In 1956 Boeing began studies for a plane able to use smaller airfields than the 707/720 and for use on short/medium length routes. The programme was officially launched in 1959 as the 727, and with orders from United and Eastern Airlines, the 727 was given the go-ahead for production. Boeing opted for a t-tail, tri-jet configuration similar to the aircrafts rival, the DH.121 Trident. A number of benefits became apparent from using this configuration. For passengers, the cabin of the aircraft would be quieter due to the rear-mounted engines, the wings were also completely clean which lead to better aerodynamics. The 727 also featured an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) - the first Boeing aircraft to include one. This permitted operations from smaller or more remote airfields which lacked ground equipment. The first 727 was rolled out at Renton in November 1962 and made its maiden flight on February 9, 1963. The 727 entered commercial service with Eastern Airlines on February 1, 1964 flying the Miami to Washington and Philadelphia route. The 727-100 could seat a maximum of 129 passengers however a more common layout was for 24 first and 72 economy seats. Boeing soon developed variants of 727-100, the first being the 727-100C. This aircraft was able to change from being a passenger plane, cargo plane or a mixture of both in only a few hours. The aircraft featured a large cargo door in the port side of the front fuselage. Northwest Airlines was the aircraft's first customer. Boeing also developed the 727-100QC or 'Quick Change' which featured galleys and seats on pallets to enable rapid conversion. However this did impose a weight penalty. Over 300 727-100's remain in service today, even though the variant ceased production in 1971. An interesting development of the 727-100 has been the re-engining of 44 aircraft for United Parcel Services (UPS). The aircraft have been re-engined with Rolls-Royce Tay engines and have been dubbed 727QFs (Quiet Freighters). The conversion also included the addition of state-of-the-art 'glass cockpits'.

With the growth of air travel through the 1960's airlines began to look for an aircraft with additional capacity. This led to the production of the 727-200. Seating capacity was raised to a maximum of 189 by the addition of two 3.05 metre (10ft) plugs, one forward and one behind the wing. Despite the increased weight of the 727-200, the power or fuel capacity was not increased. The additional weight was therefore carried on the expense of fuel. Consequently, the 727-200 was mainly used on short-haul high, density routes. The first 727-200 flew on July 27, 1967 and certification took place November 30, 1967. The launch customer for the 727-200 was Northeast Airlines and they received, and put their first aircraft into service during December 1967. Eventually, improvements for the 727-200 were announced and this led to the Boeing 727-200 Advanced (727-200Adv). The -200Adv featured more powerful engines, improved brakes, better corrosion resistance and modified engine nacelles. The cabin of the aircraft was also improved to give a 'wide-body' look. The 727-200Adv entered service with Lufthansa and Air Algerie in 1971. The final variant of the 727 to be produced was the -200F freighter. 15 of these aircraft were ordered by American cargo airline Federal Express (Fed Ex). The last of these aircraft were delivered to Fed Ex on September 18, 1984. Today, there are still over 1,000 727's in service. A considerable number are operated by airlines in the United States, with almost every major US carrier operating the type; due to stage 3 noise requirements most of the 727's are hushkitted. Overall, 1,832 727's were produced during the aircrafts production run from the early 1960's to 1984; this number has only been surpassed by the 737. Boeing had been considering the 727-300 but world economics and the impending arrival of the 757 meant that the aircraft was never built. 

Technical Information - Boeing 727 
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