Boeing 727

The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body trijet that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavier 707 quadjet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller airports. On December 5, 1960, the 727 was launched with 40 orders each from United Airlines and Eastern Air Lines. The first 727-100 rolled out on November 27, 1962, first flew on February 9, 1963, and entered service with Eastern on February 1, 1964.

The only trijet aircraft to be produced by Boeing, the 727 is powered by three Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofans below a T-tail, one on each side of the rear fuselage and a center one fed through an S-duct below the tail. It shares its six-abreast upper fuselage cross-section and cockpit with the 707 that was also later used on the 737. The 727-100 typically carries 106 passengers in two classes over , or 129 in a single class. Launched in 1965, the stretched 727-200 flew in July 1967 and entered service with Northeast Airlines that December. The Template:Cvt longer variant typically carries 134 passengers in two classes over Template:Cvt, or 155 in a single class. A freighter and a "Quick Change" convertible version were also offered.

The 727 was used for domestic flights and on international flights within its range. Airport noise regulations have led to hush kit installations. Its last commercial passenger flight was in January 2019. It was succeeded by the 757 and larger variants of the 737. There have been 353 incidents involving the Boeing 727. Production ended in September 1984 with 1,832 having been built. The 727 was an industry workhorse for many years, often fondly referred to as "the DC-3 of the Jet Age".

Development

File:Black and white image of Boeing 727 production.jpg

Production of the 727

File:Boeing 727 donation 22 (19744962922).jpg

University of the Fraser Valley Aviation department Boeing 727, showing the three-crew cockpit (2015)

The Boeing 727 design was a compromise among United Airlines, American Airlines, and Eastern Air Lines; each of the three had developed requirements for a jet airliner to serve smaller cities with shorter runways and fewer passengers. United Airlines requested a four-engine aircraft for its flights to high-altitude airports, especially its hub at Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado. American Airlines, which was operating the four-engined Boeing 707 and Boeing 720, requested a twin-engined aircraft for efficiency. Eastern Airlines wanted a third engine for its overwater flights to the Caribbean, since at that time twin-engine commercial flights were limited by regulations to routes with 60-minute maximum flying time to an airport (see ETOPS). Eventually, the three airlines agreed on a trijet design for the new aircraft.

File:Boeing 727 cockpit Aviation museum (29097199906).jpg

Boeing 727 cockpit

File:B727 Flight Engineer's Station (7296917410).jpg

Flight engineer's station on a Boeing 727-200F

In 1959, Lord Douglas, chairman of British European Airways (BEA), suggested that Boeing and de Havilland Aircraft Company (later Hawker Siddeley) work together on their trijet designs, the 727 and D.H.121 Trident, respectively. The two designs had a similar layout, the 727 being slightly larger. At that time Boeing intended to use three Allison AR963 turbofan engines, license-built versions of the Rolls-Royce RB163 Spey used by the Trident. Boeing and de Havilland each sent engineers to the other company's locations to evaluate each other's designs, but Boeing eventually decided against the joint venture. De Havilland had wanted Boeing to license-build the D.H.121, while Boeing felt that the aircraft needed to be designed for the American market, with six-abreast seating and the ability to use runways as short as .

In 1960, Pratt & Whitney was looking for a customer for its new JT8D turbofan design study, based on its J52 (JT8A) turbojet, while United and Eastern were interested in a Pratt & Whitney alternative to the RB163 Spey. Once Pratt & Whitney agreed to go ahead with development of the JT8D, Eddie Rickenbacker, chairman of the board of Eastern, told Boeing that the airline preferred the JT8D for its 727s. Boeing had not offered the JT8D, as it was about Template:Cvt heavier than the RB163, though slightly more powerful; the RB163 was also further along in development than the JT8D. Boeing reluctantly agreed to offer the JT8D as an option on the 727, and it later became the sole powerplant.

