[Paleo Conservative]

Of course, what really kept the 737 program going was Boeing's decision in the early 1990's to build the Next Generation 737 with its longer range.

If Boeing had modernized the 727 by replacing the 3-man cockpit with the 757 2-man cockpit and changing it to a twin engine configuration, it's quite possible the 727 would have continued being the most popular jet airliner. It was only after the the 727 was discontinued that the 737 orders really started increasing.

The Next Generation 737 is almost a new aircraft compared to older 737 models. It has two totally new wings and new avionics. It has the same dimensions as the classic 737's so it fits at gates designed for older 737's and can use the same ground equipment, but in many ways it is mostly a new plane.

[Central Scrutiniser]

You will get a kick out of this, from the December issue of Air Transport World "Through the Years"

30 years ago: ALPA and United's pilots may have won all the battles but lost the war on the 737 three-man crew issue. UAL sold two more 737s in November and has another tabled for 1976. It also plans to sell 10 others.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I thought that Boeing celebrated the 6,000 th airframe of the 737? not 5,000,, unless that was a typo.

[Moose4]

I don't know. What would you use as two engines on the 727 to replace the three old JT8Ds? You can't tail-mount CFM-56s like the 737-300 and later use. And if you did what the "Super 27s" did and slap JT8D-217s back there (as on the MD-88), you've still got older, noisier, less fuel-efficient engines. RR Tays like UPS uses on their 727s? Or maybe IAE engines like on the MD-90? I'm actually surprised the 727 hung on in mainline service as long as it did (until Delta got rid of theirs in 2003).

I think the 727's the most gorgeous jetliner ever built, but I can see why the 737's eclipsed it. What Boeing's done with that design--swapping the old JT8Ds for the CFM-56s, stretching it, adding the winglets, almost completely recreating the avionics in the NG -600 through -900--is just remarkable. They've taken a short-hop 100-passenger plane and turned it into a transcontinental plane hauling nearly 170-180 people.

But nothing compares to the sound of three JT8Ds wide open and belching soot. Hush kits? We don' need no steenkin' hush kits! :)

}:-)4

[PAR35]

If Boeing had modernized the 727 by replacing the 3-man cockpit with the 757 2-man cockpit and changing it to a twin engine configuration

You would pretty much have an MD-88, but with 3 across rather than 2 across seating.

Maximum seating -
MD-88 - 172, typical 142
727-200 (streatched version) - 189, typical 145.

So in a standard layout, there is a 3 seat differential.