View allAll Photos Tagged Testbed
The MBuRST team spots the wo high altitude balloons released by the Michigan Balloon Recovery & Satellite Testbed (MBuRST) for the Global Space Balloon Challenge at 60K feet.
Photo: Ben Logan, Social Media Guru – Communications and Marketing, Michigan Engineering
Airbus A380-861
MSN 0004
F-WWDD (Engine Alliance testbed)
The image is not of great quality, but the shot is interesting nevertheless (IMHO).
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Boeing 747 began as a concept for a U.S. Air Force contract competition to design a heavy lift cargo aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but Boeing’s failure to win that contract led it to develop one of the most iconic aircraft ever. The first 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969 and the type made its first commercial flight less than a year later. Since then the humpbacked shape of the 747 has become familiar to millions of travelers around the world. The “Jumbo Jet” is the first twin isle airliner and in some configurations could carry more than 500 passengers. This immense size allowed a much lower operating cost per seat and helped bring long distance air travel into the price range of vastly more people. Boeing has built more than 1,560 since 1969. As of 2018, only about 20 remain to be delivered. The era of the 747 as a passenger plane is coming to an end as it is replaced by more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, but it will continue to be in use as a cargo plane for many years to come.
It was built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and delivered to Pan American World Airways on March 21, 1970. It is the twenty-fifth 747 built. Following Pan Am’s practice of naming its aircraft, this airplane flew with the name “Clipper Star of the Union” until 1982 when it was renamed “Clipper Ocean Spray.” It remained with Pan Am until the bankruptcy of the airline in 1991. In March 1992 it was purchased by General Electric for use as an engine test bed. Since then the plane has flown more than 3,000 hours carrying various test engines for GE as they develop the engines that power many of the planes that are replacing the 747 in airline service. General Electric donated the aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in November 2018.
Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in.
Length: 231 ft 4 in.
Height: 63 ft 5 in.
Weight: 735,000 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed: 595 MPH
Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft
Range: 6,000 miles
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney JD9D-3 turbofans with 43,000 pounds of thrust each
Crew: 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, 374 to 490 passengers
Manufacturer: Boeing
Markings: General Electric Aviation, 2018
Designation: 747-121
Registration: N747GE
Serial Number: 19651
Thursday, October 18th. Dual-Polarized
Phased Array Radar
National Weather Radar Testbed Advanced Technology
Demonstrator tour, ribbon cutting and reception.
While composite use in aircraft construction dates to the late 1970s, aircraft manufacturers are constantly looking for more advanced ways to produce aircraft faster and cheaper using composites. The USAF was particularly interested in seeing if such construction techniques could be used in producing cargo aircraft.
With this in mind, it issued a requirement for a single test aircraft around 2007, termed the Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA). Lockheed Martin won the contract in 2008, partnered with Fairchild-Dornier; the ACCA would use the Dornier 328JET as a basis. Speed was part of the ACCA concept, so the Lockheed/Dornier aircraft was designed in five months, then built in less than two years. Designated X-55A by the USAF in 2009, it first flew in June of that year.
Only the nose and wings of the aircraft comes from the original Dornier 328JET--the rest is a new aircraft, with the entire tail section constructed as one piece, and the fuselage in two pieces, all of advanced composites. The result was a longer and wider aircraft than the original. Built quicker and half as expensive as a conventional transport aircraft of the same size, the X-55 proved the ACCA concept. Since it was always intended as a testbed, the X-55 was never placed into production, and once the research period was finished in 2014, the aircraft was retired and donated to the Joe Davies Airpark at Palmdale, California, next door to the Plant 42 facility (the legendary "Skunk Works") where the aircraft was designed and built.
I admit the existence of this aircraft was news to me; I knew it was a Dornier 328, but that was about it. Most of the markings have been preserved, but it looks like the X-55 had a Skunk Works Flower skunk on the tail, along with the badge of USAF Systems Command. It was an interesting and curious sight. I wish I could've gotten a better picture, but the Joe Davies Airpark is on very restricted hours due to coronavirus, and we arrived there after the park had closed.
EDIT (June 2023): I was able to get a better picture on the return trip in 2023, one without barbed wire in the shot.