With high-lift devicesTemplate:Rp on its wing, the 727 could use shorter runways than most earlier jets (e.g. the Template:Cvt runway at Key West International Airport).

A later 727 model, the 727-200, was stretched by 20 feet (6.10 metres) to carry 58 more passengersTemplate:R/superscript and replaced earlier jet airliners on short- and medium-haul routes such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, as well as aging propeller airliners such as the DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, and the Lockheed Constellations.

For over a decade, more 727s were built per year than any other jet airliner; in 1984, production ended with 1,832 built and 1,831 delivered, the highest total for any jet airliner until the 737 surpassed it in the early 1990s.

Design

File:S-duct-Boeing-727.jpg

Diagram of the 727 with engine 2 S-duct in red

File:Northwest Boeing 727 airstair (1975).jpg

A 727 tail (from Northwest Airlines) with its distinctive rear airstairs

The airliner's middle engine (engine 2) at the very rear of the fuselage gets air from an inlet ahead of the vertical fin through an S-shaped duct. This S-duct proved to be troublesome in that flow distortion in the duct induced a surge in the centerline engine on the take-off of the first flight of the 727-100. This was fixed by the addition of several large vortex generators in the inside of the first bend of the duct.

File:Boeing 727-228-Adv, Iran Aseman Airlines AN0923420.jpg

Six-abreast seating in an Iran Aseman Airlines Boeing 727

The 727 was designed for smaller airports, so independence from ground facilities was an important requirement. This led to one of the 727's most distinctive features: the built-in airstair that opens from the rear underbelly of the fuselage, which initially could be opened in flight.Template:Rp Hijacker D. B. Cooper used this hatch when he parachuted from the back of a 727, as it was flying over the Pacific Northwest. Boeing subsequently modified the design with the Cooper vane so that the airstair could not be lowered in flight. The design included an auxiliary power unit (APU), which allowed electrical and air-conditioning systems to run independently of a ground-based power supply, and without having to start one of the main engines. An unusual design feature is that the APU is mounted in a hole in the keel beam web, in the main landing gear bay. The 727 is equipped with a retractable tailskid that is designed to protect the aircraft in the event of an over-rotation on takeoff. The 727's fuselage has an outer diameter of . This allows six-abreast seating (three per side) and a single aisle when wide coach-class seats are installed. An unusual feature of the fuselage is the difference between the lower lobe forward and aft of the wing as the higher fuselage height of the center section was simply retained towards the rear.

Nosewheel brakes were available as an option to reduce braking distance on landing, which provided reduction in braking distances of up to Template:Cvt.

File:AeroSur Boeing 727 Tail (7375662050).jpg

Tail of a Boeing 727 (from AeroSur) with its distinctive T-tail and S-shaped duct feeding the center engine in the tail cone.

The 727 proved to be such a reliable and versatile airliner that it came to form the core of many startup airlines' fleets. The 727 was successful with airlines worldwide partly because it could use smaller runways while still flying medium-range routes. This allowed airlines to carry passengers from cities with large populations, but smaller airports to worldwide tourist destinations. One of the features that gave the 727 its ability to land on shorter runways was its clean wing design.Template:Rp With no wing-mounted engines, leading-edge devices (Krueger, or hinged, flaps on the inner wing and extendable leading edge slats out to the wingtip) and trailing-edge lift enhancement equipment (triple-slotted, Fowler flaps) could be used on the entire wing. Together, these high-lift devices produced a maximum wing lift coefficient of 3.0 (based on the flap-retracted wing area). The 727 was stable at very low speeds compared to other early jets, but some domestic carriers learned after review of various accidents that the 40° flap setting could result in a higher-than-desired sink rate or a stall on final approach. These carriers' Pilots' Operation Handbooks disallowed using more than 30° of flaps on the 727, even going so far as installing plates on the flap lever slot to prevent selection of more than 30° of flaps.

