Boeing 727100 and 727-200 Jet Series

Boeing 727 Achievements

The B727 was the first tri-jet introduced into commercial service.
The B727 was the first commercial airplane in history to surpass the 1,000-sales mark for civil use.
The B727 was the first airplane to have a triple-slotted flap system for superior takeoff and landing
performance.
The B727 was the first airplane to be certificated to FAA noise rules.

Boeing 727 Tri-View Schematic

Boeing 727 Family

By the time the 707 had entered service, Boeing realized that a need existed for a shorter-range aircraft for
domestic service. In fact, the 727 design arose as a compromise between United Airlines, American Airlines,
and Eastern Air Lines requirements over the configuration of a jet airliner to service smaller cities which often
had shorter runways and correspondingly smaller passenger demand. Over 70 possible configurations for this
new aircraft were considered before Boeing selected a design emphasizing commonality with the 707 and 720
to lower costs.
However, despite these considerations, the 727 ultimately departed from these designs by introducing a threeengine arrangement, with all three located at the rear of the aircraft. The advantages of this arrangement
included a reduction in wing structural requirements while promoting improved wing aerodynamics. The 727
also incorporated thrust-reversing engines and an advanced flap system to reduce landing field length.
The versatility and reliability of the Boeing 727 -- first tri-jet introduced into commercial service -- made it the
best-selling airliner in the world during the first 30 years of jet transport service. The jet age essentially began in
1952 with the introduction of the British-designed de Havilland Comet. Several jetliners, including the Boeing
707, were developed before the 727, but none came close to its sales record.
Production of the 727 extended from the early 1960s to August 1984 -- a remarkable length of time, considering
the original market forecast was for 250 airplanes. As it turned out, 1,831 were delivered. Twenty years later,
when the last 727 was delivered, this versatile fleet was carrying 13 million passengers each month. As of
January 2001, nearly 1,300 of the reliable aircraft were still in service.
On Jan. 13, 1991, the first 727 built -- which had been in continual service with United Airlines since 1964 -finally made its last commercial flight and was donated to the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
Introduced into service in February 1964, the 727 tri-jet became an immediate hit with flight crews and
passengers alike. With a fuselage width the same as the 707 (and the later 737 and 757), it provided jet luxury
on shorter routes. With sophisticated, triple-slotted trailing edge flaps and new leading-edge slats, the 727 had
unprecedented low-speed landing and takeoff performance for a commercial jet and could be accommodated by
smaller airports than the 707 required.
The 727, like all Boeing jetliners, was continually modified to fit the changing market. It began with the -100
series, of which 407 were sold. This was followed by the -100C convertible that featured a main-deck side
cargo door, allowing it to carry either cargo pallets or passengers -- or a combination of both -- on the main
deck. Boeing built 164 of these.
The 727-100 had been in service barely a year when Boeing began serious consideration of a stretched, greater
capacity development. This resulted in the 727-200, which Boeing announced it was developing in August
1965. The 727-200 was essentially a minimum change development of the 100, the only major change being the
6.10m (20ft) fuselage stretch, which increased maximum seating to 189 passengers. The 727-200's stretch
consisted of two 3.05m (10ft) plugs, one forward and one rear of the wing. Otherwise the 727-100 and 200
shared common engines, fuel tank capacity and the same maximum takeoff weight.
The 727-200, could accommodate as many as 189 passengers in an all-tourist configuration. In all its variations,
1,245 of the -200s were sold. The last version, the 727-200F, had a 58,000-pound, 11-pallet cargo capability.
Fifteen of these were sold to Federal Express.

