Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Wolfe, Joanna" <wolfe AT oup-usa.org>]

I never thought of posting to internetworkers about this.
It must have been a month ago that I had called WRAL trying to figure
out whose plane that was -
if we are talking about the unmarked 747 with the Shield/Coat of arms
with crossed sabers and a Palm tree, beach and sail boat.
I looked all over the place on google trying to find a picture of the
country specific Shield/Coat of arms - tried the UN as well, but
couldn't come up with anything.
Yup, that's the plane.
Maybe Raleigh is a convenient place to stash a plane while you are
touring the US (or local military bases!).
Joana

> ----------
> From:         Bill Geschwind
> Reply To:     Internetworkers:
> http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/
> Sent:         Wednesday, October 29, 2003 12:19 AM
> To:   'Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/'
> Subject:      RE: [internetworkers] Unmarked Boeing 747 At RDU
> 
> This thread really peaked the interest of the aviation geek within
> me. This
> evening I drove out to RDU to take a peek at this airplane, in spite
> of it
> being dark and raining. Since it was dark and the plane was off in
> the
> distance, I had a hard time making out the exact color of the plane,
> but if
> it is the King of Qatar's 747, as suggested, then the tail and the
> rather
> thick stripe going down the side are more reddish brown than blue.
> See below
> for a couple of photos:
> 
> http://www.airliners.net/open.file/447904/M/
> 
> http://www.airliners.net/open.file/413248/M/
> 
> If this is indeed the 747 that is currently parked at RDU, it is not
> actually owned by the King of Qatar or the "Qatar Amiri Flight," but
> rather
> by a company called Worldwide Aircraft Holding Company in the
> Bermudas and
> is operated on behalf of the Qatari government. This particular
> aircraft, a
> Boeing 747-SP021, Manufacturer's Serial Number (msn) 21646, Line
> Number (ln)
> 367 (meaning the 367th Boeing 747 ordered) made its first flight on
> 30 March
> 1979, and was delivered to Pan Am on 11 May 1979 as N539PA and named
> Clipper
> Black Hawk. In its later years Pan Am had the annoying habit of
> constantly
> renaming its aircraft, and in 1980 this one was renamed Clipper
> Liberty
> Bell. On 12 February 1986 it was bought by United and reregistered
> as
> N148UA. While with United it underwent several livery changes
> (repainted in
> different color schemes). In May of 1994 it went into storage, and
> was then
> bought by Worldwide Aircraft Holding Company in October of 1995. The
> next
> month the registration N148UA was cancelled and it was first
> re-registered
> as VR-BAT and later as VP-BAT and repainted in a Qatar Airlines
> style color
> scheme. At some point after November 1995 it was refitted with an
> executive
> style interior and is now being operated on behalf of the Qatari
> Government.
> (most of this information from www.747sp.com).
> 
> If you saw this aircraft yourself and thought that it looked a
> little odd,
> that is because it is. Over the years there have been 5 major
> versions of
> the Boeing 747. The original version was called the 747-100. In the
> early
> 70s, a heavier version with longer range called the 747-200 was
> released,
> and contrary to popular opinion it is visually indistinguishable
> from a
> 747-100 (some think the -100 has 3 side windows on the upper deck
> whereas
> the -200 has 10, but in reality both versions were available with
> both
> window configurations). In the early 80s the 747-300 became
> available, and
> it was the first 747 to feature the extended upper deck. By the late
> '80s
> the 747-400 was introduced, which was a thoroughly modernized -300
> with a
> digital flight deck, new engines and completely new wing, featuring
> winglets
> (those distinctive upward-pointing wingtip extensions). Each of
> these four
> major versions were available in numerous varieties, for example as
> a
> passenger aircraft, as a pure freighter with a distinctive nose
> door, as a
> so-called Combi which accommodates fewer passengers in exchange for
> more
> freight on the main deck, as a so-called "convertible," which is NOT
> an
> open-air version, but rather one in which the passenger fittings
> (seats,
> galleys, etc) are attached to palettes, enabling the aircraft to be
> converted from a passenger aircraft to a freighter and back in a
> short
> amount of time (for example for operators who carry mostly tourists
> during
> the summer and mostly freight in the off-season), and as a special
> "Short
> Range" or "Domestic" passenger aircraft with more seats and less
> fuel
> capacity, mainly for very high-density short-haul routes in Japan.
> Currently
> the 747-400 is the only major variant of the 747 that is still
> available as
> a new aircraft. 
> 
> In addition to those four major variants, the so-called 747SP was
> released
> in the mid 70s, and it featured a radically shortened fuselage
> (shortened by
> something like 40 ft) and taller tailfin. SP in this case stood for
> "Special
> Performance" and this version could fly higher, faster and much
> further than
> all other 747 variants prior to the -400. Essentially the -SP had
> the same
> engines and fuel capacity as the -200 and was much shorter and thus
> lighter,
> and sacrificed passenger and freight capacity in exchange for range
> and
> performance. Even though it outperformed all other airliners of its
> day and
> set numerous world records, some of which I believe still stand, it
> did not
> sell well, and of the more than 1200 747s of all varieties produced
> to date,
> only 45 747SPs were ever built, I believe between 1976 and 1986. A
> few of
> them are still in service as airliners with airlines such South
> African
> Airlines, Iran Air and Syrianair. About a dozen of them have been
> scrapped,
> and the remaining ones are very popular with Middle Eastern heads of
> state
> as private or government-owned executive aircraft. A handful of them
> are
> currently in storage and available for sale for roughly US$ 2 - 6
> Million.
> 
> http://www.pilotmarket.com/category/Aircraft_For_Sale/Airliners/Boei
> ng/
> 
> By contrast in 2002 the list price for a brand new 747 was between
> 185 and
> 215 Million Dollars, depending on version and options. Most airlines
> end up
> getting some sort of discount, usually negotiated on a case by case
> basis.
> 
> http://www.boeing.com/commercial/prices/
> 
> The 747 currently parked at RDU is one of these very rare 747SPs. If
> somebody here in Internetworker land has a chance to, could you
> please take
> a look at that plane in the daylight and let me know if it is indeed
> VP-BAT?
> That is the only 747SP currently painted in this particular paint
> scheme. If
> it isn't could you please tell me in as much detail as possible what
> it
> looks like? Maybe even snap a picture of it?
> 
> Sorry for rambling. Now back to our regularly scheduled rants about
> IRC...
> 
> - Bill
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org 
> > [mailto:internetworkers-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf 
> > Of childers.paula AT epamail.epa.gov
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 7:49 PM
> > To: machett AT ibiblio.org; Internetworkers: 
> > http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/
> > Subject: RE: [internetworkers] Unmarked Boeing 747 At RDU
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > never mind a week or so - how about a month or 36? and what about
> the
> > cost of having a pilot in reserve, a flight crew, a 
> > maintenance crew, or
> > just the cost of the damn plane itself!!
> > 
> > guess where your gas money goes, folks!
> > 
> > 
> > 
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