Noise

File:Boeing 737-2B7-Adv, Dasab Airlines AN0992824.jpg

Stage 3 hush kit mixer for the
JT8D-1 through -17 engines

Current regulations require that a 727, or any other Stage 2 noise jetliner in commercial service must be retrofitted with a hush kit to reduce engine noise to Stage 3 levels to continue to fly in U.S. airspace. These regulations have been in effect since December 31, 1999. One such hush kit is offered by FedEx, and has been purchased by over 60 customers. Aftermarket winglet kits, originally developed by Valsan Partners and later marketed by Quiet Wing Corp. have been installed on many 727s to reduce noise at lower speeds, as well as to reduce fuel consumption. In addition, Raisbeck Engineering developed packages to enable 727s to meet the Stage 3 noise requirements. These packages managed to get light- and medium-weight 727s to meet Stage 3 with simple changes to the flap and slat schedules. For heavier-weight 727s, exhaust mixers must be added to meet Stage 3. American Airlines ordered and took delivery of 52 Raisbeck 727 Stage 3 systems. Other customers included TWA, Pan Am, Air Algérie, TAME, and many smaller airlines.

Since September 1, 2010, 727 jetliners (including those with a hush kit) are banned from some Australian airports because they are too loud.

Operational history

File:Boeing 727-25C, FedEx JP110728.jpg

A FedEx Express 727-25C in 1993

File:Boeing 727-247-Adv, Delta Air Lines AN0200778.jpg

Delta Air Lines retired its last 727 from scheduled service in April 2003

File:11gg - Northwest Airlines Boeing 727-251; N203US@FLL;30.01.1998 (8064695962).jpg

Northwest Airlines retired its last 727 from charter service in June 2003

File:Boeing 727-228-Adv, Iran Aseman Airlines AN1003609.jpg

Iran Aseman Airlines operated the last scheduled 727 passenger flight in 2019.

In addition to domestic flights of medium range, the 727 was popular with international passenger airlines.Template:R/superscript The range of flights it could cover (and the additional safety added by the third engine) meant that the 727 proved efficient for short- to medium-range international flights in areas around the world.

The 727 also proved popular with cargo and charter airlines. FedEx Express introduced 727s in 1978. In 1988 in order to make the aircraft quieter, FedEx in collaboration with Pratt & Whitney replaced the side engines with more efficient, quieter Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofan jet engines.

The 727s were the backbone of FedEx's fleet until 2007 when it began replacing them with Boeing 757s.

The 727 had some military uses as well. Since the aft stair could be opened in flight, the Central Intelligence Agency used them to drop agents and supplies behind enemy lines in Vietnam. In early 1988, The Iraqi Air Force modified a Boeing 727 by fitting it with Thomson-CSF TMV-018 Syrel pods for ESM and Raphael-TH pods with side looking radar. Known as 'Faw-727', it was reportedly used as an ELINT platform in the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 (during which it was briefly locked on by a Kuwaiti Mirage F1 on August 2) and the subsequent Iraqi monitoring of Coalition forces during Desert Shield.

A military version, the Boeing C-22, was operated as a medium-range transport aircraft by the Air National Guard and National Guard Bureau to airlift personnel. A total of three C-22Bs were in use, all assigned to the 201st Airlift Squadron, District of Columbia Air National Guard.

At the start of the 21st century, the 727 remained in service with a few large airlines. Faced with higher fuel costs, lower passenger volumes due to the post-9/11 economic climate, increasing restrictions on airport noise, and the extra expenses of maintaining older planes and paying flight engineers' salaries, most major airlines phased out their 727s; they were replaced by twin-engined aircraft, which are quieter and more fuel-efficient. Modern airliners also have a smaller flight deck crew of two pilots, while the 727 required two pilots and a flight engineer. Delta Air Lines, the last major U.S. carrier to do so, retired its last 727 from scheduled service in April 2003. Northwest Airlines retired its last 727 from charter service in June 2003. Many airlines replaced their 727s with either the 737-800 or the Airbus A320; both are close in size to the 727-200. As of July 2013, a total of 109 Boeing 727s were in commercial service with 34 airlines; three years later, the total had fallen to 64 airframes in service with 26 airlines.

