Unbuilt, experimental and unusual Boeing 747s

[dannydale]

Model of Boeing 747 "ant-eater" or "droop nose" located at the Boeing Archives Bellevue, Washington.

This unlikely Boeing 747 model nicknamed the "ant eater" actually led to the final configuration of the 747. At first the 747 as considered a stop gap measure until the 1970s anticipated entry into service of the SST's. Many believed that most 747s would be relegated to freighter service, replaced in passenger status by the SST thus the flight deck had to be clear of the main cargo deck. On this design, the flight deck below the passenger cabin was moved up and away above the passenger cabin.

Source:
http://airchive.com/html/museums/boeing-archives-bellevue-washington-usa/boeing-747-anteater-early-proposed-designs-model-mid-to-late-1960s/19087

This is why nothing should ever be considered a stopgap. That's just asking for it to end up as your flagship for vastly longer than anyone involved ever intended. ;D

 

[Triton]

This is why nothing should ever be considered a stopgap. That's just asking for it to end up as your flagship for vastly longer than anyone involved ever intended. ;D

Did the world change while the American SST project was in development? Or was the commercial aviation industry so fixated on supersonic speed that they never stopped to consider if it was something that air passengers actually wanted or if society would pay the price due to increased noise and property damage caused by sonic booms? It seems to me that the aviation industry was totally blind-sided by the environmental objections to supersonic air travel.

 

[Stargazer]

Did the world change while the American SST project was in development? Or was the commercial aviation industry so fixated on supersonic speed that they never stopped to consider if it was something that air passengers actually wanted or if society would pay the price due to increased noise and property damage caused by sonic booms? It seems to me that the aviation industry was totally blind-sided by the environmental objections to supersonic air travel.

Very true. If the industry and the governments had paid attention to all those who complained about the sound of jets in the late 1940s, there would only be turbo-props the world over!! Remember also that after the SST program was canceled in America, the US made forcible efforts to keep the only operational supersonic airliner in existence off the limits of its territory. Today, things would be different, with the blooming Asian market, but at that time, if you didn't have America as a destination, your commercial prospects on SST were suddenly pretty limited...

 

[LowObservable]

The world did change. Aircraft noise emerged as a huge problem (the pre-jet volume of air traffic was so low that it was barely an issue in the 1950s except in NY or London). However, the bigger issue was a huge economic shift to mass-market air travel.

Meanwhile, Concorde was not economically viable, as great of a technological feat as it was. The development and production costs were written off and BA and AF paid only nominal prices for their aircraft (and spares, I believe). This made it possible for them to break even, but the only routes that had enough premium traffic to support the aircraft, and that were operationally suitable (overwater and within range) were London and Paris to NY and DC.

 

[carsinamerica]

Model of Boeing 747-600X located at the Boeing Archives Bellevue, Washington.

Interestingly, that's an intermediate version of the -600X. The final version had a slightly wider wingspan (from 251 to 255 feet), and the L1/R2, L2/R2, and L3/R3 doors were all repositioned. I'm pretty sure it's the only 747 derivative that moved the L1 door.

 

[circle-5]

Here's a clean Boeing 747 model (1/20 scale -- about 12-ft. long) with or without winglets. Made by Pacific Miniatures, it comes with its original carrying crate, visible in the background.

This is what collectors refer to as a "divorce model" because of what happens when you try to put it in the living room, where it belongs.

 

[ouroboros]

Looks like an engine demonstrator for the new engine destined for the MRJ. Single sided canard configuration?

 

[HeavyG]

Is that a 747SP? The fuselage looks a little short for a standard 747.

 

[Graham1973]

Boeing 747-XL

Recent aerospace industry interest in developing a subsonic commercial transport airplane with a 50% greater passenger capacity than the largest existing aircraft in this category (the Boeing 747-400 with approximately 400-450 seats) has generated a range of proposals based largely on the configuration paradigm established nearly 50 years ago with the Boeing B-47 bomber.

Source:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19970003675_1996099552.pdf

Note: Updated as the link to the image on Photobucket is broken.

