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Few aircraft have had as significant an impact on aviation as the Boeing 747 series. Known as the "Queen of the Skies," the 747 was introduced in 1970 and changed long-haul air travel by offering greater range, capacity, and comfort. Over 1,500 units were produced in various versions, making it a recognizable symbol in both passenger and cargo aviation.
Among its variants was the Boeing 747-100SR, a short-range model developed to meet specific requirements of Japanese airlines such as Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA). These carriers needed high-capacity aircraft for busy domestic routes between cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Sapporo. The traditional 747-100 was designed for intercontinental flights with heavy fuel loads. However, Japanese airports had limited capacity, so airlines wanted to maximize passengers per flight rather than increase flight frequency.
The solution was the 747-100SR. This variant reduced fuel tank size to lighten the aircraft and allowed more seats. The standard 747-100 could fly about 5,300 nautical miles (9,800 kilometers), while the SR’s range dropped to around 2,200 nautical miles (4,200 kilometers). This made it suitable for shorter domestic flights such as Tokyo–Osaka or Tokyo–Sapporo.