On March 2, 2016, the first 727 produced (N7001U), which first flew on February 9, 1963, made a flight to a museum after extensive restoration. The 727-100 had carried about three million passengers during its years of service. Originally a prototype, it was later sold to United Airlines, which donated it to the Museum of Flight in Seattle in 1991. The jet was restored over 25 years by the museum and was ferried from Paine Field in Everett, Washington to Boeing Field in Seattle, where it was put on permanent display at the Aviation Pavilion. The Federal Aviation Administration granted the museum a special permit for the 15-minute flight. The museum's previous 727-223, tail number N874AA, was donated to the National Airline History Museum in Kansas City and was planned to be flown to its new home once FAA ferry approval was granted. After a series of financial problems with the restoration, N874AA was seized by Boeing Field for nonpayment of storage fees in 2021 and subsequently broken up and scrapped.

Iran Aseman Airlines, the last passenger airline operator, made the worldwide last scheduled 727 passenger flight on January 13, 2019 between Zahedan and Tehran.

Variants

Data from: Boeing Aircraft since 1916.

The two series of 727 are the initial -100 (originally only two figures as in -30), which was launched in 1960 and entered service in February 1964, and the -200 series, which was launched in 1965 and entered service in December 1967.

727-100

File:Lufthansa Boeing 727-30C Fitzgerald.jpg

The initial 727-100 (from Lufthansa here) is Template:Cvt long.

File:Boeing C-22A (727-30), USA - Air Force AN1131866.jpg

The sole C-22A.

The first 727-100 (N7001U) flew on February 9, 1963. FAA type approval was awarded on December 24 of that year, with initial delivery to United Airlines on October 29, 1963, to allow pilot training to commence. The first 727 passenger service was flown by Eastern Air Lines on February 1, 1964, between Miami, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia.

A total of 571 Boeing 727-00/100 series aircraft were delivered (407 -100s, 53 -100Cs, and 111 -100QCs), the last in October 1972. One 727-100 was retained by Boeing, bringing total production to 572.

The -100 designation was assigned retroactively to distinguish the original short-body version. Prior to the introduction of the 727-200, all short-body aircraft followed a "727-00" pattern. Aircraft were delivered for United Airlines as 727-22, for American Airlines as 727-23 and these designations were retained even after the advent of the 727-200. However, short-body aircraft ordered after the introduction of the 727-200 followed the new "727-100" pattern (i.e. 727-123 for American Airlines).

727-100C

Convertible passenger cargo version, additional freight door and strengthened floor and floor beams, three alternative fits:

• 94 mixed-class passengers
• 52 mixed-class passengers and four cargo pallets (Template:Cvt)
• Eight cargo pallets (Template:Cvt)

727-100QC

QC stands for Quick Change. This is similar to the convertible version with a roller-bearing floor for palletised galley and seating and cargo to allow a much faster changeover time of 30 minutes.

File:Boeing 727-22C(QF), United Parcel Service - UPS (Star Air) AN0780472.jpg

A 727-100QF of UPS Airlines. The air intake for the #2 engine has a distinctive "hump" on converted aircraft.

727-100QF

QF stands for Quiet Freighter. A cargo conversion for United Parcel Service, these were re-engined with Stage 3-compliant Rolls-Royce Tay turbofans.

Boeing C-22A

A single 727-30 acquired from the Federal Aviation Administration, this aircraft was originally delivered to Lufthansa. It served mostly with United States Southern Command flying from Panama City / Howard Air Force Base.

Boeing C-22B

Four 727-35 aircraft were acquired from National Airlines by the United States Air Force for transporting Air National Guard and National Guard personnel.

