747SPs Once Reviewed by SQ

[Nick C]

Something I found today. While not the 744 variant, it seems that Boeing tried to get SQ to buy the 747SP long ago.

http://www.747sp.com/viewphoto.asp?325

[aerotransport]

Late 1989 I would say. SQ eventually ordered 5+15 MD-11's on 16jan90 (order was subsequently cancelled).
/A

[mr_botak]

The 747-SP in 1989 would have been an interesting pitch from Boeing! 1979 is perhaps more likely.. The SP was pretty much obsoleted by the -300 in the 80s, and the -400 in the 90s eclipsed it in every respect apart from faster cruise.

[NicholasNgian]

They just build the SP for longer range and it found very few operators. Its essentially a niche market. South African Airways uses it to circumvent flyover restrictions imposed on it by other African countries.

Qantas was an operator as well.

[Russ]

Weird looking thing, the SP, the short fuselage, the taller tail, the pinched in rear fuselage, just really out of proportion, IMO.

Once the 744s were born, there was no market for SPs, as the fuel burn was higher and it could only take 75% of the passengers that 744s could, so costwise ... no sense.

Never got to fly one, because by the time I did SYD-MNL, Boeing had changed the eq to 763s. But Aussies I knew said that they were really getting very tired - in the late 1990s/early-2000s...

[sumitsan]

I never knew SQ was interested in a 747SP for passenger service, but I did hear stories about a possible 747SP Freighter. This info was given to me by a local friend in Singapore, so it was not official or anything, so it may be inaccurate. But from what I heard, SQ seemed interested in replacing their 747-200F, which they had in the late '80s, early '90s with an SP freighter, but ended up taking a 737F instead, and eventually the 747-400F (Mega Arks).

Did anyone here hear about this??

[Tom/PER]

How about stop taking about B747SP's and just talk about the thread title.

If you wanna talk about SP/rumours start your own thread!

[jjpb3]

There you go: the topic has its own thread.




jjpb3

[Greatfox]

They just build the SP for longer range and it found very few operators. Its essentially a niche market. South African Airways uses it to circumvent flyover restrictions imposed on it by other African countries.

Qantas was an operator as well.

Qantas was an operator, but not for the extended range capabilities, Wellington airport in those days had a short runway that didn't permit large aircraft from landing/taking off there, the 747SP was initially used in this role of being the largest plane Qantas could fly into WLG, hence why only two planes were purchased