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

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

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

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

Comment: Why shootings have decreased but gun deaths haven’t

High-capacity magazines and ‘Glock switches’ that allow automatic fire have increased lethality.

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

FILE - The massive mudslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso, Wash., is viewed from the air on March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

Efforts continue in the state to map areas prone to landslides and prevent losses of life and property.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, March 27

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

Burke: ‘Why not write about Biden, for once?’ Don’t mind if I do.

They asked; I’ll oblige. Let’s consider what the president has accomplished since the 2020 election.

Comment: Catherine missed chance to dispel shame of cancer

She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she might have used her diagnosis to educate a sympathetic public.

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.