727-200

File:Boeing 727-284, Olympic AN0200668.jpg

The 727-200 (here from Olympic Airways) is Template:Cvt longer. This aircraft is the prototype of 727-200

A stretched version of the 727-100, the -200 is longer () than the -100 (). A Template:Cvt fuselage section ("plug") was added in front of the wings and another 10 ft fuselage section was added behind them. The wing span and height remain the same on both the -100 and -200 (, respectively). The original 727-200 had the same maximum gross weight as the 727-100; however, as the aircraft evolved, a series of higher gross weights and more powerful engines were introduced along with other improvements, and from line number 881, 727-200s are dubbed -200 Advanced. The aircraft gross weight eventually increased from for the latest versions. The dorsal intake of the number-two engine was also redesigned to be round in shape, rather than oval as it was on the -100 series.

The first 727-200 flew on July 27, 1967, and received FAA certification on November 30, 1967. The first delivery was made on December 14, 1967, to Northeast Airlines. A total of 310 727-200s were delivered before the -200 was replaced on the production line by the 727-200 Advanced in 1972.

727-200C

A convertible passenger cargo version; only one was built.

727-200 Advanced

File:Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Boeing 727-259 CP-2429 Cochabamba 2007-08-18.jpg

A 727-200 Advanced (from Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano), equipped with winglets

The Advanced version of the 727-200 was introduced in 1970. It featured powerful engines, fuel capacity and MTOW (Template:Cvt) increased the range from Template:Cvt or by 32%. After the first delivery in mid-1972, Boeing eventually raised production to more than a hundred per year to meet demand by the late 1970s. Of the passenger model of the 727-200 Advanced, a total of 935 were delivered, after which it had to give way to a new generation of aircraft.

File:Boeing 727 donation 26 (19129624324).jpg

Freighter cargo hold

727-200F Advanced

A freighter version of the 727-200 Advanced became available in 1981, designated the Series 200F Advanced. Powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17A engines, it featured a strengthened fuselage structure, an Template:Cvt by Template:Cvt forward main deck freight door, and a windowless cabin. Fifteen of these aircraft were built, all for Federal Express. This was the last production variant of the 727 to be developed by Boeing; the last 727 aircraft completed by Boeing was a 727-200F Advanced.

File:Super 27 - HK-4637 Boeing 727 LAS Líneas Aéreas Suramericanas (7918576726).jpg

The "Super 27" re-engine has larger JT8D-200 side engines

Super 27

Certificated by Valsan Partners in December 1988 and marketed by Goodrich from 1997, the side engines are replaced by more efficient, quieter JT8D-217C/219, and the center engine gains a hush kit for $8.6 million (but loses the thrust reverser) (2000): fuel consumption is reduced by 10-12%, range and restricted airfield performance are improved.

Boeing C-22C

One 727-212 aircraft was operated by the US Air Force.

Proposed

727-300

A proposed 169-seat version was developed in consultation with United Airlines in 1972, which initially expressed an interest in ordering 50 aircraft. Also, interest was shown from Indian Airlines for a one-class version with 180 seats. The fuselage would have been lengthened by and the undercarriage strengthened. The three engines would have been replaced by two more powerful JT8D-217 engines under the T tail. Many cockpit components would have been in common with the 737-200 and improved engine management systems would have eliminated the need for the flight engineer. United did not proceed with its order and Indian Airlines instead ordered the larger Airbus A300, so the project was cancelled in 1976.

727-400

A concept with a fuselage and two high-bypass turbofan engines under the wings (but retaining the T tail) was proposed in 1977. More compact systems, a redesign of the internal space, and removing the need for the flight engineer would have increased the capacity to 189 seats in a two-class configuration. After only a few months, the concept was developed into the Boeing 7N7 design, which eventually became the Boeing 757.

Other variants

Faw-727

This Boeing 727 was reportedly modified by Iraq in early 1988 to serve as an ELINT platform. It was used during the invasion of Kuwait and Operation Desert Shield.

