I am still working on my airsoft post from this weekend and I decided to dust off an old article I did when I first started blogging back in early 2011, I was watching the "airport" disaster movies back then and had just discovered "Google" and "Wikipedia" and I decided to do some research on them and found out a lot of stuff. I figured my regular readers would get a kick out of this like I did. I did realize that I am a better editor than I was before, I cleaned them up and decided to repost them.
The
real star of the show, the Boeing 707 (a 707-348C, serial no. 19351
[503rd 707 off the production line], originally registered N324F), was
leased to MCA/Universal Pictures from Flying Tiger Line (now merged with
Fedex) for the filming of the exterior shots. After filming was
completed, the aircraft returned to Flying Tigers and was later sold,
going through various owners before meeting a tragic end while on an
approach to landing accident on 21 March 1989 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The
707-320 Intercontinental is a stretched version of the
turbojet-powered 707-120, initially powered by JT4A-3 or JT4A-5
turbojets producing 15,800 lbf (70,000 N) each. The interior allowed for
up to 189 passengers due to an 80-inch (2,000 mm) fuselage stretch
(from 138 ft 10 in (42.32 m) to 145 ft 6 in), with extensions to both
the tail and horizontal stabilizer extending the aircraft's length
further.
while a longer wing carried more fuel, increasing range by 1,600 miles
(2,600 km) and allowing the aircraft to operate as true transoceanic
aircraft. The wing modifications included outboard and inboard inserts,
as well as a kink in the trailing edge to add area inboard.
Takeoff weight was increased to 302,000 lb (137,000 kg) initially, and
to 311,000 lb (141,000 kg) and perhaps further as higher-rated JT4A's
became available. First flight was on January 11, 1958, and 69 turbojet
707-320s were produced. No -320 Intercontinental models were
re-engined with fan engines in civil use, but around year 2000 the
Israeli Air Force re-engined two ex-Sabena -320 based military tankers.
The
707-320B is a re-engined version undertaken in parallel with
the -120B, using the same JT3D-3 turbofans and incorporating many of
the same airframe upgrades as well. The wing was modified from the -320
by adding a second inboard kink, a dog-toothed leading edge, and
triangular wingtips instead of the earlier blunt ones.
These new wingtips increased overall wingspan by three feet. Takeoff
gross weight was increased to 335,000 lb (152,000 kg). The 175 707-320B
aircraft produced were all new-build, no original -320 models were
converted to fan engines in civilian use.
The
707-320B Advanced is a slightly improved version of the
-320B aircraft, adding three-section leading-edge flaps. These reduced
takeoff and landing speeds, and also altered the lift distribution of
the wing, allowing the ventral fin found on earlier 707s to be removed.
The same wing was also used on the 707-320C.
The
707-320C has a convertible passenger–freight configuration
which became the most widely produced variant of the 707. The 707-320C
added a strengthened floor and a new cargo door to the -320B model. 335
of these variants were built, including a small number with uprated
JT3D-7 engines and a takeoff gross weight of 336,000 lb (152,000 kg).
Despite the convertible option, a number of these were delivered as pure
freighters. One of the final orders was by the Iranian Government for
14
707-3J9C aircraft capable of VIP transportation, communication, and in-flight refuelling tasks.
The
707-420 is a version of the 707-320 originally produced at specific request for
BOAC
and powered by Rolls-Royce Conway 508 turbofans, producing 17,500 lbf
(77.8 kN) each. Although BOAC were first to order the 707-320 delays in
getting British certification meant that
Lufthansa were the first to receive and operate the 707-320 in February 1960. A total of 37 were built to this configuration.
