The Boeing 737 is a medium sized, short to medium rage commercial airliner built by the North American company Boeing. This plane is so far the best selling jet airliner on Earth. There are nearly 6,000 examples to be found around the world with over 1,200 of them in the air at any given time. The 737's seats are usually arranged with 3 on one side and 3 on the other side.
History
737 Original
The airplane was officially announced in 1964. The plane had already got many airlines interested even before it first flew in 1967. German airline Lufthansa made the first passenger flight in 1969.
The initial model was the 737-100. It was launched by Lufthansa in 1965. The -100 was rolled out on January 17, 1967 and entered service in 1968. The aircraft is the smallest variant of the 737. Only 30 737-100s were ordered and delivered, and no 737-100s remain in service today. The original Boeing prototype, last operated by NASA, retired more than 30 years after its maiden flight, and is on exhibit in the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
The 737-200 is a 737-100 with an extended fuselage. It was launched by United Airlines in 1965. The -200 was rolled out on June 29, 1967 and entered service in 1968. The 737-200 Advanced is an improved version of the -200, introduced by All Nippon Airways on May 20, 1971.[56] The aircraft has improved aerodynamics, automatic wheel brakes, more powerful engines, more fuel capacity and longer range than the -200.
After 40 years, the final 737-200 aircraft in the United States flying scheduled passenger service were phased out on March 31, 2008 with the last flights of Aloha Airlines (Aloha continues to fly its interisland cargo flights). The aircraft had been eliminated from regular service in the continental United States in 2006, when Delta Air Lines withdrew the type.
737 Classic
The new 737 Classic series featured CFM56 turbofan engines, which had a better fuel economy and far less noise. However, it also posed an engineering challenge given the low ground clearance of the 737. Boeing and engine supplier CFM International solved the problem by placing the engine ahead of (rather than below) the wing. They also moved engine accessories to the sides (rather than the bottom) of the engine pod, giving the 737 a distinctive non-circular air intake. The wing incorporated a number of changes for improved aerodynamics.
The 737-300 was launched in 1981 by both USAir and Southwest Airlines becoming the first model of the 737 Classic series. The aircraft has a typical capacity of 128 passengers in a two class configuration (137 seats in a one class coach seating configuration). The 300 series remained in production until 1999 when the last aircraft was delivered to Air New Zealand on December 17, 1999.
Various modifications have been made to aircraft previously in service. The 737-300 can be retrofitted with Aviation Partners Boeing winglets. The 737-300 retrofitted with winglets is designated the -300SP (special performance). Used passenger -300 aircraft have also been converted to freighter versions.
The 737-400 was launched in 1985 as a stretched 737-300, primarily for use by charter airlines. Piedmont Airlines was the launch customer with an order for 25 aircraft in 1986. The first 400 entered service in 1988 with Piedmont. The last delivery of the -400 occurred on February 25, 2000 to CSA Czech Airlines.
The 737-400F was not a model delivered by Boeing but a converted 737-400 to an all cargo aircraft. Alaska Airlines was the first to convert one of its 400s from regular service to an aircraft with the ability to handle 10 pallets. The airline has also converted five more into fixed combi aircraft for half passenger and freight. These 737-400 Combi aircraft are now in service.
The 737-500 was launched in 1987 by Southwest Airlines and entered service in 1990. The fuselage length of the 737-500 is similar to the 737-200 while incorporating the improvements of the 737 Classic series. It offered a modern and direct replacement of the 737-200, while also allowing longer routes with fewer passengers to be more economical than with the 737-300. The last -500 was delivered to All Nippon Airlines on July 26, 1999.
737 Next Generation
By the early 1990s, it became clear that the new Airbus A320 was a serious threat to Boeing's market share. Airbus won previously loyal 737 customers such as Lufthansa and United Airlines. In November 1993, Boeing's board of directors authorized the Next Generation program to replace the 737 Classic series. The -600, -700, and -800 series were planned. After engineering trade studies and discussions with major 737 customers, Boeing proceeded to launch the 737 Next Generation series.