Comparison of variants

Below is a list of major differences between the 727 variants. Template:Sticky header

Variant	727-100	727-200	727-200 Advanced
Passenger capacity	125	155
Length	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
Height	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
MTOW	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
OEW	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
Fuel capacity	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
Engines ×3	Pratt & Whitney JT8D-1/7/9	JT8D-7/9/11	JT8D-9/15/17/17R
Thrust ×3	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
RangeTemplate:Efn	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
Take-offTemplate:Efn	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt
Cruise speed	Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt

Operators

Current operators

Commercial operators

File:B727-200(F) HK-5216 Aerosucre.jpg

Aerosucre was one of the few remaining commercial operators of the 727 until December 12, 2025 when the last unit was damaged at Ernesto Cortissoz in Barranquilla. Pictured here is a 727-200(F) in 2018.

As of January 2026, Boeing 727s were in commercial service, operated by the following companies:

• Safe Air Company (3 - 5Y-GMA, 5Y-JIB and one delivered from Kyrgyzstan as EX-27011)

• IFL Group (2 - N215WE, N216WE)
• USA Jet Airlines (2 - N726US, N727US)

Air Class Lineas Aereas (2 - CX-CLC, CX-CAR)

• Solar Cargo (2 - YV665T, YV668T)

Government, military, and other operators

File:Boeing 727-29C, Belgium - Air Force JP74880.jpg

A 727-100 of the Belgian Air Force in 1988

File:XT-BFA B727 Burkina Faso (6328516101).jpg

XT-BFA of the Burkina Faso Government departing Rotterdam The Hague Airport in 2011.

In addition, the 727 is used by the following military operators and corporations as of 2026.

Private aircraft

A number of 727s have been outfitted for use as private aircraft, especially since the early 1990s, when major airlines began to eliminate older 727-100 models from their fleet. Future U.S. President Donald Trump traveled in a former American Airlines 727-100 with a dining room, a bedroom, and shower facilities known as Trump Force One before upgrading to a larger Boeing 757 in 2009; Peter Nygård acquired a 727-100 for private use in 2005. American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein owned a private 727 nicknamed the "Lolita Express".

Orders and deliveries

Year	Total	1984	1983	1982	1981	1980	1979	1978	1977	1976	1975	1974	1973
Orders	1,831	0	1	11	38	68	98	125	133	113	50	88	92
Deliveries	1,831	8	11	26	94	131	136	118	67	61	91	91	92

Year	1972	1971	1970	1969	1968	1967	1966	1965	1964	1963	1962	1961	1960
Orders	119	26	48	64	66	125	149	187	83	20	10	37	80
Deliveries	41	33	55	114	160	155	135	111	95	6	0	0

Source: Data from Boeing, through the end of production

Boeing 727 orders and deliveries (cumulative, by year):
<timeline> ImageSize = width:auto height:250 barincrement:45 PlotArea = left:35 bottom:15 top:10 right:18 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:0 till:2000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:200 start:0

