On Wednesday, September 28, at around 8:45pm local time, N747NA the modified NASA Boeing 747SP carrying the reflecting telescope for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), operated its last flight ever. The flight lasted 7 hours and 57 minutes, departing from Palmdale Airport (PMD), and flying around the North Pacific Ocean.
N747NA started life with Pan Am in May 1977 and was registered N536PA named Clipper Lindberg. February 1986 saw a change of ownership to United Airlines until October 1987 where the airframe was sold the NASA / Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy where the titles were added over the United scheme. December 2004 it was reregistered N747NA and went for the refit on the airframe for the telescope and then emerged with the new NASA scheme which the aircraft retired in still wearing the Clipper Lindberg name.
To commemorate the achievements of this aircraft both models will be made in limited numbers and will both come with a key chain
B747SP
The Boeing 747SP (Special Performance) is a short-fuselage variant of the popular 747 jumbo jet. It was designed for ultra-long-range flights and was first introduced in 1976. The 747SP has a reduced wingspan, a smaller fuel capacity, and a shortened fuselage compared to the 747-100 and 747-200 models, resulting in a range of up to 8,000 nautical miles. The 747SP was highly sought after by airlines and private operators who needed a long-range aircraft capable of flying nonstop on long-haul routes. Despite its popularity, only 45 747SPs were ever built and most have since been retired from commercial service
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Product Code: | IF747SPSOFIA02 |
Brand: | INFLIGHT |
ETA: | Pre-Order due Mar |
Aircraft Type: | B747SP |
Aircraft Name: | Boeing B747 |
Genre: | MILITARY |
Airline: | NASA |
Registration: | N747NA |
Country: | USA |
Material: | Diecast Metal |
Scale: | 1:200 Scale |
Length: | 11.1" |
Width: | 11.74" |