View source for Engineering:Boeing 747SP

{{Short description|Shortened modification of a Boeing 747}}
{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
 |name = Boeing 747SP
 |image = File:N347SP Pan American World Airways Boeing 747SP inflight.jpg
 |caption = Boeing 747SP of launch customer Pan Am
}}{{Infobox aircraft type
 |type = [[Engineering:Wide-body aircraft|Wide-body]] jet airliner
 |national origin= United States
 |manufacturer = [[Company:Boeing|Boeing]] Airplane Company
 |designer = 
 |first flight = July 4, 1975
 |introduced = 1976 with Pan Am
 |retired = 
 |status = In limited service<!--See Produced field for production status -->
 |primary user = Pan Am (historical)
 |more users = United Airlines (historical) <br /> South African Airways (historical) <br />Iran Air (historical)
 |produced = 1976–1982, 1987–1989
 |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>
 |developed from = Boeing 747-100
 |variants with their own articles = [[Astronomy:Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy|SOFIA]]
}}
|}

The '''Boeing 747SP''' (for ''Special Performance'') is a shortened version of the [[Engineering:Boeing 747|Boeing 747]] wide-body airliner, designed for a longer range. It is the highest flying subsonic passenger airliner, with a [[Astronomy:Ceiling (aeronautics)|service ceiling]] of 45,100 feet (13,700 meters).
<!--Development-->
Boeing needed a smaller aircraft to compete with the [[Engineering:McDonnell Douglas DC-10|McDonnell Douglas DC-10]] and [[Engineering:Lockheed L-1011 TriStar|Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]] tri-jet wide-bodies, introduced in 1971/1972. Pan Am requested a 747-100 derivative to fly between {{wipe|New York City}} and the [[Place:Middle East|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,<!--ref name=TCDS--> and entered service that year with Pan Am.

<!--Design-->
The SP is {{Convert|184|ft|9|in|abbr=out}} in length, {{Convert|47|ft|abbr=out}} 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 {{Convert|700000|lb|t kg|adj=on}} maximum take-off weight, it can fly 276 passengers in three classes over {{Convert|5830|nmi|abbr=~|lk=in}}.
<!--Variants-->
One 747SP was modified into the [[Astronomy:Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy|Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy]] (SOFIA).
<!--Operators-->
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.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Norris |first1=Guy |title=Modern Boeing Jetliners |last2=Wagner |first2=Mark |publisher=Zenith Imprint |year=1999 |isbn=0-7603-0717-2 |location=Osceola, Wisconsin |page=20}}</ref>

== Development ==
[[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 New York and 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 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 [[Engineering:McDonnell Douglas DC-10|DC-10]] and [[Engineering: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 [[Engineering: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 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.<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>

[[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]]

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 [[Engineering: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 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.

== Design ==
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<ref name=eden96 /> to counteract the decrease in yaw moment-arm from the shortened fuselage. The 747SP uses single-piece flaps on the [[Engineering:Trailing edge|trailing edge]]s, 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|date=February 2019}}

== Variants ==
[[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 [[Astronomy:Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy|Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy]] ''(SOFIA)'' astronomical observatory,<ref name=eden96 /> operated jointly by [[Organization:NASA|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 [[Astronomy:Reflecting telescope|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 [[Physics:Infrared|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.

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, 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>

== Operators ==
=== Deliveries ===
Forty-five 747SP aircraft were built between 1974 and 1987.<ref name="747sp.com">[http://www.747sp.com/747sp-production-list/ 747sp.com – Production List] retrieved June 4, 2016</ref> The production line was ended in 1982 but reopened in 1987 to fulfill an order for the Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight.<ref name="baby_747">[http://www.747sp.com/story-b747sp/ "The Story of the B747SP."] ''747sp.com''. Retrieved: July 14, 2017.</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!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 ===
[[File:Boeing 747SP-J6 Pratt & Whitney AN2732961.jpg|thumb| Pratt & Whitney engine testbed testing the PW1000G engine]]
As of September 2022, there were just three Boeing 747SPs still in active service, with 18 more stored and one preserved. The remaining 23 were either scrapped, otherwise destroyed, or abandoned.<ref name="747sp.com" />{{vs|date=December 2016}}

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><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 15, 2016 |title=Review: Farewell Iran Air B747-SP Tehran to Mumbai |url=http://samchui.com/2016/07/15/review-iran-air-b747-sp-tehran-to-mumbai/ |access-date=January 1, 2017 |website=Sam Chui Aviation & Travel}}</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 during Hurricane Laura.<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> The latter aircraft was scrapped soon afterwards.<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 retirement of the ''SOFIA'' observatory left only three aircraft still in use as of September 2022, two of them for research purposes:

