[ Post a Response | Pan Am Stories Message Board ]
Posted by Tom Bunn
on 7/30/2009, 9:44 am, in reply to "PAN AM 707B JET N707PA"
68.198.252.91
Dear Jack,
N707PM was "Clipper Maria". It was not the first 707 deliver, though it was the hand-built prototype; Boeing kept it around for some time before delivering it.
The first 707 delivered to Pan Am was N-710 PA, and the first to fly the Atlantic was N711 PA. The first of the 707-121s was "Clipper Maria" N707 PA which, being the prototype, had parts hand made. The doors never fitted right, and doors from later production planes were not interchangeable. So on flights, blankets were soaked to jam around the rear doors to stop the squealing from air escaping through spaces between the door, door seal, and door jamb.
The original turbojet engines were replaced with fans, which made the lighter 121, read hot rods. They were used mostly between New York and San Juan. Here is a photo of it after being re-engined. http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5920037
Message Thread:
« Back to thread