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Transport - Sultan style

After donating the VC10 to The Brooklands Museum, the Sultan used two Boeing 747SP27s for his long-range transportation needs. Recognize the paint scheme? Of these A4O-SP
was taken out of service in 2004 and is currently stored at Roswell, New Mexico awaiting a
buyer, but A4O-SO still flies on in the Sultan's fleet.

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A4O-SO (cn 21785/405) taking off from Frankfurt
Main in December 1997
Photo Konstantin von Wedelstaedt via www.airliners.net

And A4O-SP (cn 21992/447) parked at Denver

International in June 2000
Photo Aaron D. Mandolesi via www.airliners.net

As written on the page about G-ASIX/A4O-AB the Omani registration was removed from
the VC10 in December 1991. This was because the Sultan wanted to be able to use it on
another aircraft. It turned up on a newly aquired Gulfstream Aerospace Gulfstream IV as
shown on the photos below.

The new A4O-AB seen at Zurich in December 2003

Photo Propfreak via www.airliners.net

And in Hungary a month earlier

Photo Tibor Mester via www.airliners.net

Another interesting aircraft which currently flies in these colours is Airbus A320 A4O-AA,
which fits nicely with the ex-VC10 registration now in use by the Gulfstream pictured
above. With these three types I would say that most of the transportation needs would be
catered for.
I only discovered recently that between 1984(?) and 1992(?) there was also a DC-8
registered A4O-HMQ flying in the Omani house colours. This aircraft was a Super 73
conversion sporting CFM56-2 engines similar to those found on re-engined 707s. With this
modification it was probably certified to Stage III levels making it a quite useful type. I
guess that in the end the 747s were adequate for the job and because of this the DC-8 moved
on to carrying cargo for Southern Air. A shame really as it would have kept another classic
design flying in this special role.

The Airbus A320 which is the latest addition to the

fleet

DC-8 A4O-HMQ seen at London Heathrow in 1990

Photo Ralf Meyermann via www.airliners.net

Photo FrenchFrogsAirslides via www.airliners.net

So what does a Sultan's aircraft look like inside? Although unverified, the layout below is
what the Boeing 747SP might look like. Some features:
- Executive quarters on upper deck
- Main entry hall
- Large forward lounge in the nose
- Elevator to forward cargo hold
- Built in air stairs from forward cargo hold
- Two bedrooms with twin beds, but seats only for crew rest!

Key to the drawing:

000 Flight deck
002 Crew rest
004 Crew galley
006 Upper deck access stairs
008 Crew toilet upper deck
010 Master bedroom
012 Executive bathroom
014 Cargo area upper deck
016 Cargo area upper deck
018 Cargo area upper deck
100 Forward lounge
102 Fwd lounge toilet
104 Staircase to upper deck
106 Main entry hall
108 Fwd (crew) toilet
110 Elevator
112 Staircase to Fwd cargo hold
114 Guest bedroom
116 Guest bedroom toilet

122 Chief attendants panel

124 Main hallway
126 Master dining room
128 Master dining room toilet
130 Mid lounge toilet
132 Mid lounge
134 Aft lounge
136 Aft lounge toilet
138 Mid toilet center
140 Mid toilet left
142 Staff / guest seating
144 Staff / guest seating
146 Aft toilets right
148 Aft toilets left
150 Rear galley
200 Original avionic racks
202 D. Howard converter rack
204 Fwd cargo entry area
206 Air stairs

118 Radio operator station

120 Main galley

208 Water tanks etc.

300 Aft cargo hold
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