Posted on 03/03/2016 2:29:36 PM PST by SZonian
As the Museum of Flight prepares the final flight of the first ever built Boeing 727 from its Restoration Center down to the actual museum this week, we look back at the history of the Boeing 727 program.
This specific aircraft, N7001U, has spent the past 25 years at the Museum of Flight Restoration Center up at Paine Field in Everett. This prototype 727 was the first of 1,832 made when production ended in 1984 with a final delivery to FedEx. Until the 737 broke its record in the early 1990s, the 727 held the sales record for the most popular jet airliner ever built.
Unlike many Boeing test aircraft, this 727-22 was delivered to United Airlines (UAL) and entered commercial service on October 7, 1963. It flew mainline routes with United until January 13, 1991 when it served its last commercial flight from San Francisco to Seattle and it was donated to the museum. Prior to the handover, it was repainted in its delivery colors. It flew 64,495 hours with 48,060 landings, and it is estimated that it transported approximately 3 million passengers during its commercial service.
The restoration team was led by former Boeing engineer Bob Bogash who was in-charge of the restoration of this aircraft. FedEx, which donated a Boeing 727 in 2004 as spares source, worked together with Aviation Technical Services and the Museum of Flight to get N7001U to life for a last time. In total, $500,000 has been invested to restore the aircraft, along with millions of dollars’ worth in labor cost donated by dozens of volunteers who put their lives on hold to get the aircraft back airworthy.
With a special flight permit, and a crew of three led by Captain Tim Powell, the 727 will be flown directly to the Museum at Boeing Field, where it will be on display next to the first 737 and 747, along with one of the 787 test aircraft and a 707. The pavilion is expected to open this, summer with all of the aircraft now protected from the elements of the Pacific Northwest Weather.
Looking Back at the Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size narrow-body that followed the 707 in Boeing production history. It first flew in 1963 and had a production life of 21 years, during which 1,832 of them were produced and delivered to many airlines worldwide. At the time the 727 filled the same role that the 737 does today, dominating the domestic route network along with being used on short and mid-haul international routes.
Three airlines worked together with Boeing to help produce the type, at the time United Airlines wanted a four-engine aircraft to help with high-altitude airports, while American wanted a twin-engine aircraft for fuel efficiency and Eastern Airlines wanted three to avoid the twin-engine 60-minute ETOPS regulation so that they could operate the aircraft overwater to the Caribbean. The three airlines eventually agreed to a trijet and the 727 was born.
On a cold November morning in 1962, the first Boeing 727 rolled out of Renton Factory wearing a mustard colored scheme with red cheat line. It was the first and only Boeing trijet ever produced with the T-Tail. It would take just four months to get the aircraft ready for its first flight when it took off on February 9th, 1963 and it was delivered one year later to Eastern Airlines.
Unlike its future sister, the 737, the 727 was only produced in two types, the 727-100 and 727-200, and used the same engines for both. While many variants of combi and cargo versions were to come in the aircraft’s lifetime, it would only have those two variants.
At the start of the 21st century, the 727 faced higher fuel and operational costs, combined with the post 9/11 economic scenario and noise restrictions led airlines to phase out their 727s. By 2003, as all U.S. major airlines retired the type, the number of 727s in service began to dwindle. Today, here are still a few 727s in service today, mostly serving as freighters and a handful as VIP transport. Interestingly, one of the last operators was the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS), which used four 727s to transport persons in legal custody between detaining centers and other places to where they should be transported.
The first 727 is expected to take flight this Wednesday (depending on the weather) for the short hop from Paine Field to Boeing Field in a flight that will last approximately 10 minutes, flying with the gear and flaps down en-route. Follow @AirwaysNews on twitter for updates on Wednesday of the final flight.
Interesting. They said how much it cost, to restore, but not what it cost new.
One commercial pilot told me his favorite aircraft was the 727 since it required more operator skills. Kinda like what a manual transmission auto vs. an automatic sort of analogy.
The 727 required a 3rd officer flight engineer too.
You know what is weird? As much as I have flown in my lifetime, I NEVER got to fly in a 747.
I turned a lot of bolts on that a/c ... its a tank
I didn’t think they had 727’s in 1963. Thought it was all 707’s.
That makes me sad. My first flight ever was on a 727. Fond memory.
I loved the 747’s— smooth ride and easy, gentle landings mostly. Love the thrust engine power of the smaller 737’s but the damn seats are way too narrow. Made for green tea drinking asians.
Neat stuff...I flew on Braniff 727’s from Panama to the US and back again during the 60’s and 70s...that video brought back some memories.
Back when flying was actually something to look forward to.
I can understand that...there’s just something kinda primal about the older technology...
“Back when flying was actually something to look forward to.”
My first flight was 1954———our meal was served on real china.
Not a jet,of course. No jetway,walked across the tarmac and up the stairs.
.
Yep. Back when the meals were on china and the flight attendants were stewardesses. I wore a jacket and tie for my first flight. (Sigh!)
Braniff also had a large stock of DC-9’s as well but I always preferred the 727’s. I think the MD-Super 80’s are an upgraded version of those old DC-9’s.
Back in ‘83 when I enlisted in the USAF, I had some grandiose plans...
Was going to serve for 4 years, get experience and skills and go “make the big money” working for the airlines...
Didn’t quite work out that way...the turbulent early to mid 80s created a flood of unemployed airline workers...
IMHO the Boeing 727 is the most beautiful plane ever designed and flown. The sweep of the wings made it look so graceful. I love it. Ridden on several and loved that. It’ll be a sad day when the very last 727 leaves the skies forever.
I remember through the 80’s and 90’s when meals were served in coach on some domestic flights. Now even American Airlines you dont even get a bag of peanuts anymore. The service has gone way down compared to the earlier days.
Yep, china, mini wine bottles, real food, etc., etc.
I would like to fly 1st Class at least once so that I can relive the experiences of what it used to be like when one flew Coach.
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