Irobertson From Canada, joined Apr 2006, 601 posts, RR: 4 Posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 3121 times:
Seems that this variant lasted a fairly short life. Was there anything inherently wrong with this variant of the 707? I don't believe any of the type even survives today. I just read about this one, delivered to BOAC in 1960 and broken up in 1977.
Aleksandar From Serbia, joined Jul 2000, 3229 posts, RR: 34 Reply 1, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 2979 times:
It is just that -320 was more economical and not many of 420s were actually made. Only 37 were made and the last was a plane delivered to El Al in February 1962. The initial advantage of -420 was that it was available two years before JT3 powered 707s
CV990A From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 1391 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 2950 times:
I think the 707 at the Hamburg Airport is an ex-Lufthansa 707-430, so at least one still survives. Also, wasn't it intended as a special variant for BOAC, to encourage them to buy the type?
ImperialEagle From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 1230 posts, RR: 14 Reply 4, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2805 times:
Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 1): It is just that -320 was more economical
Well, now there are more than a few gray-beards from BA who would dispute that. And BA used quite a few versions of the Conway as well as the JT-3D. I think the better "economics" of the Pratt powered 7-ohs had a lot more to do with politics than numbers.
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough!"
OceansWorld From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 6, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2755 times:
Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 1): It is just that -320 was more economical and not many of 420s were actually made.
BOAC went for the -420 because it had more powerful Conways (17,500lb) than the Intercontinental -320 and its JT4A turbojets (15,800lb). Only 69 -320 were built. I don't think the -320 was that much more economical than the -420. But then came the -320B and -320C both powered by turbofans engines. As a side note, the DC-8-40s weren't sold in great numbers too, just 33 aircraft.
Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 1): The initial advantage of -420 was that it was available two years before JT3 powered 707s
Two other factors played in favour of the RR: less smoky and quieter engines. And they were British-built of course. BOAC got 19 of the production.
Quoting CV990A (Reply 3): I think the 707 at the Hamburg Airport is an ex-Lufthansa 707-430, so at least one still survives.
MEA-707 From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 4117 posts, RR: 37 Reply 7, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2741 times:
The RR Conways were older and noisier turbojets. The later JT-3Ds were turbofans and, although you can't believe that now, considerably quieter and fuel efficient. The pure jet 707-300s (NOT -300B and 300C ) and DC-8-30s were retired in the 1970s too and compared to that the Conway engined 707-400s survived comparably long.
nobody has ever died from hard work, but why take the risk?
Da man From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 887 posts, RR: 13 Reply 9, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2711 times:
Aleksandar From Serbia, joined Jul 2000, 3229 posts, RR: 34 Reply 10, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 2688 times:
Quoting LTU932 (Reply 5): I presume you mean the JT3D (or TF33)
Quoting OceansWorld (Reply 6): I don't think the -320 was that much more economical than the -420.
Well, I tried to type fast and made few mistakes, so when I mentioned engines I had JT3D in mind and when I mentioned -320 version, I definitely had 320B in mind.
Jetjack74 From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 7336 posts, RR: 52 Reply 12, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 23 hours ago) and read 2496 times:
Quoting OceansWorld (Reply 6): BOAC went for the -420 because it had more powerful Conways (17,500lb) than the Intercontinental -320 and its JT4A turbojets (15,800lb). Only 69 -320 were built. I don't think the -320 was that much more economical than the -420. But then came the -320B and -320C both powered by turbofans engines. As a side note, the DC-8-40s weren't sold in great numbers too, just 33 aircraft.
Actually, BA was forced to take the -420 instead of waiting it out for the 336B/C by the British gov't. The British gov"t wanted a 707 with British powerplants so it could be called a British 707. BA was initially unhappy about the -436 because of the handling problems at cruise altitude, due to the short empanage. It was grossly underpowered and less efficient than the VC10. When the -300's began arriving, the -420's were relgated to less lucretive routes in Europe, North Africa and the eastern US until they were transferred over to Airtours in 72-75 timeframe. Most were sold off by 1976.
Quoting OceansWorld (Reply 6): Two other factors played in favour of the RR: less smoky and quieter engines. And they were British-built of course. BOAC got 19 of the production.
