A chase plane flies alongside the first Boeing 727 as it takes off from Paine Field in Everett on Wednesday, en route to Boeing Field in Seattle and a permanent home at the Museum of Flight there.

A chase plane flies alongside the first Boeing 727 as it takes off from Paine Field in Everett on Wednesday, en route to Boeing Field in Seattle and a permanent home at the Museum of Flight there.

A airliner mechanic explains what made the Boeing 727 great

On Wednesday, the first Boeing 727 made its final flight to Boeing Field. As a former 727 mechanic, who once turned a wrench on that very airplane, I’m sorry to have missed the event.

The 727s were great airplanes, and surprisingly quiet inside — even when, as a smoker, I occupied the rear of the cabin, close to its three engines.

The 727 was also a hotrod, befitting the era in which it was conceived. NASA was going to the moon, Detroit to the races, and some guys at Boeing decided the time was ripe for a short-takeoff-and-landing, 150-seat airliner. It was a risky venture, and the only airlines initially willing to share the risk were Eastern and United. Yet within a few years, airlines could hardly afford to be without them, and over 1,800 were sold before production ended in 1984. It was one of the last airplanes Boeing built “in house,” which was a particular source of pride to the many machinists who put them together. We can only guess how many mortgages and college educations were paid for from these wages.

Getting in and out of these smaller airports, with their shorter runways, required generous power, along with lots of low-speed control and lift. The power was provided by three Pratt &Whitney JT8D turbofans. To achieve the low-speed lift and control, Boeing engineers designed a wing of daunting complexity. In addition to Krueger flaps and slats on the entire leading edge of the wing, most of the trailing edge of the wing was occupied by triple-slotted “Fowler” flaps and a full complement of spoilers. During testing, a Boeing manager was heard to say the plane didn’t merely deploy flaps — it disassembled its wing (Indeed, standing under a 727 wing in the “dirty” configuration is like standing in a quonset hut with the windows open.) The cost and complexity certainly raised eyebrows among potential customers, but Boeing had done it right. The system proved to be reliable and effective — so much so that the 737 inherited an identical combination of leading- and trailing-edge devices, on a slightly smaller scale. Before long, both models were connecting more and more remote locations, including primitive runways in Alaska and many developing countries. The 747, for which many of its intended runways would necessarily be marginal, employed a nearly identical high-lift system, scaled up. Boeing knew a good thing.

In our era of cookie-cutter airliners, the 727 is a standout in style. Few passengers can distinguish a 767 from a 777, or a Boeing from its Airbus counterpart. But any child who accompanied dad to the airport a few times could pick out a Two Seven. She was the one that looked like prop from a Buck Rogers movie, and appeared to be going 500 knots just sitting on the ramp. Modern designs, for all their power and efficiency, just appear to be chewing their cud.

Airworthy 727’s still operate overseas, with a few flying charter or private flights in the U.S. They will not likely have the kind of “third life” enjoyed by old propeller airliners, and will soon disappear from U.S. airports. In the meantime, if I’m driving near an airport and see one taxiing out for takeoff, my passengers will just have to sit and roll their eyes while I pull over and watch.

Dirk DeRooy lives in Snohomish.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

RGB version
Editorial cartoons for Monday, March 18

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Carson gets a chance to sound the horn in an Everett Fire Department engine with the help of captain Jason Brock during a surprise Make-A-Wish sendoff Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Thornton A. Sullivan Park in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: Everett voters will set course for city finances

This fall and in coming years, they will be asked how to fund and support the services they use.

Devotees of TikTok, Mona Swain, center, and her sister, Rachel Swain, right, both of Atlanta, monitor voting at the Capitol in Washington, as the House passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app if its China-based owner doesn't sell, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Lawmakers contend the app's owner, ByteDance, is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok's consumers in the U.S. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Editorial: Forced sale of TikTok ignores network of problems

The removal of a Chinese company would still leave concerns for data privacy and the content on apps.

Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, watches the State of the State speech by Gov. Jay Inslee on the second day of the legislative session at the Washington state Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Editorial: Legislature has its own production of ‘The Holdovers’

What state lawmakers left behind in good ideas that should get more attention and passage next year.

Comment: Measles outbreaks show importance of MMR vaccinations

The highly contagious disease requires a 95 percent vaccination rate to limit the spread of outbreaks.

Harrop: Should ‘affordable’ come at cost of quality of living?

As states push their cities to ignore zoning rules, the YIMBYs are covering for developers.

Saunders: Classified document cases show degrees of guilt

President Biden’s age might protect him, but the special prosecutor didn’t exonerate him either.

Comment: Clearing the internet of misinformation, deep fakes

With social networks’ spotty moderation record, users need to identify and call out problems they see.

Eco-Nomics: Price of gas, fossil fuels higher than you think

Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels force unseen costs in climate disasters, illness and more.

Vote against I-2117 to keep best tool to protect climate

We voters will be offered the opportunity to repeal Washington state’s Climate… Continue reading

Lack of maternal health care raises risks of deadly sepsis

In today’s contentious climate, we often hear political debates about maternal health… Continue reading

Trump’s stance on abortion isn’t moderate; it’s dangerous

Voters deserve to know the facts and the truth about what will… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.