travelavnut From Netherlands, joined May 2010, 1380 posts, RR: 5 Posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 6939 times:
On the frontpage now is a great photo from Wilco737 from a LH 747 cockpit. I'm not showing it in my post because I'm on the road right now (hooray for the iPad), but it's the one with the Northern lights.
The caption says 747-430M, now I'm pretty sure the M means it's a combi. I didn't know LH had any combi's and my quick Wiki/Google search also didn't provide an answer. One answer.com result even literally said they had none. So what gives?
B777LRF From Luxembourg, joined Nov 2008, 998 posts, RR: 3 Reply 2, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 6913 times:
They have a handful or so. All have had the SCD deactivated and the aft main-deck cargo compartment converted into a SLF seating area, cattle class of course. So while they're technically speaking Combis, it would require a fair amount of work bringing them back in service as such.
Best chance of seeing them with an open cargo-door again will be after they've been decommissioned from service at Lufthansa passage, converted and elevated to the more noble task of hauling boxes in B747-400BCF disguise.
From receips and radials over straight pipes to big fans - been there, done that, got the hearing defects to prove
AA737-823 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 5333 posts, RR: 11 Reply 6, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 6753 times:
Quoting 413X3 (Reply 5): Off the top of my head, Korean Air and KLM fly combis still
Yes, and while I don't know about Korean, I DO know that KLM flies them as combi's... with pax and freight flying together!
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21453 posts, RR: 24 Reply 7, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 6710 times:
Quoting travelavnut (Reply 4): Also, besides LH and KL, are there any other airlines flying the combi?
Boeing built 61 744M combis for 12 airlines. Apart from KL's, not sure which may still be operated as combis. Some are now freighters like 2 of the 3 ex-AC 744 combis which are now with Air China Cargo. The other is now part of the Dubai Air Wing's VIP fleet after a few years in combi configuration with Air India. It was often used on AI's now suspended DEL-FRA-LAX route.
Photos of the 3 ex-AC 744Ms with original and subsequent operators.
Spacepope From Vatican City, joined Dec 1999, 2735 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 6566 times:
Quoting travelavnut (Reply 4): Thanks guys! So would you be able to see it as a passenger in the SLF area? Or is the cargo door, for example, invisible from the cabin?
I was on one 2 Septembers ago (ORD-FRA) and you could not see anything from inside the cabin.
dvincent From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 1719 posts, RR: 12 Reply 10, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 6485 times:
They still have an outline of the cargo door, other than that, you'd never know it was a combi.
Qantas744ER From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 1251 posts, RR: 4 Reply 11, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 6318 times:
Quoting wilco737 (Reply 3): They used to be combis, but the door is locked, sealed and it is a full PAX aircraft, not used as a combi anymore.
Does the door still show up on the 'DRS' EICAS page or was the software changed when they converted them to full pax.
For those interested:
All 7 Combis will go to a two class config. The old first class seats will remain on the upper deck and will be sold as 'Business Plus'
sfoa380 From United States of America, joined Aug 2010, 104 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 6236 times:
I flew on LH 454/455 in the early 80's and it was a 747-200 Combi. Very strange having a huge wall in the middle of the rear cabin. Have flown 454/455 as 74M, 744, 343 and soon 388!
Newark727 From United States of America, joined Dec 2009, 1172 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 6136 times:
I've seen CA combis in action at LAX, I think OZ as well. Don't think QF ever had any.
123 From Bolivia, joined Nov 2003, 739 posts, RR: 4 Reply 15, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 6051 times:
LH used to fly into LPB with their 747M which I think they also called 747D, someone will correct me for sure>
THe combi aircraft was great for LH, what I heard is they made more revenue with cargo than with pax on the LPB run.
Once at CCS, a brand new Mercedes Benz sports car was unloaded from the 747 combi I arrived with from FRA (on a flight proceeding to LIM&LPB). Was quite a sight. Quite some cashflow too....
Stitch From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 26677 posts, RR: 83 Reply 17, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 6002 times:
Quoting kiwiandrew (Reply 16): I think the 74D was a -200 combi while an M is a -400 combi ?
In terms of IATA codes, the 74D is the 747-300 combi. The 747-200 combi is 74C. The code for the 747-400 combi is 74E. The IATA code 74M is for "Boeing 747 all Combi models"
wilco737 From Greenland, joined Jun 2004, 8473 posts, RR: 78 Reply 18, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 5861 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD MODERATOR
Quoting Qantas744ER (Reply 11): Does the door still show up on the 'DRS' EICAS page or was the software changed when they converted them to full pax.
Good question, I have to check. But I don't think so, cannot remember seeing it on the EICAS DRS page.
Quoting Qantas744ER (Reply 11): All 7 Combis will go to a two class config. The old first class seats will remain on the upper deck and will be sold as 'Business Plus'
Huh? Really? Where does this information come from? Haven't heard anything within LH about it. Only that the upper deck gets a new F class with beds and that's it. Nothing about business plus
Birdwatching From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 3573 posts, RR: 52 Reply 20, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 5479 times:
Quoting sfoa380 (Reply 12): I flew on LH 454/455 in the early 80's and it was a 747-200 Combi. Very strange having a huge wall in the middle of the rear cabin.
I flew on the -200 Combi a lot in the 80s when I was a kid. They always operated the Combi out to CCS/BOG/UIO as there was a lot of flower cargo on that route, which is relatively light but huge volume. Occasionally during flight the FAs showed us kids the cargo area (go figure, back in the day everything was a bit more relaxed). There was a door in the galley, behind it was the "volleyball net" as they called it and the cargo behind that, pallets with flower boxes strapped on top of them. I remember that area was loud and cold. I remember once the cargo hold was completely empty (probably a FRA-CCS segment), and for some reason the sight of the huge rear bulkhead freaked me out a bit. I was like 7 years old.
Are there any photos of this setup?
Soren
All the things you probably hate about travelling are warm reminders that I'm home
jj8080 From Brazil, joined Aug 2008, 932 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 4483 times:
Varig operated 5 747s in Combi version. 3 742s and 2 743s. All of them were received brand new from Boeing. The -200s were originally ordered by Libyan Arab Airlines. As the US Government blocked the deal with Libyan, Varig took the planes.
747-2L5BM PP-VNA (cn 22105/435) 1981-1994, last operator was Cathay Pacific Cargo as B-HMD, stored since 2009.
747-2L5BM PP-VNB (cn 22106/443) 1981-1995, last operator was Cathay Pacific Cargo as B-HME, stored since 2009.
747-2L5BM PP-VNC (cn 22107/469) 1981-1996, now with Southern Air as N815SA
747-341M PP-VNH (cn 23394/627) 1985-2000, now with Southern Air as N789SA
747-341M PP-VNI (cn 23395/629) 1985-2000, now with Atlas Air as N355MC
supersomondoco From Colombia, joined Dec 2009, 22 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks ago) and read 2617 times:
Quoting PRAirbus (Reply 22): LH flew 747-200 Combis from FRA to SJU during the mid-late 80's. So did AV BOG-SJU-MAD-Paris-Frankfurt, I think IB also flew 747-200 Combis.
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