*2 Pratt & Whitney Canada (used as an engine [[Testbed|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>
*1 [[Company:Las Vegas Sands|Las Vegas Sands]]

=== Former operators ===
This list also includes organizations that used the aircraft temporarily, besides main operators.
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
; Africa
* '''{{CMR}}'''
** Cameroon Airlines<ref name=SPoperators />
* '''{{COD}}'''
** Kinshasa Airways<ref>[http://www.airliners.net/photo/Kinshasa-Airways/Boeing-747SP-09/0457220/&sid=4a986f8db1eefc101b0a18be99d93a9c Kinshasa Airways 747SP]. Airliners.net (November 3, 2003).</ref>
* '''{{MWI}}'''
** Air Malawi
* '''{{MAR}}'''
** Royal Air Maroc
* '''{{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>
* '''{{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>
* '''{{NAM}}'''
** Air Namibia<ref>[http://www.airliners.net/photo/Air-Namibia/Boeing-747SP-44/1310616/&sid=6b80debe1f18d43bf870cf2fcf16eb0a Air Namibia 747SP]. Airliners.net.</ref>
* '''{{UGA}}'''
** Alliance Air<ref>[http://www.airliners.net/photo/Alliance-Air-(South/Boeing-747SP-44/0648797/&sid=ab90001e5f704626007f147291887fd7 Alliance 747SP]. Airliners.net.</ref>
* '''{{ZAF}}'''
** Avia Airlines<ref>[http://www.airliners.net/photo/Avia-Airlines/Boeing-747SP-44/0986035/&sid=91611e3bff6272545c49ea9176440ef7 Avia 747SP]. Airliners.net (January 3, 2006).</ref>
** South African Airways<ref>{{Cite web |year=2012 |title=Boeing 747SP Maluti ZS-SPC |url=http://www.saamuseum.co.za/our-aircraft/65.html |access-date=January 4, 2012 |website=SAA Museum}}</ref>
** Trek Airways<ref>[http://www.trekairways.co.za/Trek_Airways_Boeing_747SP.htm The Boeing 747SP of Trek Airways]. Trekairways.co.za (September 4, 1993).</ref>

; America
* '''{{ARG}}'''
** Aerolíneas Argentinas<ref>[http://www.airliners.net/photo/Aerolineas-Argentinas/Boeing-747SP-27/2044723/&sid=005e7989b6148b4762b180c2b56d34fd Argentinas 747SP]. Airliners.net (January 5, 2012).</ref>
* '''{{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>
** 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>
** Global Peace Ambassadors
** Pan Am<ref>[http://airlineroute.net/2008/12/19/pa-w77/ 1977/78: PanAm Routes]. Airline Route (December 19, 2008).</ref>
** Trans World Airlines
** United Airlines<ref>[http://airlineroute.net/2010/07/05/ua-w92-intl/ 1992/93: UNITED International Network]. Airline Route.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=United Airlines Fleet Details and History |url=https://www.planespotters.net/airline/United-Airlines |access-date=November 13, 2021 |website=www.planespotters.net}}</ref>

; Asia
* '''{{BHR}}'''
** Bahrain Royal Flight<ref name="SPoperators" />
* '''{{BRU}}'''
** Brunei Government Sultan's Flight<ref name="SPoperators" />
* '''{{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>
* '''{{IRQ}}'''
** Iraqi Airways<ref>[http://www.airliners.net/photo/Iraq---Government/Boeing-747SP-70/1978906/&sid=975df98484a91a06965ae52bf853b713 Iraqi 747SP]. Airliners.net (September 7, 2011).</ref>
* '''{{KAZ}}'''
** Kazakhstan Airlines<ref>[http://www.airliners.net/photo/Kazakhstan-Airlines/Boeing-747SP-31/1307368/&sid=8b0a1a6b8fbc5e919b4fbd475c88a656 Kazakhstan Airlines 747SP]. Airliners.net (September 4, 1994).</ref>
* '''{{LBN}}'''
** Middle East Airlines
* '''{{OMN}}'''
** Royal Flight of Oman
* '''{{PRC}}'''
** Air China
** Civil Aviation Administration of China<ref name="SPoperators" />
* '''{{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>
** 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>
* '''{{ROC}}'''
** China Airlines
** Mandarin Airlines<ref>[http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=12333&CtNode=122 Mandarin Airlines will make maiden flight to Australia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601220623/http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=12333&CtNode=122 |date=June 1, 2012 }}. None.</ref>
* '''{{ROK}}'''
** Korean Air
* '''{{KSA}}'''
** Saudia<ref>[http://www.saudiairlines.com/portal/site/saudiairlines/menuitem.d9a467d070ca6c65173ff63dc8f034a0/?vgnextoid=397c8a09951c4110VgnVCM10000015e25558RCRD Saudi Arabian Airlines – History of the 80's]. Saudiairlines.com.</ref>
* '''{{SYR}}'''
** Syrian Air<ref>[http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=RB&al_op=1 Syrian Air 747s status at January 2012]. Ch-aviation.ch.</ref>
* '''{{TJK}}'''
** Tajik Air<ref>[http://www.airliners.net/photo/Tajik-Air/Boeing-747SP-21/0071320/&sid=a02a6e4f947d579d683f36682f3f1b7e Tajik Air 747SP]. Airliners.net.</ref>
* '''{{UAE}}'''
** Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight<ref name="SPoperators" />
** Dubai Royal Air Wing<ref name="SPoperators" />
* '''{{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>

