• Aircraft:

  Boeing 747SP-Z5

• Reg: A9C-HAK full info | A9C-HAK photos
• Serial #:

  23610

• Airline: Bahrain - Royal Flight
• Photo Date: Jul 16, 2008
• Uploaded: Jul 16, 2010
• Los Angeles Int'l Airport - KLAX, USA - California

Originally designated 'SB' for "short body", the blimp like shape of the fuselage meant it quickly became known within the Boeing work force as "Sutter's Balloon" after the 747's designer and chief engineer, Frank Sutter. In his book, 747, Sutter recalls that he was relieved to hear on being summoned to the office that, rather than being sacked, an incongruous high level meeting of the board concerned this internal joke and, having decided it was no joke at all, they had taken the decision to redesignate this version as the "special performance", or 'SP' model. Well, history shows that Mr.Sutter produced a world changing aeroplane and one hell of a beautiful "balloon" version!

Photographer

Aircraft

O.Y A9C-HAK

1,074 4 0 Boeing 747-4F6

Dani Lysenko A9C-HAK

584 3 0 Boeing 747-4F6

Shimizu Brothers A9C-HAK

1,064 4 1 Boeing 747-4F6

Photo location

Juan Manuel Gibaja N369NB

4 0 0 Airbus A319-114

Juan Manuel Gibaja A6-EVD

4 0 0 Airbus A380-842

Christopher Desantis B-7349

6 0 0 Boeing 777-39PER

Photographer

LO282 (LHR-WAW)

Paul W Furmanski SP-LRA

10,359 8 3 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

View over part of the north side of the airfield showing the parallel concourses of terminal 4

Paul W Furmanski LEMD

5,848 3 0 Airport

Paul W Furmanski HS-TGP

5,306 5 2 Boeing 747-4D7