Boeing 737

Boeing 737

  

·         The Boeing 737 is an American short- to medium-range twinjet narrow-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

·         Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from the 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of several passenger models with capacities from 85 to 215 passengers.

·         The 737 is currently Boeing's only narrow-body airliner, with the re-engined and updated 737 MAX variant in production.

·         Envisioned in 1964, the initial 737-100 made its first flight in April 1967 and entered airline service in February 1968 with Lufthansa.

·         Next, the lengthened 737-200 entered service in April 1968.

·         In the 1980s Boeing launched the longer 737-300, -400, and -500 variants (referred to as the Boeing 737 Classic series) featuring CFM56 turbofan engines and wing improvements.

·         The Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) was introduced in the 1990s, with a redesigned, increased wing span, upgraded "glass" cockpit, and new interior.

·         The 737 NG comprises the 737-600, -700, -800, and -900 variants, with lengths ranging from 31.09 to 42.06 m (102 to 138 ft).

·         Boeing Business Jet versions of the 737 NG are also produced.

·         The 737 was revised again in the 2010s for greater efficiency, with the 737 MAX series featuring CFM LEAP-1B engines and improved winglets.

·         The 737 MAX entered service in 2017, but in March 2019, was grounded worldwide following two fatal crashes.

·         The 737 series was the highest-selling commercial jetliner, having been surpassed in total orders by the Airbus A320 family by the end of October 2019.

·         The 737 has been continuously manufactured since 1967; the 10,000th was rolled out on March 13, 2018, a 737 MAX 8 destined for Southwest Airlines, and over 4,600 orders are pending.

·         Assembly of the 737 is performed at the Boeing Renton Factory in Renton, Washington.

·         Many 737s serve markets previously filled by 707, 727, 757, DC-9, and MD-80/MD-90 airliners, and the aircraft currently competes primarily with the Airbus A320 family.

·         As of 2006, there were an average of 1,250 Boeing 737s airborne at any given time, with two either departing or landing somewhere every five seconds

VARIANTS

The 737 models can be divided into four generations, including thirteen major variants. The "Original" models consist of the 737-100, 737-200/-200 Advanced. The "Classic" models consist of the 737-300, 737-400, and 737-500. The "Next Generation" variants consist of the 737-600, 737-700/-700ER, 737-800, and 737-900/-900ER. Of these variants, many feature additional versions such as the T-43, which was a modified Boeing 737-200 used by the United States Air Force (USAF). The fourth generation derivative "MAX" variants consist of the 737 MAX 7, 737 MAX 8, and 737 MAX 9 which will replace the -700, -800 and -900/900ER versions, respectively. The MAX 8 has a high-density version called the MAX 200. A fourth MAX variant, the 737 MAX 10 is currently under development and is the largest 737 to date.

737 Original series

Ø  737-100 

                  The initial model was the 737-100, which was launched in February 1965. The -100 was rolled out on January 17, 1967, had its first flight on April 9, 1967, and entered service with Lufthansa in February 1968. The aircraft is the smallest variant of the 737. A total of 30 737-100s were ordered and delivered; the final commercial delivery took place on October 31, 1969 to Malaysia–Singapore Airlines. No 737-100s remain in commercial service. The original Boeing prototype, last operated by NASA and retired more than 30 years after its maiden flight, is on exhibit in the Museum of Flight in Seattle. 

 
Ø  737-200

                 The 737-200 is a 737-100 with an extended fuselage, launched by an order from United Airlines in 1965. The -200 was rolled out on June 29, 1967, and entered service with United in April 1968. The 737-200 Advanced is an improved version of the -200, introduced into service by All Nippon Airways on May 20, 1971.  The -200 Advanced has improved aerodynamics, automatic wheel brakes, more powerful engines, more fuel capacity, and longer range than the -100. Boeing also provided the 737-200C (Combi), which allowed for conversion between passenger and cargo use and the 737-200QC (Quick Change), which facilitated a rapid conversion between roles. The 1,095th and last delivery of a -200 series aircraft was in August 1988 to Xiamen Airlines. With a gravel kit modification (features preventing foreign object damage), the 737-200 can use unimproved or unpaved landing strips, such as gravel runways, that other similarly-sized jet aircraft cannot. Gravel-kitted 737-200 Combis are currently used by Canadian North, First Air, Air Inuit, Nolinor and Air North in northern Canada, where gravel runways are frequent. For many years, Alaska Airlines made use of gravel-kitted 737-200s to serve Alaska's many unimproved runways across the state. Nineteen 737-200s, designated T-43, were used to train aircraft navigators for the U.S. Air Force. Some were modified into CT-43s, which are used to transport passengers, and one was modified as the NT-43A Radar Test Bed. The first was delivered on July 31, 1973 and the last on July 19, 1974. The Indonesian Air Force ordered three modified 737-200s, designated Boeing 737-2x9 Surveiller. They were used as Maritime reconnaissance (MPA)/transport aircraft, fitted with SLAMMAR (Side-looking Multi-mission Airborne Radar). The aircraft were delivered between May 1982 and October 1983. Many 737-200s have been phased out or replaced by newer 737 versions. After 40 years, in March 2008, the final 737-200 aircraft in the U.S. flying scheduled passenger service were phased out, with the last flights of Aloha Airlines. The variant still sees regular service through North American charter operators such as Sierra Pacific. In July 2018, there were a combined 58 Boeing 737-200s in service, mostly with "second and third tier" airlines, and those of developing nations.

 
Ø  737 Classic series

                              The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -600/700/800/900 series. The Classic series was originally introduced as the 'new generation' of the 737. Produced from 1984 to 2000, 1,988 aircraft were delivered.

Ø  737 Next Generation

                                 By the early 1990s, it became clear that the new Airbus A320 was a serious threat to Boeing's market share, as 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, -800, and -900 series were planned. After engineering trade studies and discussions with major 737 customers, Boeing proceeded to launch the 737 Next Generation series in late 1993, with 6,996 built as of January 2019. Variants include the P-8 Poseidon

Ø  737 Max

                               The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the 737, succeeding the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG). After Airbus launched the Airbus A320neo family in December 2010, achieving 1,029 orders by June 2011 and breaking Boeing's monopoly with American Airlines with an order for 130 A320neos that July, Boeing launched the 737 MAX program on August 30, 2011. The first flight was on January 29, 2016. It gained FAA certification on March 8, 2017. The first delivery was a MAX 8 on May 6, 2017 to Malindo Air, which put it into service on May 22, 2017. The 737 MAX is based on earlier 737 designs. It is re-engined with more efficient CFM International LEAP-1B powerplants, aerodynamic improvements (most notably split-tip winglets), and airframe modifications. The 737 MAX series is offered in four main variants, typically offering 138 to 230 seats and a range of 3,215 to 3,825 nmi (5,954 to 7,084 km). The 737 MAX 7, MAX 8 (including the denser, 200-seat MAX 200), and MAX 9 replace, respectively, the 737-700, -800, and -900. The further stretched 737 MAX 10 has also been added to the series. As of January 2019, the 737 MAX has received 5,011 firm orders. In March 2019, the 737 MAX was grounded worldwide after two similar fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia within a five–month period