TheBoeing 727 is an Americannarrow-body airliner that was developed and produced byBoeing Commercial Airplanes.After the heavier707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorterflight lengths from smaller airports.On December 5, 1960, the 727 was launched with 40 orders each fromUnited Airlines andEastern Air Lines.The first 727-100 rolled out on November 27, 1962, first flew on February 9, 1963, and entered service with Eastern on February 1, 1964.
The onlytrijet aircraft to be produced by Boeing, the 727 is powered by threePratt & Whitney JT8Dlow-bypass turbofans below aT-tail, one on each side of the rear fuselage and a center one fed through anS-duct below the tail.It shares its six-abreast upper fuselage cross-section and cockpit with the 707 that was also later used on the737.The 133-foot-long (41 m) 727-100 typically carries 106 passengers in two classes over 2,250nautical miles [nmi] (4,170 km; 2,590 mi), or 129 in a single class.Launched in 1965, the stretched 727-200 flew in July 1967 and entered service withNortheast Airlines that December.The 20 ft (6.1 m) longer variant typically carries 134 passengers in two classes over 2,550 nmi (4,720 km; 2,930 mi), or 155 in a single class.Afreighter and a "Quick Change"convertible version were also offered.
The 727 was used fordomestic flights and oninternational flights within its range.Airportnoise regulations have led tohush kit installations. Its last commercial passenger flight was in January 2019.It was succeeded by the757 and larger variants of the 737.There have been 353 incidents involving the Boeing 727.[4]Production ended in September 1984 with 1,832 having been built. The 727 was an industry workhorse for many years, often fondly referred to as "the DC-3 of the Jet Age."[5]
The Boeing 727 design was a compromise amongUnited Airlines,American Airlines, andEastern Air Lines; each of the three had developed requirements for a jet airliner to serve smaller cities with shorter runways and fewer passengers.[6] United Airlines requested a four-engine aircraft for its flights to high-altitude airports, especially its hub atStapleton International Airport inDenver, Colorado.[6] American Airlines, which was operating the four-enginedBoeing 707 andBoeing 720, requested a twin-engined aircraft for efficiency. Eastern Airlines wanted a third engine for its overwater flights to the Caribbean, since at that time twin-engine commercial flights were limited by regulations to routes with 60-minute maximum flying time to an airport (seeETOPS). Eventually, the three airlines agreed on atrijet design for the new aircraft.[6]
Boeing 727 cockpitFlight engineer's station on a Boeing 727-200F
In 1959,Lord Douglas, chairman ofBritish European Airways (BEA), suggested that Boeing andde Havilland Aircraft Company (laterHawker Siddeley) work together on their trijet designs, the 727 andD.H.121 Trident, respectively.[7] The two designs had a similar layout, the 727 being slightly larger. At that time Boeing intended to use threeAllison AR963 turbofan engines, license-built versions of theRolls-Royce RB163 Spey used by the Trident.[8][9] Boeing and de Havilland each sent engineers to the other company's locations to evaluate each other's designs, but Boeing eventually decided against the joint venture.[10] De Havilland had wanted Boeing to license-build the D.H.121, while Boeing felt that the aircraft needed to be designed for the American market, with six-abreast seating and the ability to use runways as short as 4,500 feet (1,400 m).[11]
In 1960,Pratt & Whitney was looking for a customer for its newJT8D turbofan design study, based on itsJ52 (JT8A) turbojet,[12] while United and Eastern were interested in a Pratt & Whitney alternative to the RB163 Spey.[13] Once Pratt & Whitney agreed to go ahead with development of the JT8D,Eddie Rickenbacker, chairman of the board of Eastern, told Boeing that the airline preferred the JT8D for its 727s. Boeing had not offered the JT8D, as it was about 1,000 lb (450 kg) heavier than the RB163, though slightly more powerful; the RB163 was also further along in development than the JT8D. Boeing reluctantly agreed to offer the JT8D as an option on the 727, and it later became the sole powerplant.[14]
A later 727 model, the 727-200, was stretched by 20 feet (6.10 metres) to carry 58 more passengers[16] and replaced earlier jet airliners such as the Boeing 707 andDouglas DC-8, as well as aging propeller airliners such as theDC-4,DC-6,DC-7, and theLockheed Constellations on short- and medium-haul routes.
For over a decade, more 727s were built per year than any other jet airliner; in 1984, production ended with 1,832 built[2] and 1,831 delivered, the highest total for any jet airliner until the737 surpassed it in the early 1990s.[17]
Diagram of the 727 with engine 2 S-duct in redA TUR 727 tail and rear airstairs
The airliner's middle engine (engine 2) at the very rear of the fuselage gets air from an inlet ahead of the vertical fin through anS-shaped duct.[18] This S-duct proved to be troublesome in that flow distortion in the duct induced a surge in the centerline engine on the take-off of the first flight of the 727-100.[19] This was fixed by the addition of several largevortex generators in the inside of the first bend of the duct.
