Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Long-range commercial transport

Power Plant:

Four 13,500 lbst Pratt & Whitney JT3C-6 turbofans

Specifications:

History:

In 1952 the Boeing Aircraft Company indicated it proposed to build the prototype of a jet-powered airliner. Known as the Model 367-80 the prototype N70700, flew for the first time at Renton near Seattle, Washington, on 15 July 1954. It was soon thereafter demonstrated to the US Air Force, this service then purchasing the type initially as the C-135A transport, and KC-135A tanker respectively. When production of the civil variant of the 707 ceased in 1978, some 878 examples had been built. However, production for military operators continued until 1990, and more than 700 were built for the US Air Force alone.

First operator of the civil variant was Pan American Airways, which placed an initial order for 20 Model 707-120s in December 1957. Variants of the series included the 707-220, which was similar to the 120; the shorter fuselage 707-138 for Qantas, and the 707-320, which first flew in July 1959. The 320 and 120 series were developed to take the JT3D turbofan in lieu of the turbojets of the earlier models, and became known as the 320B and 120B. The 707-320C was a convertible model, and the 707-420 was fitted with Rolls Royce Conway engines. The 720 series, of which 65 examples of the Model 720 and 89 examples of the Model 720B were built, was a smaller capacity, lighter, medium range variant, having accommodation for 112 in a two-class arrangement. The 707-120 had seating for 179, or 110 in two classes.

In September 1956 Qantas announced the purchase of seven Boeing 707-138s, this being a short body variant of the Model 120 and Qantas was the only airline to acquire this version. The fuselage was 3 m (10 ft) shorter and this model was selected because of its good airfield performance, being able to fly from Honolulu, Hawaii to Nadi in Fiji with a 12,710 kg (28,000 lb) payload with Pratt & Whitney JT3C-6 13,000 lbst engines.

Qantas received its first Model 707-138 VH-EBB (c/n 17697 – ‘City of Sydney’) in 1959, and in all operated a total of 13 Modrel 138s. VH-EBB was exported to the US as N790SA. This was followed by VH-EBA (c/n 17696 – ‘City of Melbourne’) exported to Pacific Western Airlines as CF-PWV; VH-EBC (c/n 17698 – ‘City of Canberra’) exported to Standard Airways as N791SA; VH-EBD (c/n 17699 – ‘City of Brisbane’) exported to British Eagle as G-AVZZ; VH-EBE (c/n 17700 – ‘City of Perth’) exported to International Aerodyne as N793NA; VH-EBF (c/n 17701 – ‘City of Adelaide’) exported as N792SA; VH-EBG (c/n 17702 – ‘City of Hobart’) exported to British Eagle as G-AWDG; VH-EBH (c/n 18067 – ‘City of Darwin’) exported to British West Indian Airways as 9Y-TDC; VH-EBI (c/n 18068 – ‘City of Winton’) exported to Braniff Airways as N105BN; VH-EBJ (c/n 18069 – ‘City of Longreach’) exported to Braniff as N106BN; VH-EBK (c/n 18334 – ‘City of Newcastle’) exported to British West Indian Airways as 9Y-TDB; VH-EBL (c/n 18739 – ‘City of Geelong’) exported to Braniff as N107BN; and VH-EBM (c/n 18740 – ‘City of Launceston’) exported to Braniff as N108BN.

The first Trans-Pacific service was flown on 29 July 1959, flights to London, UK on the Kangaroo route beginning on 29 October that year. The initial Qantas fleet of seven aircraft established a good record and, as noted above, a further six were obtained, these being Model 138Bs. Modifications to the Model 138B included fitting of leading-edge flaps, an increase in fuselage length by 18 cm (7 in) and an increase in gross weight to 116,800 kg (257,000 lb), the aircraft being fitted with 17,000 lbst JT3D-1 turbofans which significantly improved the aircraft’s performance, being quieter and more powerful, meaning the aircraft did not have to use water assisted take-offs.

Other changes with the new model included a fully boosted rudder and mechanically operated trim tab, a ventral fin, an extension of the vertical fin, a leading-edge glove fitted to the inner wing, four additional leading-edge flaps on each wing, and new thrust reversers. The fibreglass leading-edge glove increased the wing area by 8.17 m² (88 sq ft), increased the sweep of the inner wing and increased cruising speed to Mach 0.83 [963 km/h – 599 mph], max rate of climb increasing to 1,753 m/min (5,750 ft/min) and it becoming known to the crews as the “hot rod”.

Subsequently the first six aircraft (VH-EBA to VH-EBF) were returned to Boeing in Seattle to be updated to Model 138B standard, this taking place between July and November 1961. The first Model 138B arrived in Sydney, NSW on 6 August 1961, flying non-stop from Honolulu 8,345 km (5,185 miles) in 9 hrs 45 mins.

The Model 138 series was known as the V-Jet by Qantas and remained in service until 1971. The Model 138B replaced Lockheed Electras on the Far East route from November 1961, and the New Caledonia route in December of that year. In November 1964 the Sydney – Papeete – Acapulco – Nassau – Bermuda – London route, known as the Fiesta route, was inaugurated, and in April 1965 the type inaugurated the Sydney – Christchurch, NZ route. In 1967 Qantas decided to introduce the Model 707-338C, a new variant with a longer fuselage, and this eventually replaced the Model 138B. The last service flown by a Qantas 138B was VH-EBJ ‘City of Longreach’ which flew from Sydney to Christchurch and return on 28 September 1968.

In early 2006 Qantas announced it had obtained its former Boeing 707 VH-EBA (c/n 17696) in the United Kingdom and was arranging for it to be ferried to Australia to the Qantas Founders Outback Museum at Longreach, QLD. This aircraft operated with Qantas from August 1959 to October 1967 when it was exported with 25,373 hours flying time. Over the subsequent years it operated as CF-PWV, N11TA, N220AM, N138MJ, and, with the Royal Saudi Air Force, as HZ-123. After restoration to airworthiness it was flown to Australia with the ferry registration VH-XBA (c/n 17696), flying from London via Ireland, Canary Islands, Bermuda, the United States and Fiji, arriving in Sydney on 16 December 2006. This was the first Boeing 707 for Qantas and the 29th Model 707 off the production line, being registered to Qantas Foundation Memorial Ltd of Longreach on 7 July 2006. After some demonstration flights it was retired to the museum.

A further ex-Qantas aircraft N707JT (ex VH-EBM – ‘City of Launceston’), which was owned for many years by Hollywood actor, John Travolta, was gifted in 2018 to the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Museum based at Albion Park, NSW and work commenced during 2019 on preparing the aircraft for its ferry flight to Australia, this to take place in 2021. It has been proposed this aircraft will subsequently be placed on display at the HARS Museum.