Correction, they had 20 -420's for BA and 2 -465's were operated by British/Cunard Eagle which eventually migrated to BEA/British Airtours. I believe 2 were lost, G-AWRE in a ground fire at LHR and G-APFE which broke up in flight after take-off from HND in 1966.
Sovietjet From Bulgaria, joined Mar 2003, 2339 posts, RR: 14 Reply 13, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 22 hours ago) and read 2456 times:
Were the Conways used on -400s the same as on the VC-10? Did they sound the same? They look different physically to me...there are those "hush pipes" at the end of the Conways on the 707. If they are the same then seeing a VC-10 today is like seeing a Conway powered 707...more or less
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21495 posts, RR: 24 Reply 14, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 21 hours ago) and read 2404 times:
Quoting MEA-707 (Reply 7): The RR Conways were older and noisier turbojets. The later JT-3Ds were turbofans
Sorry that's not correct. The RR Conway was the world's first turbofan, although it had a very low bypass ratio.
Quoting CV990A (Reply 3): Quoting Irobertson (Thread starter):
I don't believe any of the type even survives today
I think the 707 at the Hamburg Airport is an ex-Lufthansa 707-430, so at least one still survives.
In addition to the ex-LH -430 at HAM there is also an ex-LY -458 at TXL. It's been there about 20 years. Although painted in LH livery it's an ex-LY aircraft and was never operated by LH. The photo of it below is fairly old but I saw it there about a year ago in rather poor condition. The ex-LH one at HAM is very well-kept.
OceansWorld From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 15 hours ago) and read 2261 times:
Quoting Jetjack74 (Reply 12): Correction, they had 20 -420's for BA and 2 -465's were operated by British/Cunard Eagle
I meant new from the manufacturer. BOAC has ordered and received 18 B707-436s, while Cunard's order was for two B707-465s. The later only received one under the Cunard Eagle brand, while the second was delivered under the BOAC/Cunard name, which is the 19th. But in all BOAC's B707-400s grew to twenty indeed.
Sovietjet From Bulgaria, joined Mar 2003, 2339 posts, RR: 14 Reply 16, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 2178 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 14): Sorry that's not correct. The RR Conway was the world's first turbofan, although it had a very low bypass ratio.
Are you sure? The Tu-124 first flew in 1960 and had turbofan D-20s. I can't find exact dates but I know that Conway 707s and Tu-124 both first flew in 1960.
MD11Engineer From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 13342 posts, RR: 64 Reply 17, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 2159 times:
Quoting CV990A (Reply 3): Quoting Irobertson (Thread starter):
I don't believe any of the type even survives today
I think the 707 at the Hamburg Airport is an ex-Lufthansa 707-430, so at least one still survives. Also, wasn't it intended as a special variant for BOAC, to encourage them to buy the type?
The 707 parked beside the runway in TXL is also a 420 (originally built for El Al, it is actually the only plane, which survived the Fatah hijeckings in 1970, where several planes got blown up).
Quoting MEA-707 (Reply 7): The RR Conways were older and noisier turbojets.
The Conway was a turbofan engine, albeit with a lower bypass rate than the JT3D.
CV990 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 18, posted (5 years 8 months 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 2025 times:
Hi!
I think that the 707-400 had an interesting lifespan. I was looking at the flying hours of the operators that used the 400 model and most had between 50.000 and 60.000 hours, so quite the average of other 707 models and also they lasted between 15 to 20 years except those that crashed. Here is the list of those 707-400 that were w/o:
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21495 posts, RR: 24 Reply 19, posted (5 years 8 months 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 1374 times:
Quoting Sovietjet (Reply 16): Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 14):
Sorry that's not correct. The RR Conway was the world's first turbofan, although it had a very low bypass ratio.
Are you sure? The Tu-124 first flew in 1960 and had turbofan D-20s. I can't find exact dates but I know that Conway 707s and Tu-124 both first flew in 1960.
Sovietjet From Bulgaria, joined Mar 2003, 2339 posts, RR: 14 Reply 20, posted (5 years 8 months 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 1319 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 19): The distinction may be that the Conway was the first turbofan "to enter airline service". Rolls-Royce includes that wording for the Conway in their history timeline.
Ahhh I see, in that case yes, the Tu-124 entered service in 1962.
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