 

[GeorgeA]

Is that a 747SP? The fuselage looks a little short for a standard 747.

Yep I think both P&W 747 test aircraft are SPs. Here's a Guy Norris piece on the Canadian-registered one, ex-Korean Airlines, being used for the P&WC programs:

http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx?plckBlogId=Blog:7a78f54e-b3dd-4fa6-ae6e-dff2ffd7bdbb&plckPostId=Blog%3a7a78f54e-b3dd-4fa6-ae6e-dff2ffd7bdbbPost%3a64529f16-e373-4365-bce1-71d88c969133

 

[hesham]

Boeing 747-XL




Source:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19970003675_1996099552.pdf

We spoke about it here;


http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2308.msg47218.html#msg47218

 

[Matej]

Looks like an engine demonstrator for the new engine destined for the MRJ. Single sided canard configuration?

Why they choose so weird configuration? Isn't it easier and cheaper to choose a smaller four engined plane and replace one of its engines?

 

[Machdiamond]

They chose that configuration so that they can test any kind of engine including turboprops. For larger engines they would still replace one of its engine.
This Aviation Week article has a lot of info about these two testbeds: http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_05_07_2012_p42-452087.xml&p=1
It says that the 747SP is certified to 47000ft which makes it also suitable as business jet engine testbed, interesting I didn't know it could fly that high.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1977-Boeing-747-Incl-Cruise-missile-Press-Photo-/190704274250?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item2c66dc4b4a#ht_3292wt_1397


Cruise missiles in 747 This cutaway model shows how from 70 to 90 cruise missiles could be carried in a missiles-carrier version of the versatile Boeing 747 freighter. The model shows Boeing-designed Air Launched Cruise Missiles mounted eight each on rotary launchers in the cargo hold. Launching would be through a side door at the rear of the fuselage. Boeing has offered the Air Force the use of a company owned 747 for an airborne demonstration to establish the feasibility of using an available commercial wide-body aircraft as a cruise missile platform.

 

[Triton]

Artist's impression of Boeing 747 variant with high bypass engines. 747-500?

Source:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-Boeing-747-Press-Photo-/190704742643?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item2c66e370f3

 

[Triton]

Boeing MC747 concept photo circa 1974 found on ebay.

Source:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Boeing-747-Incl-launching-a-ballistic-missile-Press-Photo-/200794115136?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item2ec0430c40

 

[AeroFranz]

Need help locating a picture I saw on this forum of a 747 adapted for air launch of missiles. It had a fuselage mounted rocket engine (to assist in imparting some extra velocity in a climb launch, i presume). Anyone know what I'm talking about? i am using the search engine but there are a lot of 747 pages!!! If I find it I will put a link here.

 

[Arjen]

This one?

Or this one?

More to be found here, here and here

Two different designs, I'm not sure about v-tailed 747 carrier having a rocket engine. <edit> It didn't </edit>

 

[AeroFranz]

Yes, the black and white one! thanks Arjen.
The reason i'm interested in it is because the solution might resurface soon enough. Can't say more about it, unfortunately.

 

[Spook]

I thought Iranian KC-135s had the wingtip boom...anyone got good pictures?

Areno,

Iran never had KC-135s.. if you are referring to the KC-707 with wingtips here is the photo

 

[blackstar]

Yes, the black and white one! thanks Arjen.
The reason i'm interested in it is because the solution might resurface soon enough. Can't say more about it, unfortunately.

It already has, multiple times. There was a report produced earlier this year, joint NASA-DARPA (and I think USAF) study that looked into air-launching rockets off the top of a 747. You can find that in the space section. I think the proposal was to use one of the leftover Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

I did a bunch of articles on the vehicle in the image above that you're interested in:

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1608/1

There's even an AIAA paper on the Rockwell proposal. They initially considered a Space Shuttle Main Engine in the tail of the 747, then switched (if I remember correctly) to multiple RL-10s, which gave them more ability to throttle. It's all in those articles.

