----- Original Message ----- From: "Alireza Alivandivafa" <DEmocrat2n@xxxxxxx> To: <AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 4:34 AM Subject: Re: SP vs. 400 > In a message dated 8/4/2003 6:37:17 PM Pacific Daylight Time, > jmgammon@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes: > > << The 747SP was really a shortened, longer-range version of the 100. The > later -200 versions essentially killed off the SP, which then became > uneconomic. It was a specialized product for very long range services and > only a handful were made. But at the time, it was a brilliant aircraft. > >> > > The SP came out after the 200. It was still needed for many services until > the 744 came out > On http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747family/pf/pf_classic_back.html Boeing says: "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.." But the Boeing pages also show that the SP was designed and put in service much later than the -200. So the assumption is that if the -200 somehow acquired a longer range than the SP, it must have done so after the SP was flying? As we have heard, the actual range of aircraft is greatly dependent upon weather and decisions about payload. The Beech 1900D only had a range of a few yards when it was loaded the way it was a month or so ago. 747 tankers could probably fly quite a distance if they didn't have to share the fuel. Gerry http://foley.ultinet.net/~gerry/aerial/aerial.html http://home.columbus.rr.com/gfoley http://members.fortunecity.com/gfoley/egypt/egypt.html