New features included:
- Improved CFM56-7 turbofan engine, 7% more fuel efficient than the CFM56-3
- Intercontinental range of over 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km).
- Increased fuel capacity and higher Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW)
- Six-screen LCD glass cockpit with modern avionics, retaining crew commonality with previous generation 737
- Passenger cabin improvements similar to those on the Boeing 777, featuring more curved surfaces and larger overhead bins than previous generation 737s. The Next Generation 737 interior was also adopted on the Boeing 757-300.
- New airfoil section, increased wing span, area, and chord
- Winglets on most models
- Redesigned vertical stabilizer
- (As of July 2008) Carbon brakes manufactured by Messier-Bugatti. These new brakes, now certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, weigh 550–700 lb less than the steel brakes normally fitted to the Next-Gen 737s. A weight reduction of 700 pounds on a Boeing 737-800 results in 0.5% reduction in fuel burn.
Yhe 737-600 replaced the 737-500 in Boeing's line up, and was also intended to replace airlines' DC-9s. The 737-600 was launched by Scandinavian Airlines System in 1995 with the first aircraft delivered on September 18, 1998. The -600 is the only Boeing 737 still in production that does not include winglets as an option. WestJet was to be the Boeing launch customer for the 737-600 with winglets but announced in their Q2 2006 results that they were not going to move ahead with those plans.
The 737-600 competes with the Airbus A318 and Embraer 195. A total of 69 -600s have been delivered with no unfilled orders as of 2009.
The 737-700 was the first of Next Generation series when launch customer Southwest Airlines ordered the variant in November 1993. The variant was based on the 737-300 and entered service in 1998. It replaced the 737-300 in Boeing's lineup, and its direct competitor is the A319. It typically seats 132 passengers in a two class cabin or 149 in all economy configuration.
The 737-800 is a stretched version of the 737-700, and replaces the 737-400. It also filled the gap left by Boeing's discontinuation of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and MD-90 after Boeing's merger with McDonnell Douglas. The -800 was launched by Hapag-Lloyd Flug (now TUIfly) in 1994 and entered service in 1998. The 737-800 seats 162 passengers in a two class layout, or 189 in one class, and competes with the A320. For many airlines in the U.S., the 737-800 replaced aging Boeing 727-200 trijets and MD-80s and MD-90s.
Boeing later introduced the 737-900, the longest and most powerful variant to date. Alaska Airlines launched the 737-900 in 1997 and accepted delivery on May 15, 2001. Because the -900 retains the same exit configuration of the -800, seating capacity is limited to 177 seats in two classes, or 189 in a single-class layout. The 737-900 also retains the MTOW (maximum take-off weight) and fuel capacity of the -800, trading range for payload. These shortcomings until recently prevented the 737-900 from effectively competing with the Airbus A321.
The 737-900ER, which was called the 737-900X prior to launch, is the newest addition and the largest variant of the Boeing 737 line and was introduced to meet the range and passenger capacity of the discontinued 757-200 and to directly compete with the Airbus A321.
An additional pair of exit doors and a flat rear pressure bulkhead increase seating capacity to 180 passengers in a 2-class configuration or 215 passengers in a single-class layout. Additional fuel capacity and standard winglets improve range to that of other 737NG variants.
The first 737-900ER was rolled out of the Renton, Washington factory on August 8, 2006 for its launch customer, Lion Air. Lion Air received this aircraft on April 27, 2007 in a special dual paint scheme combining the Lion Air lion on the vertical stabilizer and the Boeing livery colors on the fuselage.
The 737-900ER is now the standard 737-900 model offered by Boeing. The 737-900 non-ER model has been discontinued in favor of the -900ER, but the standard -900 remains in service as of January 2010.
Variants
Here is a list of different types of 737:
Original
Classic
Next Generation (NG)
- 737-600
- 737-700
- 737-800
- 737-900
- 737-900ER
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