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	Boeing 727 Short to Medium-Range Jetliner

DESCRIPTION: By the time the 707 had entered service, Boeing realized that a need existed for a shorter range aircraft for domestic service. 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, the 727 departed from these designs by using a three-engine 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. 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. Both the 727-100 and 727-200 models soon became best sellers, and a total of 1,832 airframes were completed by the time production ended in 1984. Boeing replaced the design with the more advanced 757. Data below for 727-200 Advanced Last modified 10 March 2011
HISTORY:
First Flight	(727-100) 9 February 1963
Service Entry	(727-100) 1 February 1964 (with Eastern Air Lines) (727-200) 14 December 1967 (with Northeast Airlines)
CREW:	three flight crew: pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer
PASSENGERS:	(typical) 70-189 (727-200) 145 in two classes, 189 in one-class
ESTIMATED COST:	unknown
AIRFOIL SECTIONS:
Wing Root	BAC 424/425/426/427
Wing Tip	BAC 428
DIMENSIONS:
Length	153.17 ft (46.69 m)
Wingspan	108.0 ft (32.92 m)
Height	34.0 ft (10.36 m)
Wing Area	1,647 ft² (153.3 m²)
Canard Area	not applicable
WEIGHTS:
Empty	85,140 lb (38,700 kg)
Normal Takeoff	unknown
Max Takeoff	(Standard) 191,000 lb (86,600 kg) (Optional) 210,000 lb (95,300 kg)
Fuel Capacity	internal: 8,185 gal (31,000 L) [standard] 9,805 gal (37,020 L) [optional] external: not applicable
Max Payload	63,100 lb (28,620 kg)
PROPULSION:
Powerplant	three Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15/-17/-17R turbofans
Thrust	(-15) 46,500 lb (207 kN) (-17) 48,000 lb (214 kN) (-17R) 52,200 lb (232 kN)
PERFORMANCE:
Max Level Speed	at altitude: 630 mph (1,010 km/h) at 20,500 ft (6,250 m) at sea level: unknown cruise speed: 570 mph (915 km/h) at 24,600 ft (7,530 m)
Initial Climb Rate	unknown
Service Ceiling	35,000 ft (10,700 m)
Cruise Altitude	(727-200) 24,700 ft (7,530 m) (727-200 Advanced) 30,000 to 40,000 ft (9,145 to 12,190 m)
Range	max fuel: 2,175 nm (4,020 km) max payload: 1,490 nm (2,750 km)
g-Limits	unknown
KNOWN VARIANTS:
727-100	First production model with space for 131 passengers
727-100C	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
727-100QC	Quick-change convertible model allowing conversion from cargo to passenger/cargo mixture in 30 minutes
727-200	Enlarged 727 with two 10-ft fuselage inserts allowing increase to 145, 163, or 189 passengers
Advanced 727-200	Improved 727-200 equipped with performance data computer to improve fuel efficiency and safety, 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
KNOWN OPERATORS:
Civil	ACES Colombia ADC Airlines Aerochaqui Aero Continente Aero Exo Aerolatin Aerolineas Argentinas Aerolineas Internacionales Aeromexpress Aeronica Aero Peru Aeropostal Aerorepublica Colombia Aerosucre Colombia Aerosur Aerotal Aero Union Aerovias Aero Zambia African Airlines International Air Afrique Air Alfa Air Algerie Air America Air Aruba Air Atlantis Air Cargo Australia Air Charter International Air Contractors Air Dabia Air Djibouti Air Florida Air France Air Gabon Air Gemini Air Jamaica Air Malta Air Micronesia Air Nacoia Air Nauru Air Panama Air Slovakia Air Taxi International Air Terrex Air Vietnam Air West Air World Alaska Airlines Alitalia All Canada Express Allegro Air All Nippon Airways Amel Aruba American Airlines American Trans Air (ATA) Americana de Aviacion Amerijet International Angola Air Charter Ansett Ansett Air Freight Ansett-ANA Ansett Australia Ariana Afghan Airlines Ariania Asia Pacific Airlines Asian Express Airlines Atlas Hell Corporation Australian Airlines Australian Air Express Australian Cargo Av Atlantic Avensa Aviacsa Avianca Colombia Aviandina Aviateca Avient Aviation Aviogenex Azerbaijan Airlines Bahrain Amiri Flight Balkh Airlines BAX Global Bel Air / Ile de France Bloodstock Air Services Blue Airlines Braniff Airways British Airways British Midland Airlines (BMA) Capitol Air Express Capital Cargo International Cayman Airways CF Air Freight Champion Air Chanchangi Airlines Civil Air Transport Comair Congo Airlines Continental Airlines Continental Cargo Continental Micronesia Cook Islands International Cougar Cruzeiro Custom Air Transport Cyprus Turkish Dallas Aerospace Dan-Air Delta Air Lines DHL Aero Expresso DHL Airways DHL Guatemala