| Role | Scheduled jetliner (1980-2002) Chartered airliner (2002-2005) Film & TV prop (2005 - ) |
|---|---|
| National origin | USA |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Developed from | Boeing 747-200 |
| Career | |
| Other name(s) | City of Birmingham (1980 - 2002) |
| Registration | G-BDXJ |
| First flight | 26 March 1980 |
| Owners and operators | BA (1980 - 2002) EAF (2002 - 2004) EUK (2004 - 2005) Aces High (2005 -) |
G-BDXJ is the registration of a Boeing 747-236B[1] aircraft purchased by British Airways in 1980, which after retirement found a new life as a film prop.
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G-BDXJ is the 440th Boeing 747 and first flew on the 26 March 1980. Named City of Birmingham, it was delivered to British Airways, who operated it for 22 years. In March 2002, it was sold to operator European Aviation Air Charter who used it for holiday charters and ad-hoc flights as well as leasing it out for Hajj flights in 2003 and 2004. European Aviation Air Charter ceased 747 operations at the end of 2004 and the aircraft was sold to Air Atlanta Europe, who used it for charter flights until it was retired in 2005. It flew its last flight on 25 May 2005 from London Gatwick Airport to nearby Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, England. The aircraft was bought by Aces High Limited, a company specialising in supplying aircraft for television and film work.
After retirement, it was modified to be used as a prop in the James Bond movie Casino Royale[2] and changed registration to N88892 (a fictional Hollywood registration, used also on a Boeing 727 in the movie Hero)[3]. In the movie, it appears as the "Skyfleet S570" a fictional prototype airplane which terrorists attempt to destroy. Among the modifications were the fitting of twin mock-up "Boeing B-52" style engines on each of the inner engine pylons, with the outer ones instead holding mock-up external fuel tanks.
After Casino Royale, G-BDXJ appeared in a Volkswagen commercial that shows it being towed by a Volkswagen Touareg. This stunt was also featured on the television programme Fifth Gear with presenter Tom Ford driving the Touareg.
The BBC programme Top Gear is filmed at Dunsfold, and the aircraft can sometimes be spotted in the background. In Top Gear Season 9, episode 5, it made an appearance being towed behind a JCB Fastrac tractor.
G-BDXJ appears in the first episode of James May's 20th Century, Honey, I Shrunk the World, with its new James Bond engine setup.
The challenge in the grand final of Scrapheap Challenge Season 10 was to construct a tug capable of towing a 747, specifically G-BDXJ.
The aircraft makes an appearance in the Playstation 3 game, Gran Turismo 5 on the "Top Gear Test Track" course.
It was also used as the set for the music video of the Westlife song Home.