Structural improvements, a more powerful engine and greater fuel capacity led to the Advanced 727-200 in
May 1971. This advanced series had improved payload/range capability, better runway performance and a
completely restyled "wide-body look" as standard equipment. Lufthansa German Airlines and Air Algerie put
727s with the new interior into service in April 1971. Passenger response was enthusiastic, and by November
1972, this spacious interior was standard equipment on all production 707, 727 and 737 aircraft, and was
offered for retrofit as well.
Later performance improvements for the 727 included another gross weight boost, from a maximum 170,000
pounds (77,122 kg) to 191,000 pounds (86,600 kg) for the Advanced version. On February 3, 1972, another
increase to 208,000 pounds (94,348 kg) was announced, together with the purchase of three of the
"heavyweights" by Sterling Airways of Denmark. The 727's highest gross weight was eventually raised to
210,000 pounds (95,300 kg).
Although the 727 was even more economical to operate than initially anticipated, sales in the early 1960s were
somewhat disappointing. This problem was due to the fact that many operators desired a larger capacity aircraft.
Boeing then proceeded with an enlarged 727, the 727-200, capable of carrying up to 189 passengers or more
fuel. The 727 became the best-selling airliner in history when orders passed the 1,000 mark in September 1972.
By January 1983, orders reached 1,831. One Boeing-owned test airplane brought the grand total to 1,832.
Today, the Boeing 737 has surpassed that total, but the 727 holds a permanent place in the annals of aviation as
one of the most significant airplanes in the development of the world's jet transportation system.
On Dec. 5, 1977, the worldwide 727 fleet carried its one billionth (1,000,000,000) passenger -- a mark never
attained before by a commercial aircraft. Today, the number has reached well over 4 billion.
One hundred and one customers purchased new 727s from Boeing, although dozens more have placed the
airplane type into service as "second tier" operators. More than 300 727s built as passenger airplanes have been
converted to freighters, a process that continues today.
The 727-200 remains popular with passengers and pilots but it does not meet Stage 3 noise requirements. To
overcome this a number of hush-kit programs are on offer while Valsan converted 23 727s to its Stage 3
compliant Quiet 727 standard (before the company collapsed). This retrofit included installing JT8D-217s on
the outer pylons and acoustic treatment of the centre engine. Other 727s have been fitted with winglets for
improved performance.
Boeing has replaced the 727 design with the more advanced 757.

Boeing 727-200 Specifications

History:
First Flight
Service Entry

9 February 1963 (727-100)

1 February 1964 (727-100- Eastern Airlines)
14 December 1967 (727-200- Northeastern Airlines)

Crew:

3 flight crew

Wingspan:

108 feet

Length:

153 feet 2 inches

Tail Height:

34 feet

Gross Maximum Taxi Weight:

Standard: 191,000 pounds

Optional: 210,000 pounds

Power:

Three P & W JT8D turbofan engines:

15 rated at 15,500 pounds of thrust (46,500 pounds total)
17 rated at 16,000 pounds of thrust (48,000 pounds total)
17R rated at 17,400 pounds of thrust (52,200 pounds total)

Onboard Power:

Introduction of an APU (Auxiliary Power Unit)

Cruising Speed:

570 to 605 mph

Cruising Altitude:

30,000 t0 40,000 feet

Range:

1,500 to 2,500 miles

Passenger Capacity:

148-189 (727-200: 145 in two classes; 189 in one-class)

Fuel:

8,186 US gallons
9,806 US gallons

Weight:

Empty- 85,140 lb.

Known Variants:
727-100 (First production model with space for 131 passengers)
727-0100C (Convertible cargo/passenger model with strengthened floor
and cargo handling equipment used on 707-320C allowing conversion
between all cargo and passenger/cargo mixture (94 passengers maximum)
in 2 hours
727-100 QC (Quick-change convertible model allowing conversion from
cargo
to passenger/cargo mixture in 30 minutes)
727-100 QF (QF stands for Quiet Freighter. A cargo conversion for United
Parcel Service, re-engined with Stage III-compliant Rolls-Royce Tay
turbofans)
727-200 (Enlarged 727 with two 10-ft. fuselage inserts allowing increase
to 145, 163, or 189 passengers
727-200 Advanced (Improved 727-200 equipped with performance data
computer to improve fuel efficiency and safety; greater fuel capacity;
structural modifications; automatic thrust compensation in case of engine
failure; and cabin improvements
727F (Dedicated freight version)
727RE (Experimental project investigating re-engining of 727-200 aircraft
to provide 757-like capabilities)