PlotData=

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 bar:1961 from:start till: 117 text: 117 align:center shift:(0,-2)
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 bar:1963 from:start till: 147 text: 147 align:center shift:(0,2)
 bar:1964 from:start till: 230 text: 230 align:center shift:(0,1)
 bar:1965 from:start till: 417 text: 417 align:center shift:(0,8)
 bar:1966 from:start till: 566 text: 566 align:center shift:(0,18)
 bar:1967 from:start till: 691 text: 691 align:center shift:(0,25)
 bar:1968 from:start till: 757 text: 757 align:center shift:(0,32)
 bar:1969 from:start till: 821 text: 821 align:center shift:(0,37)
 bar:1970 from:start till: 869 text: 869 align:center shift:(0,39)
 bar:1971 from:start till: 895 text: 895 align:center shift:(0,41)
 bar:1972 from:start till: 1014 text: 1014 align:center shift:(0,46)
 bar:1973 from:start till: 1106 text: 1106 align:center shift:(0,50)
 bar:1974 from:start till: 1194 text: 1194 align:center shift:(0,54)
 bar:1975 from:start till: 1244 text: 1244 align:center shift:(0,59)
 bar:1976 from:start till: 1357 text: 1357 align:center shift:(0,64)
 bar:1977 from:start till: 1490 text: 1490 align:center shift:(0,70)
 bar:1978 from:start till: 1615 text: 1615 align:center shift:(0,76)
 bar:1979 from:start till: 1713 text: 1713 align:center shift:(0,82)
 bar:1980 from:start till: 1781 text: 1781 align:center shift:(0,88)
 bar:1981 from:start till: 1819 text: 1819 align:center shift:(0,90)
 bar:1982 from:start till: 1830 text: 1830 align:center shift:(0,90)
 bar:1983 from:start till: 1831 text: 1831 align:center shift:(0,90)

 color:green width:45–
 bar:1963 from:start till: 6 text: 6 align:center shift:(0,-1)
 bar:1964 from:start till: 101 text: 101 align:center shift:(0,-4)
 bar:1965 from:start till: 212 text: 212 align:center shift:(0,-3)
 bar:1966 from:start till: 347 text: 347 align:center
 bar:1967 from:start till: 502 text: 502 align:center
 bar:1968 from:start till: 662 text: 662 align:center
 bar:1969 from:start till: 776 text: 776 align:center
 bar:1970 from:start till: 831 text: 831 align:center
 bar:1971 from:start till: 864 text: 864 align:center
 bar:1972 from:start till: 905 text: 905 align:center
 bar:1973 from:start till: 997 text: 997 align:center
 bar:1974 from:start till: 1088 text: 1088 align:center
 bar:1975 from:start till: 1179 text: 1179 align:center
 bar:1976 from:start till: 1240 text: 1240 align:center
 bar:1977 from:start till: 1307 text: 1307 align:center
 bar:1978 from:start till: 1425 text: 1425 align:center
 bar:1979 from:start till: 1561 text: 1561 align:center
 bar:1980 from:start till: 1692 text: 1692 align:center
 bar:1981 from:start till: 1786 text: 1786 align:center
 bar:1982 from:start till: 1812 text: 1812 align:center
 bar:1983 from:start till: 1823 text: 1823 align:center
 bar:1984 from:start till: 1831 text: 1831 align:center

</timeline>

Template:Legend inline Template:Legend inline

Model summary

Model Series	ICAO code	Orders	Deliveries
727-100	B721/R721Template:Efn	407	407
727-100C	B721	164	164
727-200	B722	1245	1245
727-200F	B722/R722Template:Efn	15	15
Total		1831	1831

Source: Boeing

Accidents and incidents

As of March 2024, a total of 353 incidents involving 727s had occurred, including 120 hull-loss accidents resulting in a total of 4,211 fatalities. The deadliest incident involving the 727 was Mexicana Flight 940 which took place on March 31, 1986, with 167 fatalities.

Aircraft on display

A large number of surviving retired 727s remain, largely as a result of donation by FedEx of 84 of them to various institutions. The vast majority of the aircraft was given to university aviation maintenance programs. All but seven are located within the United States. Notable aircraft include:

Denmark

• G-BNNI Lady PatriciaTemplate:Snd 727-276 was last flown by Sabre Airways in 2000. Purchased by 727 Communications, an advertising company in Skanderborg, Denmark, it now serves as a conference room and billboard at their offices.

France

• N166FE Bud - 727-100F is on static display at Musée de l'air et de l'espace in Le Bourget, France. It was formerly operated by FedEx and donated to the museum in 2007.

Greece

• SX-CBA, the first Boeing 727 delivered for Olympic Airways, is preserved at the Sourmena Stadium in Elliniko.