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Boeing 747 began as a concept for a U.S. Air Force contract competition to design a heavy lift cargo aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but Boeing’s failure to win that contract led it to develop one of the most iconic aircraft ever. The first 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969 and the type made its first commercial flight less than a year later. Since then the humpbacked shape of the 747 has become familiar to millions of travelers around the world. The “Jumbo Jet” is the first twin isle airliner and in some configurations could carry more than 500 passengers. This immense size allowed a much lower operating cost per seat and helped bring long distance air travel into the price range of vastly more people. Boeing has built more than 1,560 since 1969. As of 2018, only about 20 remain to be delivered. The era of the 747 as a passenger plane is coming to an end as it is replaced by more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, but it will continue to be in use as a cargo plane for many years to come.
It was built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and delivered to Pan American World Airways on March 21, 1970. It is the twenty-fifth 747 built. Following Pan Am’s practice of naming its aircraft, this airplane flew with the name “Clipper Star of the Union” until 1982 when it was renamed “Clipper Ocean Spray.” It remained with Pan Am until the bankruptcy of the airline in 1991. In March 1992 it was purchased by General Electric for use as an engine test bed. Since then the plane has flown more than 3,000 hours carrying various test engines for GE as they develop the engines that power many of the planes that are replacing the 747 in airline service. General Electric donated the aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in November 2018.
Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in.
Length: 231 ft 4 in.
Height: 63 ft 5 in.
Weight: 735,000 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed: 595 MPH
Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft
Range: 6,000 miles
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney JD9D-3 turbofans with 43,000 pounds of thrust each
Crew: 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, 374 to 490 passengers
Manufacturer: Boeing
Markings: General Electric Aviation, 2018
Designation: 747-121
Registration: N747GE
Serial Number: 19651
Premier John Horgan toured the Clean Energy Testbeds Site at the University of Washington as part of a two-day visit to Washington State.
Catalog #: 00054847
Manufacturer: Convair
Designation: Model 340
Official Nickname:
Notes:
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Boeing 747 began as a concept for a U.S. Air Force contract competition to design a heavy lift cargo aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but Boeing’s failure to win that contract led it to develop one of the most iconic aircraft ever. The first 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969 and the type made its first commercial flight less than a year later. Since then the humpbacked shape of the 747 has become familiar to millions of travelers around the world. The “Jumbo Jet” is the first twin isle airliner and in some configurations could carry more than 500 passengers. This immense size allowed a much lower operating cost per seat and helped bring long distance air travel into the price range of vastly more people. Boeing has built more than 1,560 since 1969. As of 2018, only about 20 remain to be delivered. The era of the 747 as a passenger plane is coming to an end as it is replaced by more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, but it will continue to be in use as a cargo plane for many years to come.
It was built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and delivered to Pan American World Airways on March 21, 1970. It is the twenty-fifth 747 built. Following Pan Am’s practice of naming its aircraft, this airplane flew with the name “Clipper Star of the Union” until 1982 when it was renamed “Clipper Ocean Spray.” It remained with Pan Am until the bankruptcy of the airline in 1991. In March 1992 it was purchased by General Electric for use as an engine test bed. Since then the plane has flown more than 3,000 hours carrying various test engines for GE as they develop the engines that power many of the planes that are replacing the 747 in airline service. General Electric donated the aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in November 2018.
Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in.
Length: 231 ft 4 in.
Height: 63 ft 5 in.
Weight: 735,000 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed: 595 MPH
Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft
Range: 6,000 miles
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney JD9D-3 turbofans with 43,000 pounds of thrust each
Crew: 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, 374 to 490 passengers
Manufacturer: Boeing
Markings: General Electric Aviation, 2018
Designation: 747-121
Registration: N747GE
Serial Number: 19651
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Boeing 747 began as a concept for a U.S. Air Force contract competition to design a heavy lift cargo aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but Boeing’s failure to win that contract led it to develop one of the most iconic aircraft ever. The first 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969 and the type made its first commercial flight less than a year later. Since then the humpbacked shape of the 747 has become familiar to millions of travelers around the world. The “Jumbo Jet” is the first twin isle airliner and in some configurations could carry more than 500 passengers. This immense size allowed a much lower operating cost per seat and helped bring long distance air travel into the price range of vastly more people. Boeing has built more than 1,560 since 1969. As of 2018, only about 20 remain to be delivered. The era of the 747 as a passenger plane is coming to an end as it is replaced by more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, but it will continue to be in use as a cargo plane for many years to come.
