N747GE: From Pan Am to Engine Testbed
This early 747-121 lived two very different working lives: carrying Pan Am passengers, then carrying experimental engines for General Electric. The testbed's oversized engine installations show why a strong, adaptable four-engine airframe was valuable long after its first airline career.
This early 747-121 lived two very different working lives: carrying Pan Am passengers, then carrying experimental engines for General Electric. The testbed's oversized engine installations show why a strong, adaptable four-engine airframe was valuable long after its first airline career.
Aircraft identity
- Registration: N747GE
- Variant: Boeing 747-121
- Serial number: 19651
- Former registrations: N744PA
- Operator history: Pan Am 1970 - 1991; General Electric flying testbed from 1992
- Record status: Preserved
Aircraft history
| Date or period | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 21 March 1970 | Delivered to Pan Am; flew as Clipper Star of the Union. Source |
| 1982 | Renamed Clipper Ocean Spray. Source |
| March 1992 | Acquired by General Electric for flying engine tests. Source |
| Engine-test career | Tested engines including GE90, GEnx, CFM56, CF34, GP7200, LEAP and Passport. Source |
| November 2018 | Donated to Pima Air & Space Museum. Source |
What makes this aircraft important
The museum confirms serial number 19651. Published institutional accounts disagree about its production-line position, so this profile does not use that number to identify the aircraft.
Status and access
The official collection or venue record lists this aircraft at Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson. Interior access, tours and opening arrangements can change. Check the venue information before visiting.
Sources checked: 3 October 2026. Dates are as specific as the confirming source; an undated milestone is labelled as a period rather than given an invented day.
Related
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
|---|---|
| Variant | 747-121 |
| Status | Preserved |
| Engines | 4× Pratt & Whitney JT9D |
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the primary and institutional references below.
- Boeing 747-121 N747GE collection record - Pima Air & Space Museum
- GE original flying testbed retirement - GE Aerospace
- Preserved 747 airframes, serial numbers and former registrations - South African Airways Museum Society
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