The 727 was designed for smaller airports, so independence from ground facilities was an important requirement. This led to one of the 727's most distinctive features: the built-inairstair that opens from the rear underbelly of the fuselage, which initially could be opened in flight.[15] HijackerD. B. Cooper used this hatch when he parachuted from the back of a 727, as it was flying over thePacific Northwest. Boeing subsequently modified the design with theCooper vane so that the airstair could not be lowered in flight.[20] The design included anauxiliary power unit (APU), which allowed electrical and air-conditioning systems to run independently of a ground-based power supply, and without having to start one of the main engines. An unusual design feature is that the APU is mounted in a hole in the keel beam web, in the mainlanding gear bay.[19] The 727 is equipped with a retractable tailskid that is designed to protect the aircraft in the event of an over-rotation on takeoff. The 727's fuselage has an outer diameter of 148 inches (3.8 m). This allows six-abreast seating (three per side) and a single aisle when 18-inch (46 cm) wide coach-class seats are installed. An unusual feature of the fuselage is the 10-inch (25 cm) difference between the lower lobe forward and aft of the wing as the higher fuselage height of the center section was simply retained towards the rear.
Nosewheel brakes were available as an option to reducebraking distance on landing, which provided reduction in braking distances of up to 490 ft (150 m).[21]
The 727 proved to be such a reliable and versatile airliner that it came to form the core of many startup airlines' fleets. The 727 was successful with airlines worldwide partly because it could use smaller runways while still flying medium-range routes. This allowed airlines to carry passengers from cities with large populations, but smaller airports to worldwide tourist destinations. One of the features that gave the 727 its ability to land on shorter runways was its clean wing design.[15] With no wing-mounted engines, leading-edge devices (Krueger, or hinged, flaps on the inner wing and extendableleading edge slats out to the wingtip) and trailing-edge lift enhancement equipment (triple-slotted,[22] Fowlerflaps) could be used on the entire wing. Together, these high-lift devices produced a maximum winglift coefficient of 3.0 (based on the flap-retracted wing area).[19] The 727 was stable at very low speeds compared to other early jets, but some domestic carriers learned after review of various accidents that the 40° flap setting could result in a higher-than-desired sink rate or a stall on final approach.[23] These carriers' Pilots' Operation Handbooks disallowed using more than 30° of flaps on the 727, even going so far as installing plates on the flap lever slot to prevent selection of more than 30° of flaps.
Stage 3hush kit mixer for the JT8D-1 through -17 engines
The 727 is one of the noisiest commercial jetliners, categorized as Stage 2 by the U.S.Noise Control Act of 1972, which mandated the gradual introduction of quieter Stage 3 aircraft. The 727'sJT8D jet engines use olderlow-bypass turbofan technology, whereas Stage 3 aircraft use the more efficient and quieterhigh-bypass turbofan design. When the Stage 3 requirement was being proposed, Boeing engineers analyzed the possibility of incorporating quieter engines on the 727. They determined that the JT8D-200 engine could be used on the two side-mounted pylons. The JT8D-200 engines are much quieter than the original JT8D-1 through -17 variant engines that power the 727, as well as more fuel efficient due to the higher bypass ratio, but the structural changes to fit the larger-diameter engine (49.2-inch (125 cm) fan diameter in the JT8D-200 compared to 39.9 inches (101 cm) in the JT8D-1 through -17) into the fuselage at thenumber two engine location were prohibitive.[citation needed]
Current regulations require that a 727, or any other Stage 2 noise jetliner in commercial service must beretrofitted with ahush kit to reduce engine noise to Stage 3 levels to continue to fly in U.S. airspace. These regulations have been in effect since December 31, 1999. One such hush kit is offered byFedEx,[24] and has been purchased by over 60 customers.[25] Aftermarketwinglet kits, originally developed by Valsan Partners and later marketed by Quiet Wing Corp. have been installed on many 727s to reduce noise at lower speeds, as well as to reduce fuel consumption.[26] In addition,Raisbeck Engineering developed packages to enable 727s to meet the Stage 3 noise requirements. These packages managed to get light- and medium-weight 727s to meet Stage 3 with simple changes to the flap and slat schedules. For heavier-weight 727s, exhaust mixers must be added to meet Stage 3.[26] American Airlines ordered and took delivery of 52 Raisbeck 727 Stage 3 systems. Other customers included TWA, Pan Am, Air Algérie, TAME, and many smaller airlines.[27][28]
Since September 1, 2010, 727 jetliners (including those with a hush kit) are banned from some Australian airports because they are too loud.[29]
In addition to domestic flights of medium range, the 727 was popular with international passenger airlines.[16] The range of flights it could cover (and the additional safety added by the third engine) meant that the 727 proved efficient for short- to medium-range international flights in areas around the world.