 

[ouroboros]

I thought Iranian KC-135s had the wingtip boom...anyone got good pictures?

Areno,

Iran never had KC-135s.. if you are referring to the KC-707 with wingtips here is the photo

But that appears to be offset booms for otherwise conventional probe&drogue lines, rather than an example of a true wingtip mounted solid flying refueling boom.

 

[AeroFranz]

I did a bunch of articles on the vehicle in the image above that you're interested in:

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1608/1

Very interesting stuff. Thanks for the link!

 

[hesham]

Hi,


http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19740024319_1974024319.pdf

 

[hesham]

Hi,


http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1992/1992%20-%200875.html

 

[carsinamerica]

Hi,


http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1992/1992%20-%200875.html

That 747X concept is, of course, the VLCT that Boeing and its study partners produced before Boeing moved on to developing the NLA. I'd love to find a 3-view of it.

 

[perttime]

I didn't see mention of the Boeing Microfighter concept in this thread:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,8711.0.html

See posts #13 and #28

 

[Triton]

Model of Air Koryo Boeing 747-400.

1/100th Pacmin 747-400 Air Koryo c. 1997

A proposal model of the 747-400 to Air Koryo, the flag carrier of North Korea. Probably one of a kind, or there might be one sitting on Kim Jong-Il’s desk in Pyonyang. It is more interesting how Boeing even ordered this model given the UN embargo on North Korea

Source:
http://www.doraplane.com/index_files/Page1209.htm

 

[Grey Havoc]

And how exactly did Boeing expect North Korea to fund this? Or was this part of yet another harebrained scheme from Foggy Bottom, aka the US State Department?

 

[Graham1973]

Interesting, I have heard that there also exists a model (or models) of a Boeing 747 in the QANTAS 'V-Jet' (707) colour scheme that dates from around the time that QANTAS was looking into purchasing 747s.

 

[Jemiba]

From "Boeing 747" by Jens Flottau and Dietmar Plath, an early design for the B 747, already with the
characteristical hump, but with two full decks, besides the partial deck behind the cockpit.

 

[hesham]

From "Boeing 747" by Jens Flottau and Dietmar Plath, an early design for the B 747, already with the
characteristical hump, but with two full decks, besides the partial deck behind the cockpit.

That's new one for me,thank you Jens.

 

[circle-5]

From "Boeing 747" by Jens Flottau and Dietmar Plath, an early design for the B 747, already with the
characteristical hump, but with two full decks, besides the partial deck behind the cockpit.

The high wing and overall shape of the fuselage are identical to the Boeing Model 750 (C-5A), including the main gear fairings. Not much room left for passenger luggage in this design, however.

 

[ouroboros]

From "Boeing 747" by Jens Flottau and Dietmar Plath, an early design for the B 747, already with the
characteristical hump, but with two full decks, besides the partial deck behind the cockpit.

The high wing and overall shape of the fuselage are identical to the Boeing Model 750 (C-5A), including the main gear fairings. Not much room left for passenger luggage in this design, however.

All carry-on luggage only? Sounds like Ryan Air would love that...

 

[Triton]

Model of Boeing 747-300 tri-jet concept.

Source:
http://airchive.com/html/museums/boeing-archives-bellevue-washington-usa/boeing-747-300-tri-jet-proposed-design-model-1970s/19094

 

[Antonio]

And what about this fighter model next to the 747-300, looks like a F-86 but is an F-86 or not?

 

[Stargazer]

And what about this fighter model next to the 747-300, looks like a F-86 but is an F-86 or not?

The stand says "NAA - Transonic Interceptor" (can't read the smaller type) so it's most certainly a preview model of what became the F-86D.

 

[Triton]

Cool you found another concept in the photograph.

 

[hesham]

Hi,


when I was searching in my old staff,I found this drawings to Boeing 747,with single,twin and triple fuselage,
and I don't remember from where file,may be NASA report.

 

[robunos]

And what about this fighter model next to the 747-300, looks like a F-86 but is an F-86 or not?

Radar-equipped Sabre 45 variant?

cheers,
Robin.