It is reported that the a/c has been sold to a Qantas lead group this week for the sum of £1.00. It will be serviced and prepared for return flight to Aussie in Spring 2007. It has been provisionally allocated an Aussie registration.

I see it's a 138 so must be ex QF - more information please? Who bought it? I would not imagine it would be Qantas. For what reason - static display?

A QF lead group that will fly it back to join the museum which is located ? I understand that the project has been going on or a couple of years now and the stumbling block was of course the monies wanted for the aeroplane. It underwent a C check / respray and was outshopped in 1999 as new rumoured to be going back to the Saudi Royal Familly for their museum and as it was the first VIP a/c for Saudi Royal Flight. That said it has been parked with minimum attention since. In November 05 it was surveyed by QF engineering and Museum staff and the result was that it was in good condition and we must assume so from the purchase. Work will commence in March 06 oin it with the engines being removed and serviced.

Glad to hear it's going to an appropriate home and won't be scrapped. Let's hope the 707-436 at Cosford escapes the scrappers as well.

Treadders

I understand it's (or is it she's) a very early model, line number 29 I believe.

Looked pristine in earlier years but the Essex weather has taken its toll on the outside recently.

Does anyone know how many earlier 707s are still in existence?

Cheers

Southender

There used to be another ex BOAC/British Airtours -436 at a technical college in Philadelphia - does that still exist?

treadigraph

That was 'PFN and it was scrapped in 1988 due to "lack of space".

PaperTiger

As long ago as that... From memory most of the rest of Airtours' Conways ended up at Phoenix and faced the hangman's noose...

There's a cockpit (camoflagued) alongside the old Kermit Weeks facility at Tamiami... Sat in the left seat and caressed the throttles. From memory the reg plate read N707PA... must be some serious memories there?

treadigraph

Kingman, Arizona actually (KIGM); which is nearer to Vegas than it is to KPHX.

Quite right PT, your memory is better than mine... What are we talking about...?

I recall one was written off at Prestwick, but did any others survive the blow torch? Only other w/o I recall was the BOAC Mount Fuji tragedy ( and I'm assuming it was a Conway).

Is the other B707 at SEN reg EL-??? not a conway marque. That is awaiting the scrap man but is still in exterior fair condition with all engines visually complete.

HZ-123 the reserved reg for it is VH-XBA.

This seems to be good news at last for this old 707. For quite a while it was the oldest airworthy 707.

Interesting. VH-XBA does not come up in the CASA aircraft registration search.

Certainly seems to be kept quiet Dunnunda! Wonder if it's going to the Qantas Founder's Museum at Longreach, along side the ex-Qantas B747-200 Classic already there?

There was a Conway powered 707 converted to the 707 Restaurant very close to Manila's NAIA Airport - don't know if it's still there. It had an executive interior and was rumoured to have once been Elvis Presley's personal aircraft, donated to Imelda Marcos.

We were told it is indeed to join the 747-200. Like many I look forward to seeing it running up, taxying and test flying at SEN.

Two Conway powered 707s were lost in BOAC service.
G-APFE, a -436 near Mt. Fuji on 05 March 1966
G-ARWE a -465 (ex Cunard Eagle) at LHR on 08 April 1968

Another example of misinformation gaining credibilty through repetition, I'm afraid. The Manila retaurant/nightclub is (or was) N99WT formerly N11RV and initially delivered to PanAm as N728PA. No Conways. It was indeed used by Emelda Marcos, and while nobody can say for sure that Elvis never flew in it, his personal plane was Convair 880 N880EP. Named "Lisa Marie" it is now displayed at Gracleand, Memphis.

Answers to number of the detailed questions above are in this spreadsheet :

http://www.planemad.net/airlinerlist/boeing-707.zip

and for many other types on this site :

http://members.chello.nl/s.c.verbrugge/main.html

Shouldn't this thread be re-named as the 'B707 formerly known as HZ-123'?

And will HZ-123 change his Nom de PPRuNe to VH-XBA?