A Boeing Dreamlifter based on a B747-409LCF. - Photo courtesy of Eric Salard. - CC BY-SA 2.0
EVER since the first Boeing Dreamlifter took to the skies in the latter half of the 2000s to carry parts between manufacturing facilities in Italy, Japan and the United States, it has been said more than once online that one of the large cargo freighters is actually a converted Malaysia Airlines (MAS) 747-400.
Is this true?
VERDICT:
TRUE
This is in fact true, as one of the four Dreamlifters operated by Atlas Air for Boeing began life as a 747-400 airliner with MAS on Aug 27, 1992.
It flew under the Malaysian registration of 9M-MPA, carrying passengers until it was stored at Subang Airport in July 2006.
The aircraft then came under the ownership of Boeing on Sept 1, 2007 and was subsequently converted from a passenger-carrying airliner into a Dreamlifter freighter by Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corp or EGAT, a joint venture of EVA Air and General Electric and a part of Taiwan's Evergreen Group.
It now flies under the US registration of N718BA, carrying parts used in the construction of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
References:
1. https://www.airfleets.net/
3. https://boeing.mediaroom.
4. Photo courtesy of Eric Salard from Le Grand Village Plage, France - N780BA PAE - CC BY-SA 2.0