Boeing 727-200 Other Points of Interest

The 727 proved to be such a reliable and versatile airliner that it came to form the core of many start-up
airlines' fleets. The 727 was successful with airlines worldwide partly because of its capability to use
smaller runways while still flying medium range routes. This effectively allowed airlines to attract
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 unique wing design. Due to the
absence of wing-mounted engines, leading-edge lift enhancement equipment (Krueger, or hinged, flaps on
the inner portion of the leading edge, and extendable leading-edge slats on the remainder of the leading
edge), and trailing-edge lift enhancement equipment (triple-slotted[4], aft-moving flaps) could be used on the
entire wing. The combination of these high-lift devices produced a maximum wing lift coefficient of 3.6
(based on the flap-retracted wing area). Thus the 727 could fly with great stability at very low speeds
compared to other early jets. The 727 also had nosegear brakes fitted in the beginning to further decrease
braking distance upon landing. However, these were soon removed from service, as they provided little
useful reduction in braking distances, while adding weight and increasing maintenance requirements.
The third JT8D engine, which is located at the very rear of the fuselage (called engine 2), is supplied with
air from an inlet at the front of the vertical fin through an S-shaped duct to the engine's inlet.[3] The 727
featured high-lift devices on its wing, thus being one of the first jets able to operate from relatively short
runways. Later models of the 727 were stretched to accommodate more passengers and they ended up
replacing earlier jet airliners, such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, on domestic routes.
The 727 was designed to be used at smaller, regional airports, so independence from ground facilities was
an important requirement. This gave rise to one of the 727's most distinctive features: the built-in airstair
that opens from the rear underbelly of the fuselage. D. B. Cooper, a hijacker, parachuted from the back of a
727 as it was flying over the Pacific Northwest. Boeing subsequently modified the design with the Cooper
vane so that the airstair could not be lowered in flight. Another innovation was the inclusion of an APU
(auxiliary power unit), which allowed electrical and air-conditioning systems to run independent of a
ground-based power supply, without having to start one of the main engines. The 727 can also back itself
up, thus not requiring the push tractor needed for most other jet airliners to leave an airport gate. The 727 is
equipped with a retractable tail skid which is designed to protect the aircraft in the event of an over-rotation
on takeoff.
The 727 is a stage II aircraft, making it one of the world's loudest commercial jetliners (the US Noise
Control Act of 1972, 42USC 4901-4918, mandated the gradual introduction of quieter stages of aircraft,
with the first introduction to be called Stage 3 airplanes. Aircraft which did not meet the ground-perceived
noise levels specified for Stage 3 would be called Stage 2). The 727's JT8D jet engines use older low-bypass
turbofan technology while Stage 3 aircraft utilize the more efficient and quieter high-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, but the structural work required to fit the larger-diameter engine (49.2 inch fan
diameter in the JT8D-200 vs. 39.9 inches in the JT8D-7) into the fuselage structure at the engine 2 location
would be too great to be justifiable. Since the quieter engine could not be used in all three sites, the 727
could not be made into a Stage 3 aircraft.
At the turn of the 21st century, the 727 was still in service with a few airline fleets. However, because in the
meantime the U.S. FAA and the ICAO had changed their requirements for overwater operations, most major
airlines had already begun to switch to twinjets, aircraft with only two engines, which are more fuelefficient and quieter than the three-engined 727. Also, the 727 was one of the last airliners in service to have

a three-person flight crew, including a flight engineer, a crew member whose job is performed by
computerized systems on newer planes.
If a 727 is used in commercial service at present, it must be retrofitted with hush kits to reduce engine noise
to Stage 3 level. One such hushkit is offered by FedEx,[5] and this kit has been purchased by over 50
customers.[6] After market winglets have been installed on many 727s as a means of noise reduction as part
of so called "Quiet Wing" Kits and for added fuel economy. Kelowna Flightcraft's maintenance division in
Canada has installed winglets on Donald Trump's private 727-100. He owns one example of the aircraft.

In August 2008, a total of 500 Boeing 727 aircraft (all variants) were in airline service with FedEx Express
(86), Astar Air Cargo (25), Champion Air (16), Kitty Hawk Aircargo (16), Capital Cargo International
Airlines (13), Cargojet Airways (12), Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter (13), Libyan Arab Airlines (10),
Transmile Air Services (5) and other operators with fewer aircraft.

Zero-Gravity Corporation uses a modified Boeing 727 to give paying customers a brief experience of
weightlessness, similar to NASA's Vomit Comet that is used to train astronauts.

(Note: Information complied from a variety of online resources, including: Wikipedia; Boeing;
experiencefestival.com; and globalaircraft.org)