruising at roughly 90 percent the speed of sound and using less fuel because of its smaller size. With a monumental range of 7,650 miles (12,320 km, 6,650 nm), the 747SP could manage to travel routes that airliners like the TriStar and the DC-10 simply couldn't. These would be the same Pratt & Whitney JT9Ds found in early-model 747-100s or the Rolls-Royce RB211. As for engines, two options were available on the 747SP. With a maximum takeoff weight of 700,000 lb (317,500 kg), including passengers and cargo, the 747SP was still a seriously capable aerial transport. It was a completely new airframe with fewer cabin doors, simplified single-slot flaps, smaller ailerons, and a significantly taller vertical tail compared in proportion to its size than the 747-100. In the days before the bespoke Boeing 767 hit the market, a smaller 747 derivative was Boeing's best bet to fill this market space.ĭubbed the 747 "Special Performance," this novel bird wasn't a simple 747-100 with 47 feet (14 m) lopped off its tail. By shortening a standard 747 airframe, Boeing also managed to bridge the gap between the colossal 747-100 and smaller wide-body jets like the Lockheed TriStar and the Douglas DC-10. But by eliminating a great deal of weight by downsizing the airframe, the 747SP could fly places no other airliner in the world could manage on a single tank of fuel. For a brief period, this route was even the longest in the world by length. Even the standard 747-100 would struggle to manage a jaunt of that size in one go. In the opposite direction, Imperial Iran's national airline Iran Air also wished to begin direct flights between New York-JFK airport and Tehran. ![]() Though it might shock younger people who only know Iran as adversarial to the West, it might be surprising to know Iran once welcomed American travelers. One route that caught Boeing's eye was a particularly lucrative route planned by Pan Am from major hubs in the U.S. But by galavanting high-paying passengers across the globe in luxury and comfort, the 747 found itself catering to various niche markets. In one trip, the jet could carry upwards of 350 passengers in excess of 5,300 miles (4,620 nmi, 8,560 km) thanks to four massive Pratt & Whitney JT9D turbofan engines.īy the middle of the 70s, the 747 was already heralded as a halo vehicle for the entire commercial airline space. In service with iconic airlines like TWA and Pan Am, the 747 could ferry more people to places farther away than some in the day could even fathom. Back in those days, the 747-100 was just beginning to usher in the age of the wide-body airliner to the masses. But to understand why Boeing even considered down-sizing the world's largest airliner, we need to understand what the commercial aviation space looked like back in the early 1970s.
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