Boeing had an escape clause... if 100 727s had not been sold by 1 December 1960 the program would be scrapped. 1960, however, saw`the largest single transaction in commercial aviation history.
The first 727 was rolled out on 27 November 1962, and flew for the first time on 9 February 1963. Delivered to Eastern Airlines in October 1963, its first scheduled commercial flight took place in February 1964. Although designed around an innovative wing, with a triple-slot construction that allowed it to be adjusted in size and shape to fill numerous and demanding roles for take-off, cruising and landing, the 727
used the fuselage of the 707 to reduce design and production costs. The 727 was powered by Pratt and Whitney's newest fan jet, the JT8D, arranged around the tail of the aircraft in a three-engine configuration; a concept borrowed directly from the British de Havilland Trident. Despite significant early problems with the engines, the 727 performed better than expected, and sold rapidly. Combined with the success of the 707/720, the 727 program propelled Boeing's commercial fortunes to new milestones. In 1964, commercial sales for the first time exceed military and government sales. The next year, Boeing passenger airliners became the most widely used: 36.2 percent of all passenger airliners flying had been made by Boeing, compared with 26.8 percent for Douglas aircraft.
The 727 firmly established Boeing as the industry leader. While electing not to challenge the 727 directly, Douglas had designed an even smaller-capacity aircraft having only two jet engines, and was busy taking orders for the new model, designated DC-9. The British had also devised a credible entrant, the BAC One-Eleven, and Boeing seemed in danger of missing a major market opportunity as by early 1965 some 200
DC-9s and 100 BAC One-Elevens had been sold in the US and elsewhere. The response, tentative at first, was the so-called `baby Boeing', predictably designated the 737.
Boeing B737
Approved by the Boeing board on 1 February 1965, the German carrier Lufthansa served as Boeing's first foreign launch customer, ordering 21 x 737s at a price of US$4m each. United Airlines followed with an order for 40 with options on 30 more, and the 737 program was on its way. The aircraft's first flight was 9 April 1967 and was delivered to the two airlines that same December.
With the 737, Boeing again had sought to capitalize on past investments that had been funded in part from military programs, and opted for the same fuselage cross section on the 737 that had been used for the 707 and 727 models. The strategy proved successful in the head-to-head sales battles with Douglas, as the 737 was slightly larger in diameter than the DC-9. Faced so soon after the 707/DC8 struggle with a second round of intensive competition with a better-funded rival, Douglas sold DC-9s at what proved to be unprofitable prices. By the end of 1966 the once dominant company was forced to merge with the defense contractor McDonnell, forming the McDonnell Douglas Corporation (MDC) on 13 January 1967. This would all porve to benefit Boeing.
Boeing 737-300
However, problems for Douglas and the DC-9 did not translate easily or quickly into success for Boeing and the 737. Within Boeing itself, the program competed for financial and engineering resources, and as a
result came to market later than promised and even then with several nagging problems. The 737 was further burdened in its competition with the DC-9 and BAC One-Eleven by US union demands that the 737 carry three flight crew instead of two, a disadvantage that was not shed until 1981.
It would, in fact, be a full 20 years after its launch that the 737 would meet and then surpass the expectations of its designers by becoming the biggest-selling airliner in history. In the mid-1960s, the 737 seemed to be precisely what the company did not need, as along with the SST and the 747 jumbo jet programs it appeared to be dragging the company towards financial ruin.
Boeing B737 New Gen IGW... The fight back.
It is a truism that competition often brings out the best in people. It was as a response to competition from the Airbus A320, that Boeing developed an update to the 737 in 1991 that was essentially a new aircraft alrogether. The turnaround began here. The 737NG encompasses the -600, -700, -800 and -900. Different wings, different fuel capacity, different interior, a family of variants. IGW stands for increased ground weight.
The 737 variants are divided into three generations. The Original models consist of the 737-100, 737-200/-200 Advanced. The Boeing Classic models consist of the 737-300, 737-400, and 737-500. The Boeing B737 NG variants consist of the 737-600, 737-700/-700ER, 737-800, and 737-900/-900ER, nine variants in total.
Boeing B737 New Gen.
The New Gen program replaced the 737 Classic series. Also referred to as the Boeing Next Generation series, Boeing-737 NGs is the abbreviation. To come right up-to-date, the 737-900ER is now the standard 737-900.
Boeing 737 NG/BBJ Boeing Business Jet.
Arguably the most successful "branch" of the family was the BBJ1, BBJ2 and BBJ3. The BBJ1 was similar to the 737-700, the BBJ2 based on the 737-800. The current version, Boeing BBJ3 is based on the 737-900ER. Boeing themselves describe the Boeing Business Jet as a commercially inspired airplane, which brings commercial expertise to a new market, private air travel, the corporate jet market.
aviation-database.com has lots of resources for the aircraft industry. The web is a vast source of information. Aviation-database collects the industry into one huge database of contacts. Boeing B737 New Gen IGW along with BBJ1, BBJ2 and Boeing Business Jet BBJ3 spares for exchange loan or sale is the purpose in life of KG Aircraft Rotables Co Ltd, one of the featured UK companies
By John Routledge
More info: http://www.aviation-database.com/KGAR-Boeing-B737-New-Gen-IGW-Landing-Gear.html
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