The
707-700 was a test aircraft used to study the feasibility of using
CFM International's
CFM56 powerplants on a 707 airframe and possibly retrofitting them to
existing aircraft. After a testing in 1979, N707QT, the last commercial
707 airframe, was refitted to 707-320C configuration and delivered to
the Moroccan Air Force as a tanker aircraft. (This purchase was
considered a "civilian" order and not a military one.) Boeing abandoned
the program, since they felt it would be a threat to the
Boeing 757
program. The information gathered in the test led to the eventual
retrofitting program of CFM56 engines to the USAF C-135/KC-135R models,
and some military versions of the 707 also used the CFM56. Ironically
the Douglas DC-8 "Super 70" series by Cammacorp did develop
commercially, extending the life of DC-8 airframes in a stricter noise
regulatory environment, so there are today more DC-8s in commercial
service than there are 707s.
Flying Tiger Line, also known as
Flying Tigers, was the first scheduled cargo
airline in the
United States and a major military charter operator during the
Cold War era for both cargo and personnel (the latter with leased aircraft). The company was started by
Robert William Prescott. It was headquartered on the grounds of
Los Angeles International Airport in
Westchester,
Los Angeles,
California.
The airline was named after the
Flying Tigers fighter unit of
World War II,
officially the 1st American Volunteer Group. Ten former AVG pilots
formed the Flying Tiger Line (originally called National Skyway Freight)
after returning to the United States in 1945, using a small fleet of
Budd Company C-93 Conestoga freighters purchased as war surplus from the
United States Navy.
For the next four years, Flying Tiger Line carried air freight on contract.
Over the years, Flying Tigers carried a number of unique cargoes, including
SeaWorld killer whales and the torch of the
Statue of Liberty.
History
In 1949, the
Civil Aeronautics Board awarded Flying Tiger Line the first commercial air cargo route in the U.S., a transcontinental route from
Los Angeles and
San Francisco, California to
Boston, Massachusetts. Shortly afterward, the company began chartering passenger aircraft for group travel as well; its
Lockheed Super Constellation,
Douglas DC-4 and
DC-6 fleet comprised the largest trans-Atlantic charter operation through the 1950s.
During the
Korean War,
Flying Tiger aircraft were chartered to transport troops and supplies
from the United States to Asia; Flying Tigers later received a cargo
route award to Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. The airline also played
a major role in the construction of the
Distant Early Warning Line, flying equipment to remote outposts in northern Canada and Alaska.
Flying Tiger Line adopted the
Canadair CL-44 swing-tail aircraft in 1961, becoming one of the first carriers in the world to offer
aerial pallet shipping service. In 1965, Flying Tiger Line began operating jet aircraft (the
Boeing 707); in 1974, the airline took delivery of its first
Boeing 747.
The Flying Tiger Line then put in orders for brand new B-747-200F
freighters designated the B747-249F, which at the time were among the
heaviest commercial airplanes flying, weighing in at 823,000 pounds.
These aircraft had the powerful "Q" P&W JT9D engines and heavy
landing gear and could simultaneously carry both 250,000 pounds of fuel
and 250,000 pounds of cargo loaded through both the nose door and the
side door at the same time. Aircraft loaders had earlier refused to work
at the extreme 30 foot height necessary for putting freight on the
upper deck, so the "supernumerary area" or "hump" was configured with 19
first class seats instead which were used to transport livestock
handlers, charter agents and mechanics as well as dead-heading pilots
and flight attendants. Tiger's Ad Hock Charter livestock flights
provided airlift for exotic animals. Two examples were thoroughbred
racehorses and show animals from Stansted, England to the Melbourne Cup,
as well as breeding stock cattle (milk supply) to nations such as
Japan and Thailand. Covert flights for DOD were not uncommon throughout
the airline's history, since its roots were from
Civil Air Transport (CAT), just as was its sister airline
Air America (airline) which was owned by General Claire Lee Chennault commander of the Flying Tigers fighter squadron in Southeast Asia.
By the mid-1980s, Flying Tigers operated scheduled cargo service to six continents and served 58 countries. It surpassed
Pan American World Airways in 1980 as the world's largest air cargo carrier after acquiring its rival cargo airline
Seaboard World Airlines on 1 October 1980.