The 727 also proved popular with cargo and charter airlines.FedEx Express introduced 727s in 1978.[30] The 727s were the backbone of its fleet until the 2000s; FedEx began replacing them withBoeing 757s in 2007.[30] Many cargo airlines worldwide employ the 727 as a workhorse, since, as it is being phased out of U.S. domestic service because of noise regulations, it becomes available to overseas users in areas where such noise regulations have not yet been instituted. Charter airlinesSun Country,Champion Air, andRyan International Airlines all started with 727 aircraft.[citation needed]
The 727 had some military uses as well. Since the aft stair could be opened in flight, the Central Intelligence Agency used them to drop agents and supplies behind enemy lines inVietnam.[31] In early 1988, TheIraqi Air Force modified a Boeing 727 by fitting it withThomson-CSF TMV-018 Syrel pods for ESM and Raphael-TH pods withside looking radar. Known as 'Faw-727', it was reportedly used as anELINT platform in theinvasion of Kuwait in 1990 (during which it was briefly locked on by a Kuwaiti Mirage F1 on August 2) and the subsequent Iraqi monitoring of Coalition forces duringDesert Shield.[32][33]
The 727 has proven to be popular where the airline serves airports with gravel, or otherwise lightly improved, runways. The Canadian airlineFirst Air, for example, previously used a 727-100C to serve the communities ofResolute Bay andArctic Bay in Nunavut, whoseResolute Bay Airport and formerNanisivik Airport both have gravel runways. The high-mounted engines greatly reduce the risk offoreign object damage.[citation needed]
At the start of the 21st century, the 727 remained in service with a few large airlines. Faced with higher fuel costs, lower passenger volumes due to the post-9/11 economic climate, increasing restrictions on airport noise, and the extra expenses of maintaining older planes and payingflight engineers' salaries, most major airlines phased out their 727s; they were replaced bytwin-engined aircraft, which are quieter and more fuel-efficient. Modern airliners also have a smaller flight deck crew of two pilots, while the 727 required two pilots and a flight engineer.Delta Air Lines, the last major U.S. carrier to do so, retired its last 727 from scheduled service in April 2003.Northwest Airlines retired its last 727 from charter service in June 2003. Many airlines replaced their 727s with either the737-800 or theAirbus A320; both are close in size to the 727-200. As of July 2013[update], a total of 109 Boeing 727s were in commercial service with 34 airlines;[35] three years later, the total had fallen to 64 airframes in service with 26 airlines.[36]
On March 2, 2016, the first 727 produced (N7001U), which first flew on February 9, 1963, made a flight to a museum after extensive restoration. The 727-100 had carried about three million passengers during its years of service. Originally a prototype, it was later sold to United Airlines, which donated it to theMuseum of Flight in Seattle in 1991. The jet was restored over 25 years by the museum and was ferried fromPaine Field in Everett, Washington toBoeing Field in Seattle, where it was put on permanent display at the Aviation Pavilion.[37][38][39] The Federal Aviation Administration granted the museum a special permit for the 15-minute flight. The museum's previous 727-223, tail number N874AA, was donated to theNational Airline History Museum in Kansas City and was planned to be flown to its new home once FAA ferry approval was granted.[40] After a series of financial problems with the restoration, N874AA was seized by Boeing Field for nonpayment of storage fees in 2021 and subsequently broken up and scrapped.[41]
Iran Aseman Airlines, the last passenger airline operator, made the worldwide last scheduled 727 passenger flight on January 13, 2019 betweenZahedan andTehran.[42][1]
The two series of 727 are the initial -100 (originally only two figures as in -30), which was launched in 1960 and entered service in February 1964, and the -200 series, which was launched in 1965 and entered service in December 1967.
The initial 727-100 (fromLufthansa here) is 133 ft (41 m) long.The sole C-22A.
The first 727-100 (N7001U) flew on February 9, 1963.[37] FAA type approval was awarded on December 24 of that year, with initial delivery to United Airlines on October 29, 1963, to allow pilot training to commence. The first 727 passenger service was flown by Eastern Air Lines on February 1, 1964, between Miami, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia.
