Introduction
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size narrow-body three-engine jet aircraft built byBoeing Commercial Airplanes. It can carry 149 to 189 passengers and later
models can fly up to 2,400 to 2,700 nautical miles (4,400 to 5,000 km) nonstop. Intended for short and medium-length flights, the 727 can use fairly
short runways at smaller airports. It has three Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines below the T-tail, one on each side of the fuselage with a center engine
that connects through an S-duct to an inlet at the base of the fin. The 727 is Boeing's only trijet aircraft, as well as the only one without a conventional tail.
Design
The airliner's middle engine (engine 2) at the very rear of the fuselage gets air from an inlet ahead of the vertical fin through an S-shaped duct. This S-duct
proved to be troublesome due to flow distortion in the duct induced by a surge in the centerline engine on the take-off of the first flight of the 727-100.
This was fixed by the addition of several large vortex generators in the inside of the first bend of the duct.
The 727 is equipped with a retractable tail skid that is designed to protect the aircraft in the event of an over-rotation on takeoff. The 727's fuselage has
an outer diameter of 148 inches (3.8 m) allowing six-abreast seating (three per side) and a single aisle when 18 inches (46 cm) wide coach-class seats are
installed.
Noise
The 727 is one of the noisiest commercial jetliners, categorized as Stage 2 by the U.S. Noise Control Act of 1972.raft. The 727's JT8D jet engines use older
low-bypass turbofan technology, whereas 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 changes to fit the larger-diameter engine (49.2 inches (125 cm) fan diameter in the
JT8D-200 compared to 39.9 inches (101 cm) in the JT8D-7) into the fuselage at the number two engine location were prohibitive.
Variants
There are two series of 727;
The initial 100 (originally only two figures as in -30) was launched in 1960 and entered service in February 1964.
The 727-200 series was launched in 1965 and entered service in December 1967.
727-100C series--
Convertible passenger cargo version. Additional freight door and strengthened floor and floor beams. Three alternate fits:
• 94 mixed-class passengers
• 52 mixed-class passengers and four cargo pallets (22,700 lb, 10,297 kg)
• Eight cargo pallets (38,000 lb, 17,237 kg)
727-100QC
QC stands for Quick Change, similar to the Convertible version with a roller-bearing floor for palletised galley and seating and/or cargo to allow much
faster changeover time (30 minutes).
727-100QF
QF stands for Quiet Freighter. A cargo conversion for United Parcel Service, re-engined with Stage III-compliant Rolls-Royce Tayturbofans.
Boeing C-22A
A single 727-30 acquired from the Federal Aviation Administration, which was originally delivered to Lufthansa. This aircraft
served mostly with Southern Command flying from Panama City / Howard Air Force Base.
Boeing C-22B
Four 727-35 aircraft acquired from National Airways by the USAF for transporting Air National Guard and National Guard personnel.
727-200 series
Stretched version of the 727-100. The -200 is 20 feet (6.1 m) longer (153 feet, 2 inches, 46.7 m) than the -100 (133 feet, 2 inches, 40.6 m). A ten-foot
(3-meter) fuselage section was added in front of the wings and another ten-foot fuselage section was added behind them. The wing span and height
remain the same on both the -100 and -200 (108 feet (33 m) and 34 feet (10 m), respectively.
727-200C - Convertible passenger cargo version. One was built.
727-200advanced - MTOW and range increased.
Super27 - Speed increased by 50 mph (80 km/h), Winglets were added to some of these aircraft to increase fuel efficiency.
Boeing C-22C
A single 727-212 aircraft operated by the USAF
Operators
More than 208 Boeing 727 aircraft (all variants) remain in commercial airline, private and government service. Most airlines have small numbers but
the following operate five or more aircraft:
• Amerijet International (6)
• Cargojet Airways (9 + 1 inactive)[31]
• FedEx Express (31 727-200)[32]
• Kalitta Charters (8)
• Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter (13)[33]
• Linhas Aéreas Suramericanas (6)
• Rio Linhas Aéreas (7)
• Total Linhas Aéreas (6)
• Transmile Air Services (7)
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