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The Boeing 727 is a mid-sized, narrow-body three-engined jet aircraft built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes from the early 1960s to 1984. The 727 was designed to carry 149 to 189 passengers, and later models could fly up to 2,700 nautical miles (5,000 km) nonstop.
 Boeing 727 of American Airlines |
Intended for short and medium-length flights, the 727 can use relatively short runways at smaller airports.
The aft location of the 727's engines allowed for additional ground clearance, less cabin noise during take-off, and increased reliability and sustainability during the loss of one engine.
Boeing 727 Background and Development
The 727 followed the Boeing 707, a quad-jet airliner, with which it shares its upper fuselage cross-section and cockpit design. The 727-100 first flew in February of 1963 and entered service with Eastern Air Lines in February of 1964.
The stretched 727-200 flew in July of 1967 and entered service with Northeast Airlines that December. The 727 became a mainstay of airlines' domestic route networks and was also used on short- and medium-range international routes. Passenger, freighter, and convertible versions of the 727 were built.
Boeing 727 Deliveries
A total of 1,831 727 airliners were produced by Boeing, as shown in the table below.
| Boeing 727 Model |
Deliveries |
| 727-100 | 407 |
| 727-100C | 164 |
| 727-200 | 310 |
| 727-200C | 930 |
| 727-200F | 15 |
| TOTAL | 1,831 |
Boeing 727 Spotting Tips
| The 727 is powered by three Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines below the T-tail, one on each side of the rear fuselage with a center engine that connects through an S-duct to an inlet at the base of the fin. The front of the fuselage features the classic "Boeing pointed nose" and V-shaped windshields on each side of the cockpit. These features can be seen in the Boeing 727-200 of Delta Air Lines shown below. |
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Boeing 727 Photographs
| Boeing 727-223, N874AA in American Airlines livery, on display at the Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington, May 2013. This aircraft was delivered to American in April of 1978. It was transferred to the National Airline History Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, in March of 2016. (Staff Photo) |
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| Continental Air Lines Boeing 727 |
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| Evergreen International Boeing 727 (postcard from the author's collection) |
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Pan Am Boeing 727
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| Delta Air Lines Boeing 727 |
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| American Airlines Boeing 727 |
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| Braniff International Boeing 727s |
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