IT looks like it's trying to take off and get away......
This 747 is sitting in a boneyard in Mojave, CA waiting to be dismantled
and recycled. On May 23rd, 2012 the area experienced extreme winds of
70+ miles per hour and reports of gusts up to 100 near the pass due to a
low pressure zone. Without the weight of its engines, the slightly
tail heavy 747 tries to take to the skies one last time. The next day
the plane was found to have also rotated about 45 degrees from its
original position. The same wind storm damaged many rooftops, cut
power and sent huge clouds of sand and dust billowing into the sky.
Mojave will occasionally experience this type of wind storm due to
geography. --Mike
It appears to be the "SP" ("Special Performance") variant of the 747.
ReplyDeleteIt was a shortened model with less passeneger and cargo capacity, but retaining the same fuel capacity. Originally designed for long-distance flights direct from the American East coast to South-East Asia.
Only 45 - 747SP aircraft were built between 1974 and 1989. As of December 2008, 17 are still flying, 16 have been scrapped, and 12 are in storage, awaiting salvage or on display in museums.