A total of 571 Boeing 727-00/100 series aircraft were delivered (407 -100s, 53 -100Cs, and 111 -100QCs), the last in October 1972. One 727-100 was retained by Boeing, bringing total production to 572.[44]
The -100 designation was assigned retroactively to distinguish the original short-body version. Actual aircraft followed a "727-00" pattern. Aircraft were delivered for United Airlines as 727-22, for American Airlines as 727-23, and so on (not -122, -123, etc.) and these designations were retained even after the advent of the 727-200.
727-100C
Convertible passenger cargo version, additional freight door and strengthened floor and floor beams, three alternative fits:
94 mixed-class passengers
52 mixed-class passengers and four cargo pallets (22,700 lb or 10,300 kg)
Eight cargo pallets (38,000 lb or 17,000 kg)
727-100QC
QC stands for Quick Change. This is similar to the convertible version with a roller-bearing floor for palletised galley and seating and cargo to allow a much faster changeover time of 30 minutes.
A 727-100QF ofUPS Airlines. The air intake for the #2 engine has a distinctive "hump" on converted aircraft.
The 727-200 (here fromOlympic Airways) is 20 ft (6.1 m) longer. This aircraft is the prototype of 727-200
A stretched version of the 727-100, the -200 is 20 feet (6.1 m) longer (153 feet 2 inches or 46.69 metres) than the -100 (133 feet 2 inches or 40.59 metres). A 10 ft (3.0 m) fuselage section ("plug") was added in front of the wings and another 10 ft fuselage section was added behind them. The wing span and height remain the same on both the -100 and -200 (108 and 34 feet (33 and 10 m), respectively). The original 727-200 had the same maximum gross weight as the 727-100; however, as the aircraft evolved, a series of higher gross weights and more powerful engines were introduced along with other improvements, and from line number 881, 727-200s are dubbed -200 Advanced. The aircraft gross weight eventually increased from 169,000 to 209,500 pounds (76,700 to 95,000 kg) for the latest versions. The dorsal intake of the number-two engine was also redesigned to be round in shape, rather than oval as it was on the -100 series.
The first 727-200 flew on July 27, 1967, and received FAA certification on November 30, 1967. The first delivery was made on December 14, 1967, toNortheast Airlines. A total of 310 727-200s were delivered before the -200 was replaced on the production line by the 727-200 Advanced in 1972.
727-200C
A convertible passenger cargo version; only one was built.
The Advanced version of the 727-200 was introduced in 1970.[45] It featured powerful engines, fuel capacity and MTOW (185,800–210,000 lb or 84.3–95.3 t) increased the range from 1,930 to 2,550 nmi (3,570 to 4,720 km; 2,220 to 2,930 mi) or by 32%.[46] After the first delivery in mid-1972, Boeing eventually raised production to more than a hundred per year to meet demand by the late 1970s. Of the passenger model of the 727-200 Advanced, a total of 935 were delivered, after which it had to give way to a new generation of aircraft.
Freighter cargo hold
727-200F Advanced
A freighter version of the 727-200 Advanced became available in 1981, designated the Series 200F Advanced. Powered byPratt & Whitney JT8D-17A engines, it featured a strengthened fuselage structure, an 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) by 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) forward main deck freight door, and a windowless cabin. Fifteen of these aircraft were built, all for Federal Express. This was the last production variant of the 727 to be developed by Boeing; the last 727 aircraft completed by Boeing was a 727-200F Advanced.
The "Super 27" re-engine has largerJT8D-200 side engines
Super 27
Certificated by Valsan Partners in December 1988 and marketed byGoodrich from 1997, the side engines are replaced by more efficient, quieter JT8D-217C/219, and the center engine gains a hush kit for $8.6 million (but loses the thrust reverser) (2000): fuel consumption is reduced by 10-12%, range and restricted airfield performance are improved.[47]
Boeing C-22C
A single 727-212 aircraft was operated by the USAF.
A proposed 169-seat version was developed in consultation with United Airlines in 1972, which initially expressed an interest in ordering 50 aircraft. Also, interest was shown fromIndian Airlines for a one-class version with 180 seats. The fuselage would have been lengthened by 18 feet (5.5 m) and the undercarriage strengthened. The three engines would have been replaced by two more powerful JT8D-217 engines under the T tail.[48][49] Many cockpit components would have been in common with the 737-200 and improved engine management systems would have eliminated the need for theflight engineer. United did not proceed with its order and Indian Airlines instead ordered the largerAirbus A300, so the project was cancelled in 1976.[50]
727-400
A concept with a 155-foot (47 m) fuselage and two high-bypass turbofan engines under the wings (but retaining the T tail) was proposed in 1977. More compact systems, a redesign of the internal space, and removing the need for the flight engineer would have increased the capacity to 189 seats in a two-class configuration. After only a few months, the concept was developed into the Boeing 7N7 design, which eventually became theBoeing 757.[51]
This Boeing 727 was reportedly modified by Iraq in early 1988 to serve as anELINT platform. It was used during the invasion of Kuwait and Operation Desert Shield.[32][33]
In addition, the 727 has seen sporadic government use, having flown for theBelgian,Yugoslav,Mexican,New Zealand, andPanama air forces, along with a small group of government agencies that have used it.
