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.
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This article is about a 727, but anyway, the 747's I've flown on, always in coach, had a 3-6-3 seating arrangement with two isles. They're pretty comfortable if you can have only 2 in the 3 seats. If it's not crowded you can bed down pretty well in the 6 seats in the middle.
Nowadays most planes are usually packed and so not so comfortable.
The 727's had a 2-3 seating arrangement. They were almost always packed and I always ended up in the middle seat between two 300 pounders - miserable.
I know it is, was just sayin
The first airplane I ever flew on was a 727 the day I joined the Air Force.
“It flew 64,495 hours”
Wheels up for over seven years.
I just looked at the pictures and it has 3-3 seating. No wonder I always had to sit between the fatties. Some plane that I used to fly on though, had 2-3 seating.
I once flew a 747 from NY to LAX, was in my USAF Sgt uniform. The bird left NY late because of a problem, there were 28 passengers on it. The stewardess came up and told me that there were free drinks in the lounge in the back of the plane, which had a piano bar back then.
I shared chat and drinks with a Tennessee Vol babe for a couple of hours.
What a good memory.
I flew on some Red and Whites in and out of Vegas.
Early ‘80’s.
Me either. I haven't really flown all that much, and much of that was short haul except one trip nonstop from Houston to Germany. Don't fly anymore. Not willing to subject myself to TSA. I either drive or ride my Goldwing. The Goldwing is more fun anyway.
I flew to Ireland twice a year for business, for several years. The Irish Trade Board picked up the cost from Logan or Kennedy on Aer Lingus. Always a 747, their livery was striking, every shade of green inside, lovely female flight attendants decked out to match. I enjoyed the 747, it had room to roam after reaching cruising altitude. Duty-free shop, three galleys, bar up the spiral staircase. Being welcomed to Dublin in Gaelic was a nice finishing touch. Always a small crowd gathered at the end of the runway, they were hobbyists I was told, liked to spot planes and the 747 was a perennial favorite. This was early to mid-nineties.
Of all the planes I’ve flown, I loved flying on 727s.
The first airplane I ever flew on was a 727 the day I joined the Air Force.
Mine too: LAX to San Antonio in August. Went from Cool to Hot and Humid as Hell w screaming Sgts. in five minutes.
Good thing was that as we were waiting in LAX, Annette Funicello walked by and gave all fifty of us a smile. That was in 1968.
I have as well...
Dreamland anyone?
...and weird looking things.
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