It also operated military contract services, most notably
Douglas DC-8 routes between
Travis Air Force Base, California and
Japan in the 1970s, followed by weekly
Boeing 747 passenger service between
Clark Air Base, Philippines, and
St. Louis,
Missouri via
Japan,
Alaska, and
Los Angeles
during the 1980s. Tigers employed approximately 251 flight attendants
and carried up to a record 594 passengers and crew on its MAC all coach
passenger flights. Approximately 998 pilots worked for the airline
based throughout the country. Large crew bases were primarily Los
Angeles, New York and Lockborn, Ohio. Headquartered at LAX, Tigers was a
large employer at the airport with its own engine shop and jet
maintenance business.
Federal Express purchased Flying Tigers in December 1988. On August 7, 1989 Federal Express merged Flying Tigers into its operations.
Flying Tigers operated a recording company subsidiary,
Happy Tiger Records, from 1969 to 1971.
[3][4]
Flying Tigers also made livestock carriers for airplanes. They often
made animal carriers that were comparable in external size and shape to
the standard
AMJ container used in the
FedEx flight operations.
Fleet
Boeing 747-200F of Flying Tigers
At the time of its sale Flying Tigers was operating the following aircraft:
Accidents and incidents
References
Airport 75
This movie got the Razzie awards, I don't know...I actually liked the
movie. Since I work in the aviation industry..I do space out my various
musings about politics with airplane pics. The fictional airline
actually used an American Airline 747 for the movie.
The Real Aircraft: N9675
The
Boeing 747 used in the film was originally delivered to American
Airlines in 1971. It was a 747-123, registration number N9675, serial
number 20390; the 136th 747 off the production line. Its basic American
Airlines color scheme was modified to the notional Columbia Airlines
colors for filming of exterior sequences. The aircraft was flown by
United Parcel Services as a freighter, re-registered N675UP until
2005.The aircraft, N9675, is now stored in Roswell aircraft storage
facility, and has been withdrawn from active service with UPS.
The 747 used in the film cost $30,000 per day to rent from
American Airlines. All exterior shots of the aircraft (and one interior
shot of
Charlton Heston
at the controls) were completed in two days (landing shots in Salt
Lake City, aerial shots over the Wasatch mountain range in Utah,
evening and early morning flight shots, and a stunt shot involving
engine #1 ramming into an outbuilding). The evening taxi and takeoff
shots were filmed as the plane, with the re-badged "Columbia Airlines"
logo on the fuselage, was being delivered to Salt Lake City for the two
days of filming.
I watched the 3rd installment of the "airport" movies and decided to do a bit of research on the airplane used for the footage.
American Airlines Boeing 747 N9667
American Airlines Boeing 747-123 N9667 (20106) at Los Angeles-International in October 1980.
This aircraft went on to several leases before ending up with United as
N157UA in 1987. It was eventually broken up at Greenwood. Mississippi
This is the pic I pulled off clipboard showing the plane in the movie
Airport 79
The Concorde aircraft used in the film first flew on January 31, 1975, and was registered as F-WTSC to the
Aérospatiale
aircraft company. It would be re-registered by Aérospatiale as F-BTSC
and leased to Air France in 1976. In 1989, this Concorde carried
Pope John Paul II.
On July 25, 2000, F-BTSC crashed
Air France Flight 4590
in the small French town of Gonesse, killing all 109 passengers and
crew on board, as well as four on the ground. At the time of the
accident, F-BTSC had logged 11,989 hours and 4,873 cycles.
F-BTSC on the ground at CDG in 1978 during filming of the 1979 Movie: "Airport'79 : The Concorde"
Airport 79 was panned by the critics and almost everybody else.
The Concorde ... Airport '79 is a 1979
American disaster film (in the UK, it was released a year later as
Airport '80: The Concorde). The film was the fourth and final installment of the
Airport
series. The film also flopped at the box office.
Produced on a then high budget of $14 million, it earned a little over
$13 million,
thus ending the enormous financial success of the
Airport franchise
What can I say, I am a sucker for airplane movies
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