Originally Posted by
Spiney Norman
Did the Boeing 707/720 operators suffer any payload range penalties operating ex Luton..
Speaking from memory the max TOW on the Monarch B720B's was 106,140kgs / 234,000lbs. They never needed a regulated TOW off the Luton runway - having the same P&W JT3d engines as the larger (9ft longer) B707-123B they were over-powered to say the least. Longest route operated regularly was Santa Maria in the Azores (SMA) to St Lucia (UVF), around 2300nm (according to Google Earth). This flight operated LTN-SMA-UVF on Mondays in a 170Y config in the late 70's. 707-320C G-AXRS replaced the 720's on this run in 1981. It still needed the fuel stop on the outward journey (restricted on TOW from LTN) but had the range to return direct UVF-LTN.
I can also recall the 720's operating a few flights to Accra in Ghana in 1977. I'm pretty sure they used to fly direct, around 2700nm.