DHL Worldwide Dan Air London Digex Air Cargo Discovery Air Donrey Eastern Air Lines East West Emery Worldwide Enterprise Aviation Equatoriana Europe Aéro Services (EAS) European Air Transport Evergreen International Excel Airways Express.net Airlines Express One International Falcon Air Express Faucatt Peru Federal Express (FedEx) First Air Florida West Airlines Flying Tiger Fly SA Linhas Aereas GM Airlines Hanair Harco Air Services Helenic Air HMS Airways Hughes Airwest IAF Air Freighters Iberia ILPO Imperial Palace Air Independent Air Freighters Interamericana Colombia Interdec Iran Air Iran Aseman Airlines Iraqi Airways IRS Airlines Istanbul Airlines JAT Yugoslav Airlines Jet East Kabo Air Kalitta de Aviacion Kelowna Flightcraft Key Airlines Kibris Turkish Airlines Kitty Hawk Air Cargo Kiwi International Kulula L'Aeropostale LAB Airlines Lacsa Ladeco Laker Airways Lan Chile Lanica LA Suramericanas Colombia Libyan Arab Airlines Lineas Aereas Canarias (LAC) Lufthansa Cargo India Macedonian Airlines Magnicharters Mark III Leasing Mexicana Mexicargo Miami Air MIAT Mongolian Airlines Mid East Jet Million Air Charter Mozambique Airlines (LAM) Morningstar Air Express National Airlines National Jet Nationwide Air New Century Air Nigeria Airways Nomads Northeast Airlines Northern Air Cargo Northwest Airlines Nova Gulf Occidental Okada Air Olympic Airways Oman Air Orion Pacific Air Express Pacific Southwest Airlines Palestinian Airlines Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) Pan American Airlines, Pan Am Clipper Connection (Pan Am III) Panavia Panama Peninsular People Express Piedmont Airlines Planet Airways PLUNA Polynesian Puntavia Purolator Prestige Airlines Qatar Airways Quaker Coal Quassar Quest Cargo International Reeve Aleutian Airways Republic Redec Royal Royal Air Maroc Royal Jordanian Royal Nepal Airlines Ryan International Sabre Airways Saeta Safair Samco Aviation Sam Colombia San SARO Satena Colombia Scibe-Airlift Congo Seagreen Air Transport Servivensa Sigair Sissosa Airline Skyline Skyservice Sky Trek International Airlines SMA Airlines Sobelair Sonair Southwest Airlines Sport Hawk International Airlines Star Air Starling Aviation Sterling European Sunbird Airways Sun Country Airlines Sunworld International Airlines Swiftair Syrianair TAA The Nation's Jetline, TAA T-Jet Taesa Talia Airways TAME TAN TAP Air Portugal TNT International Top Air Torosair Total Linhas Aereas Transafrik Trans Air Benin Trans Air Cargo Transasian Air Express Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) Trans Australia Airlines Cargo Transbrasil Trans Caribbean Airlines Transmeridian Airlines Trans World Airlines (TWA) Triangle Aircraft Services Triax Airlines Trump Shuttle Tunisair Tur European Airways Turkish Airlines Twinjet Aircraft United Airlines United Parcel Service (UPS) US Airways Shuttle Viasa Varig VASP Venus Airways Viabrasil View Top Viscount West African Airlines Wien Air Alaska Wetrafa Airlift Winport Air Cargo Yemenia Zuliana de Aviacion
Government/Military	Burkina Faso Cameroon, l'Armee de l'Air du Cameroun (Cameroon Air Force) Colombia, Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (Columbian Air Force) Congo, Force Aérienne du Congo (Congolese Air Force) Djibouti Iran (Imperial Iranian Air Force) Iran (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force) Mexico, Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (Mexican Air Force) New Zealand (Royal New Zealand Air Force) Nigeria (Nigerian Air Force) Panama Senegal Taiwan, Chung-Kuo Kung Chuan (Republic of China Air Force) United States (US Air Force)
3-VIEW SCHEMATIC:
SOURCES: Aboulafia, Richard. Jane's Civil Aircraft. Glasgow: Harper Collins Publishers, 1996, p. 40-41, Boeing 727. Boeing 727 site Chant, Christopher and Taylor, Michael J.H. The World's Greatest Aircraft. Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books, 2006, p. 225, Boeing 727. Donald, David, ed. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. NY: Barnes & Noble, 1997, p. 168-169, Boeing Model 727. Donald, David, ed. The Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press, 1999, p. 159-162, Boeing 727. Rendall, David. Jane's Aircraft Recognition Guide, 2nd ed. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 1999, p. 212, Boeing 727. Taylor, Michael. Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1996/1997. London: Brassey's, 1996, p. 264, Boeing 727.