Excess baggage has always been a bone of contention for passengers. So what happens when your baggage includes a jet engine? And where do you put it anyway?
Simple. Just strap it to the wing of the plane.
Which is exactly what QF63 from Sydney to Johannesburg did today, taking off with an extra passenger on board – a six tonne Rolls Royce engine.
With its four powerful engines and distinctive upper deck, the Boeing 747 is instantly recognisable wherever it flies.
What you might not know is that the 747 has the ability to carry a fifth engine, fitted between the body of the aircraft and the inner-most engine on the port (left) side of the aircraft.
The extra engine isn’t powered up for the flight – Qantas are ferrying across a very large spare part from their engineering HQ in Sydney so it can be fitted to one of their other Boeing 747s in Johannesburg.
Why? So they can get their customers and aircraft on their way as quickly as possible – rather than shipping the engine across by boat or chartering a freighter aircraft.
So how exactly is a 747 able to carry a spare engine anyway?
The wing of the aircraft is fitted with anchor points, which allows a supporting strut to be attached under the wing. The strut is then fitted with a winching mechanism so the engine can be hoisted up and secured safely for its journey.
READ MORE: Speaking of safety, did you know Qantas has again just been awarded the worlds safest airline? Read on.
The fifth engine adds extra weight and drag to the aircraft, meaning today’s flight had to make a quick refuelling stop in Perth. Additional drag is caused by air travelling around the spare engine during flight and, to counterbalance this, their pilots are trained to use the flight controls to ensure the aircraft flies straight, level and safely.
An extra engine on a jumbo? Find out more in our bio. #Qantas #avgeek #B747 #✈️ A photo posted by Qantas (@qantas) on
Once QF63 has landed in Johannesburg – it’s simply a matter of removing the fifth engine and then putting it onto the aircraft that will operate QF 64 to Sydney.
Qantas engineers are very skilled at doing the job, given that the 747 has been an integral part of the Qantas fleet since the 1970s.
Qantas first pioneered the carriage of a fifth engine with their Boeing 707s back at the dawn of the jet age to save shipping costs. The last time they carried an engine like this was back in 2011.
A Qantas Boeing 707 taking to the skies with a fifth engine fixed to its wing
And what about the spare engine that was removed in Johannesburg? It will be sent home by boat – a much longer journey than by air as an extra passenger under the wing to Sydney.
See the full video of how our engineers strapped a 5th @RollsRoyce engine on a @Boeing 747: https://t.co/ihQro6PEdr https://t.co/G25AXqQsxT
— Qantas (@Qantas) January 7, 2016