A number of 727s have been outfitted for use as private aircraft, especially since the early 1990s, when major airlines began to eliminate older 727-100 models from their fleet.[65]Donald Trump traveled in a former American Airlines 727-100 with a dining room, a bedroom, and shower facilities known asTrump Force One before upgrading to a largerBoeing 757 in 2009;[66]Peter Nygård acquired a 727-100 for private use in 2005.[67] American financierJeffrey Epstein owned a private 727 nicknamed the "Lolita Express".[68] TheGettys bought N311AG fromRevlon in 1986, andGordon Getty acquired the aircraft in 2001.[citation needed]
As of March 2024[update], a total of 353[4] incidents involving 727s had occurred, including 120hull-lossaccidents[4] resulting in a total of 4,211 fatalities.[69] The deadliest incident involving the 727 wasMexicana Flight 940 which took place on March 31, 1986, with 167 fatalities.
A large number of surviving retired 727s remain, largely as a result of donation byFedEx of 84 of them to various institutions. The vast majority of the aircraft was given to university aviation maintenance programs. All but five are located within the United States.[72] Notable aircraft include:
N7004U – 727-022 is in storage at thePima Air & Space Museum inTucson, Arizona. It was the first 727 delivered to a customer and the first to make a commercial flight.[75]
N492FETwo Bears – 727-227 is on static display at FLY8MA inBig Lake, Alaska. It was transported fromAnchorage, Alaska to The FLY8MA Pilot Lodge in April 2023, and converted into an airplane home.[82]
N211DB - 727-2J4 forward fuselage is reused as a commercial aviation set and on display at EECity, an experience facility for children located inBeijing,China.[citation needed] It was formally operated by Sky One Express Airlines before retirement.[citation needed]
G-BNNILady Patricia – 727-276 was last flown bySabre Airways in 2000. Purchased by 727 Communications, an advertising company inSkanderborg,Denmark, it now serves as a conference room and billboard at their offices.[84]
VP-CMN "PYTCHAir" - 727-46 is located inBristol, UK, and was purchased by technology investor Johnny Palmer for his media company PYTCH. The fuselage is resting atop a series ofshipping containers and was transported in February 2021.[85][86][87]
A nose section of a 727 is on static display at theMuseum of Flying inSanta Monica, California; it was donated by FedEx after retirement, and underwent a complete restoration in the fall of 2018.[89]
^ab"727 Family". Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Archived fromthe original on May 3, 2012. RetrievedMay 14, 2012.By January 1983, orders reached 1,831. One Boeing-owned test airplane brought the grand total to 1,832.
^abCooper, Tom (2021).In the claws of the Tomcat - US Navy F-14 Tomcats in Air Combat against Iran and Iraq, 1987-2000. Helion & Company Limited. p. 28.ISBN978-1-915070-23-4.
^abCooper, Tom (2019).Desert Storm - Volume 1: The Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait and Operation Desert Shield 1990-1991. pp. 24, 26, 49, 54, 107.ISBN978-1-915070-05-0.
^Frawley, Gerard (2002).The International Directory of Military Aircraft, 2002–2003. Fyshwick, ACT, Australia: Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd.ISBN1-875671-55-2.
^"World Airliner Census".Flight International. Vol. 184, no. 5403. August 13, 2013. pp. 40–58 [49].
^Airport, Mark EvansMark has been interested in aviation since the age of eight when he first went plane spotting at Manchester; years, England Trips around various European airports in the following; industry, then to the USA as a teenager furthered his desire This led to Mark wanting to work in the; training, at the age of twenty one was accepted to train as an Air Traffic Controller After; England, working for several years in; Sydney, Mark moved to Bahrain in the Middle East where he worked for six years He then moved to; countries, Australia where he resides today after twenty years in the profession Mark's pursuit to see planes has seen him visit over 140; territories; Places, Including (June 7, 2022)."FedEx Boeing 727s: Where Are They Now? – AirlineGeeks.com".AirlineGeeks.com – LIVE. LOVE. AVIATION. RetrievedJune 21, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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