It was built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and delivered to Pan American World Airways on March 21, 1970. It is the twenty-fifth 747 built. Following Pan Am’s practice of naming its aircraft, this airplane flew with the name “Clipper Star of the Union” until 1982 when it was renamed “Clipper Ocean Spray.” It remained with Pan Am until the bankruptcy of the airline in 1991. In March 1992 it was purchased by General Electric for use as an engine test bed. Since then the plane has flown more than 3,000 hours carrying various test engines for GE as they develop the engines that power many of the planes that are replacing the 747 in airline service. General Electric donated the aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in November 2018.
Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in.
Length: 231 ft 4 in.
Height: 63 ft 5 in.
Weight: 735,000 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed: 595 MPH
Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft
Range: 6,000 miles
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney JD9D-3 turbofans with 43,000 pounds of thrust each
Crew: 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, 374 to 490 passengers
Manufacturer: Boeing
Markings: General Electric Aviation, 2018
Designation: 747-121
Registration: N747GE
Serial Number: 19651
Thursday, October 18th. Dual-Polarized
Phased Array Radar
National Weather Radar Testbed Advanced Technology
Demonstrator tour, ribbon cutting and reception.
During a socially-distanced tour, Soldiers got a first-hand look at the new ARL Robotics Research Collaboration Campus at Graces Quarters, Md., and an autonomous vehicle testbed independently operate in a various military scenarios Feb. 23
Testbed for the delta wing design. Only a prototype/research aircraft (only one was built), it helped aeronautical engineers learn valuable lessons which were incorporated into the design of Convair's three famous delta winged USAF planes: the F-102 "Delta Dagger", the F-106 "Delta Dart", and the B-58 "Hustler".
Rockwell Collins - North American Rockwell NA-265-50 Sabreliner 50 - N50CR (c/n 287-1)
The one and only Sabreliner 50, initially operated and registered as N287NA by builder North American Aviation (NAA) after it was completed in 1964. It would be acquired by Rockwell Collins in 1976 and operated as a flying testbed for a variety of avionics and systems, until it was retired and donated to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in 2013.
Video of my testbed program showing gradients used as clock hands.
For this test, I started the radial gradient in the center of the screen and ended it at the radial time position, resulting in funnel-like clock hands.
Airfix Lancaster converted to a Lincoln and modified to represent Armstrong-Siddeley Python testbed RF403
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Boeing 747 began as a concept for a U.S. Air Force contract competition to design a heavy lift cargo aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but Boeing’s failure to win that contract led it to develop one of the most iconic aircraft ever. The first 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969 and the type made its first commercial flight less than a year later. Since then the humpbacked shape of the 747 has become familiar to millions of travelers around the world. The “Jumbo Jet” is the first twin isle airliner and in some configurations could carry more than 500 passengers. This immense size allowed a much lower operating cost per seat and helped bring long distance air travel into the price range of vastly more people. Boeing has built more than 1,560 since 1969. As of 2018, only about 20 remain to be delivered. The era of the 747 as a passenger plane is coming to an end as it is replaced by more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, but it will continue to be in use as a cargo plane for many years to come.
It was built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and delivered to Pan American World Airways on March 21, 1970. It is the twenty-fifth 747 built. Following Pan Am’s practice of naming its aircraft, this airplane flew with the name “Clipper Star of the Union” until 1982 when it was renamed “Clipper Ocean Spray.” It remained with Pan Am until the bankruptcy of the airline in 1991. In March 1992 it was purchased by General Electric for use as an engine test bed. Since then the plane has flown more than 3,000 hours carrying various test engines for GE as they develop the engines that power many of the planes that are replacing the 747 in airline service. General Electric donated the aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in November 2018.
Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in.
Length: 231 ft 4 in.
Height: 63 ft 5 in.
