From kls Sat Apr 24 09:28:51 1993 Newsgroups: sci.aeronautics.airliners Path: bounce-back From: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM (Karl Swartz) Subject: spare engine under wing Message-ID: Approved: kls@ohareChicago.COM Organization: Chicago Software Works Sender: kls@ohareChicago.COM Date: 24 Apr 93 09:28:51 PDT A while back there was a discussion of hanging a spare engine under the wing on the 747, amongst other types. Apparently they still do this, on regular flights -- last night I was at SFO and watched as a United 747-122 (N4728U) was pushed back from gate 84. Something looked a bit odd about the #2 engine so I walked down a bit to get a better vantage. I was quite surprised to see that #2 was just fine, but that what I had seen was a spare mounted inboard of #2, about midway between the #2 pylon and fuselage. It appeared to have a small plug in the front, with a fairing on the back of the central exhaust -- the fan seemed to be open. The engine, a JT9D, was mounted on a partial pylon with the front of the nacelle roughly equal with that of #2. I'm not sure where the aircraft had come *from* other than that it had been a domestic flight. Most likely would be Hawaii though it might have been from Miami/South America via Chicago. (United has other domestic 747 arrivals at SFO, but not near the right time.) Destination was clear -- it was promptly towed around to one of the maitenance areas where scaffolding was quickly erected around the spare. -- Karl Swartz |INet kls@ditka.chicago.com 1-415/854-3409 |UUCP uunet!decwrl!ditka!kls |Snail 2144 Sand Hill Rd., Menlo Park CA 94025, USA Send sci.aeronautics.airliners submissions to airliners@chicago.com