Summary The Boeing 747SP is a special performance variant of the iconic Boeing 747, designed for longer range and higher speeds. The 747SP can seat 276 passengers in three classes, has a 700,000lb MTOW, and a range of over 5,830 nautical miles. Despite technical advantages, Boeing only sold 45 units of the 747SP due to fuel costs, with only three units still in non-commercial use.
The legendary Queen of the Skies, the Boeing 747 “Jumbo Jet”, is well-known and well-loved across the globe. With its iconic hump and large fuselage, the aircraft type continues to turn heads decades after its introduction. Since 1968, dozens of commercial and military variants of the 747 have been built.
One of these is the Boeing 747SP (Special Performance). The Boeing 747SP performed its first flight in July 1975 and received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification in February 1976. Entering service in the same year with Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), the aircraft is nearly 47 ft (14 m) shorter than the other 747 variants.
With a reduced capacity, only fuselage doors are designed on each side. While Boeing anticipated, and hence designed the 747SP, to sell at least 200 examples of the shorter version, only 45 units were sold. The manufacturer delivered the last 747SP in 1987.
Shorter fuselage, longer range Model Boeing 747SP Cockpit crew Three 2-class seats 331 (28F + 303Y) or 343 (30F + 313Y) Exit limit 400 Overall length 184 ft 9 in (56.31 m) Wingspan 195 ft 8 in (59.64 m).