Weight: 735,000 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed: 595 MPH
Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft
Range: 6,000 miles
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney JD9D-3 turbofans with 43,000 pounds of thrust each
Crew: 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, 374 to 490 passengers
Manufacturer: Boeing
Markings: General Electric Aviation, 2018
Designation: 747-121
Registration: N747GE
Serial Number: 19651
Thursday, October 18th. Dual-Polarized
Phased Array Radar
National Weather Radar Testbed Advanced Technology
Demonstrator tour, ribbon cutting and reception.
Thursday, October 18th. Dual-Polarized
Phased Array Radar
National Weather Radar Testbed Advanced Technology
Demonstrator tour, ribbon cutting and reception.
Michigan Balloon Recovery & Satellite Testbed (MBuRST) members unload equipment at launch site.
Photo: Ben Logan, Social Media Guru – Communications and Marketing, Michigan Engineering
Week 3 Group with Prototype - Probabilistic Hazards Information (Prototype - PHI) experiment of the Experimental Warning Program in the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) at the National Weather Center in Norman, OK
Tom Rogers, the managing director of Auburn’s new Aviation and Aerospace ID Lab, is pictured looking down to student worker Krissy Yost as they work on equipment involving a newly constructed lab space that mimics the inside of a commercial airplane with capabilities to also represent aerospace projects.
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Boeing 747 began as a concept for a U.S. Air Force contract competition to design a heavy lift cargo aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but Boeing’s failure to win that contract led it to develop one of the most iconic aircraft ever. The first 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969 and the type made its first commercial flight less than a year later. Since then the humpbacked shape of the 747 has become familiar to millions of travelers around the world. The “Jumbo Jet” is the first twin isle airliner and in some configurations could carry more than 500 passengers. This immense size allowed a much lower operating cost per seat and helped bring long distance air travel into the price range of vastly more people. Boeing has built more than 1,560 since 1969. As of 2018, only about 20 remain to be delivered. The era of the 747 as a passenger plane is coming to an end as it is replaced by more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, but it will continue to be in use as a cargo plane for many years to come.
It was built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and delivered to Pan American World Airways on March 21, 1970. It is the twenty-fifth 747 built. Following Pan Am’s practice of naming its aircraft, this airplane flew with the name “Clipper Star of the Union” until 1982 when it was renamed “Clipper Ocean Spray.” It remained with Pan Am until the bankruptcy of the airline in 1991. In March 1992 it was purchased by General Electric for use as an engine test bed. Since then the plane has flown more than 3,000 hours carrying various test engines for GE as they develop the engines that power many of the planes that are replacing the 747 in airline service. General Electric donated the aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in November 2018.
Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in.
Length: 231 ft 4 in.
Height: 63 ft 5 in.
Weight: 735,000 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed: 595 MPH
Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft
Range: 6,000 miles
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney JD9D-3 turbofans with 43,000 pounds of thrust each
Crew: 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, 374 to 490 passengers
Manufacturer: Boeing
Markings: General Electric Aviation, 2018
Designation: 747-121
Registration: N747GE
Serial Number: 19651
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Boeing 747 began as a concept for a U.S. Air Force contract competition to design a heavy lift cargo aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but Boeing’s failure to win that contract led it to develop one of the most iconic aircraft ever. The first 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969 and the type made its first commercial flight less than a year later. Since then the humpbacked shape of the 747 has become familiar to millions of travelers around the world. The “Jumbo Jet” is the first twin isle airliner and in some configurations could carry more than 500 passengers. This immense size allowed a much lower operating cost per seat and helped bring long distance air travel into the price range of vastly more people. Boeing has built more than 1,560 since 1969. As of 2018, only about 20 remain to be delivered. The era of the 747 as a passenger plane is coming to an end as it is replaced by more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, but it will continue to be in use as a cargo plane for many years to come.
It was built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and delivered to Pan American World Airways on March 21, 1970. It is the twenty-fifth 747 built. Following Pan Am’s practice of naming its aircraft, this airplane flew with the name “Clipper Star of the Union” until 1982 when it was renamed “Clipper Ocean Spray.” It remained with Pan Am until the bankruptcy of the airline in 1991. In March 1992 it was purchased by General Electric for use as an engine test bed. Since then the plane has flown more than 3,000 hours carrying various test engines for GE as they develop the engines that power many of the planes that are replacing the 747 in airline service. General Electric donated the aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in November 2018.
Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in.
Length: 231 ft 4 in.
Height: 63 ft 5 in.
Weight: 735,000 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed: 595 MPH
Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft
Range: 6,000 miles
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney JD9D-3 turbofans with 43,000 pounds of thrust each
Crew: 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, 374 to 490 passengers
Manufacturer: Boeing
Markings: General Electric Aviation, 2018
Designation: 747-121
Registration: N747GE
Serial Number: 19651
C/n 11 built in 1957 to French Air Force as Vautour IIA marked 304, later converted to Vautour IIN CEV radar testbed. In Musée du Chateau Savigny, Savigny-les-Beaune, France 16. May 2014.
Aerial view of the original GE Flight Test Operation at Schenectady, NY. Probably an early 1950's view considering the B-45 J79 testbed is visible at top of GE ramp area. The bailed B-50 and B-29 test beds are here along with several jet fighters (F-84?), a B-25 and others.
First flight date04/02/1983
Honeywell operates Boeing 757-225 N757HW as an engine testbed at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. It is powered by a pair of Rolls royce RB211-535E4B37 turbofans. It carries a third jet engine on the right side of the forward fuselage. The construction number of N757HW is 22194. It first flew on February 4, 1983. It was delivered to Eastern Airlines as N504EA on February 28, 1983. It was withdrawn from use at McCarren Airport, Nevada in January 1991. Airtours International Airways registered it as G-JALC on February 1, 1995. Airtours International Airways changed its name to MyTravel Airways on May 1, 2002. Honeywell International Incorporated gave it its current registration on October 4, 2005. It was flown to Pinal Airpark for painting on October 24, 2005. It made its first flight with three engines on December 20, 2008
Michigan Balloon Recovery & Satellite Testbed (MBuRST) members move to launch position.
Photo: Ben Logan, Social Media Guru – Communications and Marketing, Michigan Engineering
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Boeing 747 began as a concept for a U.S. Air Force contract competition to design a heavy lift cargo aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but Boeing’s failure to win that contract led it to develop one of the most iconic aircraft ever. The first 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969 and the type made its first commercial flight less than a year later. Since then the humpbacked shape of the 747 has become familiar to millions of travelers around the world. The “Jumbo Jet” is the first twin isle airliner and in some configurations could carry more than 500 passengers. This immense size allowed a much lower operating cost per seat and helped bring long distance air travel into the price range of vastly more people. Boeing has built more than 1,560 since 1969. As of 2018, only about 20 remain to be delivered. The era of the 747 as a passenger plane is coming to an end as it is replaced by more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, but it will continue to be in use as a cargo plane for many years to come.
It was built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and delivered to Pan American World Airways on March 21, 1970. It is the twenty-fifth 747 built. Following Pan Am’s practice of naming its aircraft, this airplane flew with the name “Clipper Star of the Union” until 1982 when it was renamed “Clipper Ocean Spray.” It remained with Pan Am until the bankruptcy of the airline in 1991. In March 1992 it was purchased by General Electric for use as an engine test bed. Since then the plane has flown more than 3,000 hours carrying various test engines for GE as they develop the engines that power many of the planes that are replacing the 747 in airline service. General Electric donated the aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in November 2018.
Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in.
Length: 231 ft 4 in.
Height: 63 ft 5 in.
Weight: 735,000 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed: 595 MPH
Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft
Range: 6,000 miles
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney JD9D-3 turbofans with 43,000 pounds of thrust each
Crew: 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, 374 to 490 passengers
Manufacturer: Boeing
Markings: General Electric Aviation, 2018
Designation: 747-121
Registration: N747GE
Serial Number: 19651
Il-76LL RA-76529 at the 1994 Farnborough airshow. This aircraft was the testbed for the D-236T engine.
Week 2 of the Hazard Services - Probabilistic Hazard Information (HS-PHI) experiment in the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) at the National Weather Center in Norman, OK. The HS-PHI experiment is part of the Experimental Warning Program. This is the third year of the HS-PHI experiment in the HWT.The HS-PHI experiment advances the Forecasting A Continuum of Environmental Threats (FACETs) initiative by testing software which allows National Weather Services (NWS) forecasters to issue Probabilistic Hazard Information (PHI) at the severe weather warning time and space scales.
