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Boeing Aircraft since 1916. The two series of 727 are the initial -100 (originally only two figures as in -30), which was launched in 1960 and entered service in February 1964, and the -200 series, which was launched in 1965 and entered service in December 1967.
727-100 here) is long. The first 727-100 (N7001U) flew on February 9, 1963. The -100 designation was assigned retroactively to distinguish the original short-body version. Prior to the introduction of the 727-200, all short-body aircraft followed a "727-00" pattern. Aircraft were delivered for United Airlines as 727-22, for American Airlines as 727-23 and these designations were retained even after the advent of the 727-200. However, short-body aircraft ordered after the introduction of the 727-200 followed the new "727-100" pattern (i.e. 727-123 for American Airlines).
727-100C Convertible passenger cargo version, additional freight door and strengthened floor and floor beams, three alternative fits: • 94 mixed-class passengers • 52 mixed-class passengers and four cargo pallets () • Eight cargo pallets ()
727-100QC QC stands for Quick Change. This is similar to the convertible version with a roller-bearing floor for palletised galley and seating and cargo to allow a much faster changeover time of 30 minutes. . The air intake for the #2 engine has a distinctive "hump" on converted aircraft.
727-100QF QF stands for Quiet Freighter. A cargo conversion for
United Parcel Service, these were re-engined with
Stage 3-compliant
Rolls-Royce Tay turbofans.
Boeing C-22A A single 727-30 acquired from the
Federal Aviation Administration, this aircraft was originally delivered to
Lufthansa. It served mostly with
United States Southern Command flying from
Panama City /
Howard Air Force Base.
Boeing C-22B Four 727-35 aircraft were acquired from
National Airlines by the
United States Air Force for transporting
Air National Guard and National Guard personnel.
727-200 ) is longer. This aircraft is the prototype of 727-200 A stretched version of the 727-100, the -200 is longer () than the -100 (). A fuselage section ("plug") was added in front of the wings and another 10 ft fuselage section was added behind them. The wing span and height remain the same on both the -100 and -200 (, respectively). The original 727-200 had the same maximum gross weight as the 727-100; however, as the aircraft evolved, a series of higher gross weights and more powerful engines were introduced along with other improvements, and from line number 881, 727-200s are dubbed -200 Advanced. The aircraft gross weight eventually increased from for the latest versions. The dorsal intake of the number-two engine was also redesigned to be round in shape, rather than oval as it was on the -100 series. The first 727-200 flew on July 27, 1967, and received FAA certification on November 30, 1967. The first delivery was made on December 14, 1967, to
Northeast Airlines. A total of 310 727-200s were delivered before the -200 was replaced on the production line by the 727-200 Advanced in 1972.
727-200C A convertible passenger cargo version; only one was built. ;727-200 Advanced ), equipped with
winglets The Advanced version of the 727-200 was introduced in 1970. It featured powerful engines, fuel capacity and MTOW () increased the range from or by %.
Boeing C-22C One 727-212 aircraft was operated by the US Air Force.
Proposed ;727-300 A proposed 169-seat version was developed in consultation with United Airlines in 1972, which initially expressed an interest in ordering 50 aircraft. Also, interest was shown from
Indian Airlines for a one-class version with 180 seats. The fuselage would have been lengthened by and the undercarriage strengthened. The three engines would have been replaced by two more powerful JT8D-217 engines under the T tail. Many cockpit components would have been in common with the 737-200 and improved engine management systems would have eliminated the need for the
flight engineer. United did not proceed with its order and Indian Airlines instead ordered the larger
Airbus A300, so the project was cancelled in 1976.
727-400 A concept with a fuselage and two high-bypass turbofan engines under the wings (but retaining the T tail) was proposed in 1977. More compact systems, a redesign of the internal space, and removing the need for the flight engineer would have increased the capacity to 189 seats in a two-class configuration. After only a few months, the concept was developed into the Boeing 7N7 design, which eventually became the
Boeing 757.
Other variants Faw-727 This Boeing 727 was reportedly modified by Iraq in early 1988 to serve as an
ELINT platform. It was used during the invasion of Kuwait and Operation Desert Shield.
Comparison of variants Below is a list of major differences between the 727 variants. ==Operators==