QF Plane spotting

[aussiedigger]

OK, a few quick questions: What engines are on VH-NLH, BZI and NOA? The CF-6 for the latter 2? Was NOA returned to the lessors yesterday as planned? How many aircraft make up the core fleet now? My best estimate put it at 118 excluding NOA and BZI.

When will NLH leave our shores? Or will similar aircraft arrive to supplement?

What is the difference between TAB and the other 733's?

That will do to get the ball rolling, I'll post further questions as they come to me.:D

Oh yeah, and why are the classic 747's called "classics"?

[Desert Flower]

VH-NLH has Rolls Royce RB211-524G2 engines
VH-BZI has GE CF6-80 engines
VH-NOA has P&W 4056 engines
Have just heard VH-NOA on VHF.

[The Enema Bandit]

Does anyone know the prefix's of the QF aircraft rego's?

[OzFlight.net]

aussiedigger and The Enema Bandit

You will find out a lot of this information in the aircraft search section of our website.

Australian Domestic Airline Fleets (http://www.ozflight.com.au/rego/dom_fleets.php)

Australian Regional Airline Fleets (http://www.ozflight.com.au/rego/reg_fleets.php)

The current Qantas Fleet has 124 registered aircraft. Note that this does not include Southern/Eastern/Sunstate/Impulse which although fully owned subsidiaries operate under separate AoC's.

According to my soruces VH-TAB (serial 26282 type B737-3Q8) is owned by ILFC as is the only 733 not owned by QF. It was previously registered as 5W-ILF before joining the Australian registered on 18th October 2001.

[aussiedigger]

Thanks for the replies. Does that mean that the rollers on NLH are slightly different to the rollers on all of the OJ aircraft (there H's now aren't they?)

Thats a good little site Ozflight, but I think my computer is feeling tired because Im having trouble reading a few things and it seems quite slow too for some reason.

I wasn't aware that OEF was now in the fleet. I take it that it is equipped with the same GE's as the other 3?

Thanks again folks.

[Waste Gate]

NLH has RB211-524Hs with a software mod to "emulate" the -524G fitted to the "OJs". The "OJs" have a mix of 524Gs and 524GTs, often on the same airframe. The GT has a Trent core which gives lower EGTs, amongst other things.

The Rolls Royce powered 767s have the "H" engine as well. Must be a BA thing . . .

And all going well, OEF is due into Syd, from LA, on Wednesday night.

Was scheduled for a pre acceptance flight yesterday (Sunday) morning in Seattle.

The ERs are GE powered, but presumably with higher rated engines than power the 3 ugly sisters (these have a slightly lower thrust rating than the Rolls Royce engines).

I would guess they are the same as OGV (60070 lb thrust & FADEC).

WG.

[Buckshot]

Waste Gate,

Why ugly sisters? Don't the GE 744's out perform the RR's?

[Waste Gate]

Buckshot,

OEB/C/D are know affectionately as the "3 ugly sisters" partly because they had a host of "differences" when they entered service with Q. A lot of money was spent aligning them with the rest of the fleet.

As for performance, I seem to remember the GEs performing pretty well because:

1. GE engines are much much lighter than the Rolls (2 spool vs. 3)

2. Haven't been on the 400 for a while but seem to remember the climb thrust derate tapering out at a lower altitude than on the Rolls.

Above about 20 000ft there was no noticeable difference between the GE and Rolls powered versions. The Rolls had a few advantages over the GE in other areas; they operate better off opt. altitude and they carry ice better (so I'm told!).

WG

[*Lancer*]

aussiedigger, to answer the questions not already covered!

The 747s are called "Classics" because they are the older model, 'classic' aircraft as opposed to the newer Glass-cockpit -400s. They carry a completely different endorsement, and flight engineers...

NLH is in all white livery now because the yanks couldn't recognise it as a Qantas aircraft, and is due to stay until Sept next year (I think). Technically being repaced by the ERs as they come.

I think the -ER GEs are rated at 65000... Of course the most noticable difference between the RR and the GE is that the GE takes about a third as long to start!

Lancer

[HOBAY 3]

...And the Yanks CAN recognise -NLH as a Qantas aircraft now it's got the all white tail and the dark blue under belly???
Why didn't they just paint it? It's been here almost three years?

[*Lancer*]

Apparently an all-white tail is a little less confusing than the British Airways tail it had previously. I guess with nothing on the tail, american pilots were more inclined to actually read the big black QANTAS logo on the side... It wasn't painted because it was never going to stay this long! :)