; Europe
* '''{{FRA}}'''
** 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>
* '''{{ISL}}'''
** Air Atlanta Icelandic<ref name="SPoperators" />
* '''{{LUX}}'''
** Luxair

; Oceania
* '''{{AUS}}'''
** [[Company:Australia Asia Airlines|Australia Asia Airlines]]<ref name="SPoperators">{{Cite web |title=Operators |url=http://www.747sp.com/operators/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413041235/http://www.747sp.com/operators/ |archive-date=April 13, 2013 |access-date=April 10, 2013 |website=Boeing 747SP Website}}</ref>
** [[Company:Qantas|Qantas]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 4, 2002 |title=Red, White And Q Farewell For Qantas Aircraft |url=http://www.qantas.com.au/regions/dyn/au/publicaffairs/details?ArticleID=2002/mar02/2645 |access-date=June 4, 2008 |publisher=Qantas}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=QFOM – Qantas 747 VH-EBQ |url=http://www.qfom.com.au/747.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209084756/http://www.qfom.com.au/747.html |archive-date=December 9, 2011 |access-date=January 4, 2012 |website=Qantas Founders Museum }}</ref>
}}

== Records ==
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:
* ''Liberty Bell Express''<ref name=eden96 />—Flown from New York/JFK May 1–3, 1976. 2 stopovers at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi and Tokyo-Haneda Airport. The round-the-world flight took 46 hours and 26 minutes over 23,137 miles.<ref name=eden96 />
* ''Pan Am Flight 50''—to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pan Am. Flown October 28–30, 1977 from San Francisco, with a time duration of 54 hours, 7 minutes, 12 seconds. 3 stopovers at Heathrow Airport, Cape Town and Auckland. Flight 50 flew over both the North Pole and the South Pole.
* ''[[Engineering:Friendship One|Friendship One]]''<ref name=eden96 />—Flown January 29–31, 1988 from Seattle, to raise funds for Friendship Foundation. Two stopovers were made, at Athens and Taipei. The record lasted less than a month, as it was beaten by a [[Engineering:Gulfstream IV|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 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.

== Incidents and accidents ==
* On February 19, 1985, China Airlines Flight 006, a 747SP-09 ([[Engineering:Aircraft registration|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 {{cvt|550|km|nmi mi|1}} away. Two passengers were injured and the aircraft suffered major structural damage.<ref name="CI006">[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19850219-0&lang=en Aviation Safety Network report – 19 February 1985 accident]. Aviation-safety.net.</ref>
* 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 Flight 800, a 747SP-86 ([[Engineering:Aircraft registration|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 [[Social: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.
* On August 27, 2020, a [[Company:Las Vegas Sands|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.

