JETLINER C A BINS
‘GAME-CHANGING’ B747SP
In April 1976, Pan Am launched the Boeing 747SP, a variant of the B747-100.
SP stands for ‘Special Performance’, but what was so special about the SP?
n 1976, with a view to building
on the marketing success of its
B747-100 fleet, Pan American
I
World Airways (Pan Am) wanted an aircraft
that could provide non-stop service on
ultra-long-haul routes such as New York
to Tokyo, New York to Tehran or Los
Angeles to Sydney. These city pairs
generated solid business class revenues,
but the distances were too great to fly
non-stop. Pan Am did not want to wait for
engine manufacturers to develop higherthrust
engines, so the proposed solution
to the problem was to shorten the B747,
which would reduce aircraft weight and
thus increase its flying range.
At Boeing, the design was nicknamed
the 747SB, the SB standing for ‘short
body’ or ‘Sutter’s balloonacy’, the latter
the manufacturing programme, who is
often referred to as the ‘father of the
B747’. The SP variant was about 47ft
(14m) shorter than the standard B747
(the E-zone was removed), with the
truncated shape described as being
similar to that of an American football.
records: it could fly further, faster and
Pan Am’s SP cabin-configuration at
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firstclass
seats, 222 economy-class seats,
and to develop new ways to ensure the
comfort and well-being of premiumclass
passengers on flights lasting
12 to 15 hours.
In the piston era, Pan Am had offered
‘Sleeperette’ seats on flights with
comparable flying times (of course, over
shorter distances). For the SP the airline
decided to develop a dramatically new
first-class sleeper-seat cabin,
incorporating extendable bi-fold footrests
plus 60° of seatback recline. The upper
deck was retrofitted to accommodate 16
Sleeperette seats (making up for seats lost
on the main deck due to the increased
to J-class) related to C-zone, where there
were initially 56 seats configured eightabreast,
with enhanced armrests and
tray-tables. Meals were served using real
china and glassware, and alcohol was
complimentary. Subsequently, Pan Am
changed the Clipper Class layout to sixabreast,
once again challenging all
competing airlines.
The Pan Am SP LOPA for B-zone shows
a flight attendant rest compartment
containing four bunks. Ann Blumensaadt,
a former Pan Am flight attendant based
at New York’s JFK airport, who worked the
1
Immediately successful on the SP fleet,
this luxurious cabin upgrade was
subsequently implemented across
Pan Am’s entire B747-100 fleet.
All airlines aspiring to compete in the
first-class market then had to rethink their
cabin treatments, product features and
customer benefits.
With only 10 SPs in the Pan Am fleet,
the next stage was to rapidly develop
Clipper Class, the first fully dedicated
and branded airline business class cabin.
The special C-class fare (later changed
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE PAN AM MUSEUM FOUNDATION
Name-calling aside, from the time of its
service entry, the SP set world aeronautical
higher than any other subsonic aircraft.
the time of delivery was 44 standard firstand
14 first-class dining positions in the
upper deck lounge. But there was a need
pitch of the new seat-row layout).
referring to Joe Sutter, chief engineer of
Jetliner Cabins
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