Why is the 747 SP so short?

The Boeing 747SP (for Special Performance) is a shortened version of the Boeing 747 wide-body airliner, designed for a longer range. 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.



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A retiring British Airways 747 may have cracked a record; the shortest ever jumbo flight. BA9172 left Cardiff Airport in Wales on Monday morning, and landed just over six kilometres later at an RAF airbase in St Athan. ?It took off at 11.09am and landed safely at 11.18am.

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Like the even bigger Airbus A380 (in the foreground), the 747 no longer meets the economic requirements of airlines that prefer long-haul, dual-engine aircraft such as the A350 or the Boeing 777 and 787. In the past year, there were only 20 or so outstanding orders for the 747, all of them for freight carriers.

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Boeing's latest widebody is hoping to replace its most popular one. Now that the Boeing 747 program has officially come to an end with the delivery of the last 747-8F this month, we look to the future. Boeing is currently in the certification process for the 777X program, with the first deliveries scheduled for 2025.

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Lufthansa Flight 540 was the first fatal crash of a 747. On November 20, 1974, it stalled and crashed moments after taking off from Nairobi, with 59 deaths and 98 survivors.

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According to data from ch-aviation.com, the oldest active Boeing 747 family aircraft left in the world today is a 747-100SF that flies for the Iranian Air Force. Bearing registration 5-8103, this veteran quadjet is 52.86 years old and flew for TWA from 1970 to 1975 before being converted for usage as a freighter.

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In a ceremony that was broadcast live online, the aircraft was handed over to its new owner, US air cargo operator Atlas Air, at Boeing's plant in Everett, Washington.

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Pan Am, having once called itself The World's Most Experienced Airline, eventually filed for bankruptcy protection in January 1991. Due to rising fuel costs, as well as an inability to operate domestic routes the airline was starting to run at a loss.

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The B747's range falls slightly short of the A380, with a typical range of around 7,790 nautical miles (14,400 kilometers). However, it compensates with a higher top speed, capable of cruising at approximately Mach 0.855. This makes it more versatile, suitable for both long-haul and shorter intercontinental flights.

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According to data from ch-aviation.com, the oldest active Boeing 747 family aircraft left in the world today is a 747-100SF that flies for the Iranian Air Force. Bearing registration 5-8103, this veteran quadjet is 52.86 years old and flew for TWA from 1970 to 1975 before being converted for usage as a freighter.

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The Tenerife airport disaster occurred on March 27, 1977, when two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport) on the Spanish island of Tenerife.

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Pan Am Flight 1736 and KLM Flight 4805 On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport), on the Spanish island of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The crash killed 583 people, making it the deadliest accident in aviation history.

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Israel to ban Boeing 747s, other 4-engine planes amid environmental concerns. JERUSALEM, Sept 4 - Israel will ban Boeing 747 and similar aircraft with four engines as of March 31, 2023 to reduce noise and air pollution, its airports authority said on Sunday.

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