== Aircraft on display ==
* An ex-South African Airways 747SP nicknamed "Maluti" is on static display at Rand Airport in South Africa, where it is maintained by the South African Airways Museum Society.
* NASA 747SP N747NA, SOFIA (ex-Pan Am ''Clipper Lindbergh'') is preserved at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fisher |first=Alise |date=2022-12-08 |title=NASA's Retired SOFIA Aircraft Finds New Home at Arizona Museum |url=http://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-retired-sofia-aircraft-finds-new-home-at-arizona-museum |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=NASA}}</ref>

== 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]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; color:black;"
|-
!Model
!747SP<ref name="acaps">{{Cite web |date=May 2011 |title=747 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning |url=http://www.boeing.com/assets/pdf/commercial/airports/acaps/747_123sp.pdf |publisher=Boeing Commercial Airplanes}}</ref>
|-
!Cockpit crew
|Three<ref name=TypeCert />
|-
!2-class seats
|331 (28F + 303Y)<ref name=acaps /> or 343 (30F + 313Y)<ref name=startup />
|-
!3-class seats
|276 (25F + 57J + 194Y)<ref name="startup">{{Cite web |date=2007 |title=747-100/-200/-300/-SP |url=http://www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/company/about_bca/startup/pdf/historical/747-100_-200_-300_-SP_passenger.pdf |publisher=Boeing}}</ref>
|-
!Exit limit
|400<ref name="TypeCert">{{Cite web |date=February 27, 2015 |title=Type Certificate Data Sheet |url=http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/75d4c3215c58345386257df9007c3763/$FILE/A20WE_Rev_57.pdf |publisher=FAA |access-date=July 1, 2015 |archive-date=December 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225060633/http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/75d4c3215c58345386257df9007c3763/$FILE/A20WE_Rev_57.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
!Overall length
|{{Convert|184|ft|9|in|abbr=on}}
|-
!Wingspan
|{{Convert|195|ft|8|in|abbr=on}}
|-
!Wing area
|{{Convert|5,500|ft2|abbr=on|sigfig=3}}<ref name="airliners">{{Cite web |title=Boeing 747SP |url=http://www.airliners.net/aircraft-data/boeing-747sp/98 |publisher=Airliners.net}}</ref>
|-
!Overall height
|{{Convert|65|ft|10|in|abbr=on}}
|-
!Operating empty weight
|{{Convert|325,260|–|336,870|lb|t|abbr=on|sigfig=5}}
|-
!Maximum take-off weight
|{{Convert|700,000|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=4}}
|-
!Maximum landing weight
|{{Convert|450,000|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=4}}
|-
!Engine models (x4)
|Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7(A/AH/F/FW/J)<br />[[Engineering:Rolls-Royce RB211|Rolls-Royce RB211]]-524(B2/C2/D4)
|-
!Engine thrust (x4)
|JT9D: {{Convert|46,950|-|50,000|lbf|kN|abbr=on|sigfig=3}}<br />RB211: {{Convert|49,150|-|51,980|lbf|kN|abbr=on|sigfig=3}}
|-
!Maximum speed
|{{Convert|0.92|Mach|altitude_ft=30,000|knots km/h mph|0}}<ref name="JetAge">{{Cite web |last=Gregory Maxwell |date=January 13, 2014 |title=The Life and Times of the Boeing 747SP |url=http://g-alyp.blogspot.fr/2014/01/the-life-and-times-of-boeing-747sp.html}}</ref>
|-
!Cruising speed
|{{Convert|0.86|Mach|altitude_ft=46,000|knots km/h mph|0}}<ref name=JetAge />
|-
!Service ceiling
|{{Convert|45,100|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=JetAge />
|-
!Maximum range
|{{Convert|6650|nmi|abbr=on}}{{efn|JT9D, 233 passengers}}<ref name=startup />
|-
!Max fuel capacity
|{{Convert|50,360|USgal|L|abbr=on|sigfig=5}}
|}

''Note''
{{notelist}}

== See also ==
{{aircontent
|related=
* [[Engineering:Boeing 747|Boeing 747]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[Engineering:Ilyushin Il-86|Ilyushin Il-86]]
* [[Engineering:Lockheed L-1011 TriStar|Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]]
* [[Engineering:McDonnell Douglas DC-10|McDonnell Douglas DC-10]]
|lists=
* List of Boeing 747 operators
* [[Engineering:List of civil aircraft|List of civil aircraft]]
|see also=
}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |last=Davies |first=R.E.G. |title=TWA : an airline and its aircraft |publisher=Paladwr Press |year=2000 |isbn=1-888962-16-X |location=McLean, Virginia}}
* {{Cite book |last=Baum |first=Brian |title=Boeing 747SP |publisher=World Transport Press |year=1997 |isbn=0-9626730-7-2 |location=Miami, Florida}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121002063408/http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747family/background.html boeing.com – 747 family]
* [http://www.747sp.com/ 747SP fan site – Production Lists & Photographs]

{{Boeing 747 family}}

[[Category:Quadjets]]
[[Category:Double-deck aircraft]]

{{Sourceattribution|Boeing 747SP}}