Aviation 10

 nal  ight operated by VH-EAG, a 1968-built

-338 model. Its last revenue service for

Qantas was on March 26, 1979, between

Sydney and Melbourne.

With the 707 retired, Qantas now had an

all-747  eet, something of which the airline

was proud. This pride was justi ed, as the

aircraft ushered in a range of innovative

amenities, including a ‘lower lobe’ galley,

which saw food preparation undertaken

under the main cabin, serviced by an

onboard lift. This opened up cabin space for

special features, such as an onboard shaver

(electric razor) bar.

“Perhaps the most iconic feature on the

Qantas aircraft was the upper deck ‘Captain

Cook Lounge’”, David Crotty re ected. “Here

 rst class passengers could relax in a

colourful 1970s re-creation of a sailing ship’s

cabin, complete with ropes, lamps and a

sextant on the rear bulkhead.” Adding to the

look was a sailing ship wheel.

Qantas’ 747s carried 180,000 passengers

in their  rst 12 months of service, a pleasing

result and the long-haul nature of the airline’s

international network saw the aircraft utilised

for 11.46 hours per day; comparing favourably

to the then-industry average of 9.63 hours.

However, as more global airlines

established 747 services to Australia, Qantas

found itself competing with a  urry of new

carriers. A  ood of extra capacity hit the

market, driving down prices and making

long-distance travel more affordable than

ever, prompting Qantas to respond with

further innovation.

“Qantas introduced new pricing in early

1972, including the AU$700 London return

fare, which was an instant hit with younger

travellers,” remarked Crotty. “To capitalise

on a booming youth tourist market Qantas

even introduced weekly ‘Fading Blue Denim

Flights’ in late 1973, which were restricted

to passengers aged between 18-30. This

guaranteed a traveller wouldn’t be sitting next

to someone who thought “Pink Floyd was

a new kind of carnation” – according to the

promotional brochure.”

To further capitalise on the young people’s

market, Qantas revolutionised its in ight

experience. It installed large overhead

projectors allowing in ight  lms to be

screened, while an audio system was created

that included three music channels along with

complementary ‘stethoscope style’ headsets

for passengers in all cabin classes.

A further revolution came in 1979,

when Qantas became the  rst airline

to introduce business class on its

international services. This new cabin

class established a wider and more

comfortable seat than that offered in

economy, with premium meals and

personalised service. While it lacked the

exclusive luxury of  rst class, business

class came with a lower price tag. It was

instantly popular with travellers, leading to

it being adopted by airlines worldwide.

That same year the airline added the  rst

of three additional 747-238s to its  eet. These

aircraft, registered VH-EBQ through to VH-

EBS, differed from their predecessors in that

they were powered by Rolls Royce RB211-

524B2 engines.

The new powerplants gave these

aircraft superior performance over their

Pratt & Whitney counterparts, giving a

maximum take-off weight of 826,733lb

(375,000kg), some 50,700lb (23,000kg)

greater than the JT9D-3As.

TYPE VARIATION

Despite its numerous bene ts, the 747-238

was not perfect for all the Qantas services.

This was particularly noticeable on lower

yield routes into Asia, as well as ultra long-

haul  ights, such as the airline’s long desired

direct transpaci c services. McDonnell

Douglas, as the company was now called,

and Lockheed were both keen to capitalise

on Qantas’ requirements, proposing their DC-

10 and L-1011 widebody tri-jets to the ‘Flying

Kangaroo’. The manufacturers provided the

airline with demonstrations of their respective

types, while scale models were created

showcasing the distinctive Qantas branding

on these jets.

Not to be outdone, Boeing pitched its

747SP. This variant offered superior range

and due to its lower weight had a shorter

take-off run. Consequently, it could use the

runway at Wellington, New Zealand so could

be employed on the important trans-Tasman

services from Sydney.

Despite the 747SP’s commonality with

the Qantas’  eet, the L-1011-500 provided stiff

competition. While its range of 7,008 miles

(11,279km) was less than the SP’s 7,658

28 Aviation News incorporating Jets October 2018

Qantas took delivery of two 747SPs, including VH-EAA (illustrated) in 1981. Qantas Heritage Collection

The in ight shaver bar on a Qantas 747-200 in the 1970s. Qantas

Heritage Collection

The upper deck on early Qantas 747s had a ‘Captain Cook Lounge’

where  rst-class passengers could relax in a colourful 1970s re-

creation of a sailing ship’s cabin. Qantas Heritage Collection