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Boeing 747 began as a concept for a U.S. Air Force contract competition to design a heavy lift cargo aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but Boeing’s failure to win that contract led it to develop one of the most iconic aircraft ever. The first 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969 and the type made its first commercial flight less than a year later. Since then the humpbacked shape of the 747 has become familiar to millions of travelers around the world. The “Jumbo Jet” is the first twin isle airliner and in some configurations could carry more than 500 passengers. This immense size allowed a much lower operating cost per seat and helped bring long distance air travel into the price range of vastly more people. Boeing has built more than 1,560 since 1969. As of 2018, only about 20 remain to be delivered. The era of the 747 as a passenger plane is coming to an end as it is replaced by more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, but it will continue to be in use as a cargo plane for many years to come.
It was built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and delivered to Pan American World Airways on March 21, 1970. It is the twenty-fifth 747 built. Following Pan Am’s practice of naming its aircraft, this airplane flew with the name “Clipper Star of the Union” until 1982 when it was renamed “Clipper Ocean Spray.” It remained with Pan Am until the bankruptcy of the airline in 1991. In March 1992 it was purchased by General Electric for use as an engine test bed. Since then the plane has flown more than 3,000 hours carrying various test engines for GE as they develop the engines that power many of the planes that are replacing the 747 in airline service. General Electric donated the aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in November 2018.
Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in.
Length: 231 ft 4 in.
Height: 63 ft 5 in.
Weight: 735,000 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed: 595 MPH
Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft
Range: 6,000 miles
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney JD9D-3 turbofans with 43,000 pounds of thrust each
Crew: 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, 374 to 490 passengers
Manufacturer: Boeing
Markings: General Electric Aviation, 2018
Designation: 747-121
Registration: N747GE
Serial Number: 19651
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Boeing 747 began as a concept for a U.S. Air Force contract competition to design a heavy lift cargo aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but Boeing’s failure to win that contract led it to develop one of the most iconic aircraft ever. The first 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969 and the type made its first commercial flight less than a year later. Since then the humpbacked shape of the 747 has become familiar to millions of travelers around the world. The “Jumbo Jet” is the first twin isle airliner and in some configurations could carry more than 500 passengers. This immense size allowed a much lower operating cost per seat and helped bring long distance air travel into the price range of vastly more people. Boeing has built more than 1,560 since 1969. As of 2018, only about 20 remain to be delivered. The era of the 747 as a passenger plane is coming to an end as it is replaced by more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, but it will continue to be in use as a cargo plane for many years to come.
It was built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and delivered to Pan American World Airways on March 21, 1970. It is the twenty-fifth 747 built. Following Pan Am’s practice of naming its aircraft, this airplane flew with the name “Clipper Star of the Union” until 1982 when it was renamed “Clipper Ocean Spray.” It remained with Pan Am until the bankruptcy of the airline in 1991. In March 1992 it was purchased by General Electric for use as an engine test bed. Since then the plane has flown more than 3,000 hours carrying various test engines for GE as they develop the engines that power many of the planes that are replacing the 747 in airline service. General Electric donated the aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in November 2018.
Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in.
Length: 231 ft 4 in.
Height: 63 ft 5 in.
Weight: 735,000 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed: 595 MPH
Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft
Range: 6,000 miles
Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney JD9D-3 turbofans with 43,000 pounds of thrust each
Crew: 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, 374 to 490 passengers
Manufacturer: Boeing
Markings: General Electric Aviation, 2018
Designation: 747-121
Registration: N747GE
Serial Number: 19651
Ph.D. student Thabiso Mabote, left, and College of Engineering faculty member Eduardo Cotilla-Sanchez put caution tape around a machine testbed. Machine testbeds are useful to validate machine dynamics in a time-domain simulation such as was used in the smart meter research. (photo provided by Eduardo Cotilla-Sanchez)
12-wheeled lunar rover prototypes in Johnson Space Center. Two spacesuits will be connected in the rear of the cockpit.