Malaysia

File:Terminal Sekinchan.jpg

An displayed Boeing 727 painted in Cuckoo Electronics livery

• 9M-NEP - Formerly operated by Gading Sari Aviation Services, now preserved as Terminal Sekinchan in Sekinchan, Selangor, Malaysia.

Mexico

• XC-FPA – 727-264/Adv, last operated by the Mexican Federal Police, is on display in Parque Tangamanga, San Luis Potosí City, Mexico.

United Kingdom

• VP-CMN "PYTCHAir" - 727-46 is located in Bristol, UK, and was purchased by technology investor Johnny Palmer for his media company PYTCH. The fuselage is resting atop a series of shipping containers and was transported in February 2021.

United States

• N7001U – 727-022 is on static display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. It was the first 727 completed. It departed from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, and landed at the museum on March 2, 2016.
• N7004U – 727-022 is in storage at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona. It was the first 727 delivered to a customer and the first to make a commercial flight.
• N7017U – 727 is on static display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois. It was donated by United Airlines. It features cutaway sections showing airplane framework and lavatory, cockpit view, and a few rows of seating.
• N186FE – 727-100 is on static display at Owens Community College in Perrysburg, Ohio. It formerly was operated by FedEx and donated by the company in 2007.
• N199FE – 727-173C is on static display at the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita, Kansas. It was formerly operated by FedEx as N199FE.
• N113FE Jarrod – 727-022C is in storage at the National Museum of Commercial Aviation in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formerly operated by FedEx as N113FE, and by United Airlines before that as N7437U.

File:Boeing 727-233(A)(F) 'Tampa Bay Pacemaker' (N265FE, msn 21671, ln 1523) (4-9-2024).jpg

N265FE Paul – 727-227F is on static display at the Florida Air Museum in Lakeland, Florida.

• N265FE Paul – 727-227F is on static display at the Florida Air Museum in Lakeland, Florida. It was formerly operated by FedEx.
• N492FE Two Bears – 727-227F is on static display at FLY8MA in Big Lake, Alaska. It was transported from Anchorage, Alaska to The FLY8MA Pilot Lodge in April 2023, and converted into an airplane home.
• N242FE Brittney – 727-277F is on static display with only its nose section intact at the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, California; it was donated by FedEx after retirement, and underwent a complete restoration in the fall of 2018.
• N149FE, a 727-22 (S/N 19807) manufactured in 1967, is on static display at Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was formerly used by the FedEx Express before being donated to TIMCO (now AAR Corp.) as a maintenance training aid before being donated to Guilford Technical Community College for use as a training aid for their Aircraft maintenance technician program.

Specifications (Boeing 727-100 with JT8D-7)

File:Boeing 727 family v1.0.png

A comparison of the different 727 variants

Data from

General characteristics

• Crew: 3
• Capacity: 106 passengers in two classes, 125 in one classTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convert
• Fuel capacity: Template:CvtTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/length

PerformanceTemplate:Aircraft specs/speed

• Maximum speed: Mach 0.9Template:Aircraft specs/speedTemplate:Aircraft specs/speedTemplate:Aircraft specs/speedTemplate:Aircraft specs/speedTemplate:Aircraft specs/rangeTemplate:Aircraft specs/rangeTemplate:Aircraft specs/rangeTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convert
• Takeoff distance: Template:Cvt

See also

• 2012 Boeing 727 crash experiment
• Notable appearances in media

Related development

• Boeing 707
• Boeing 737
• Boeing 7J7
• Boeing 757

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Hawker Siddeley Trident
• BAC One-Eleven
• McDonnell Douglas DC-9
• Tupolev Tu-154

Related lists

• List of civil aircraft
• List of jet airliners

External links

• 727 Datacenter | website dedicated to the history of the Boeing's trijet (http://727datacenter.net/)
• Encyclopedia 727 | Book series with 5 volumes about the Boeing 727. Volume 1 already available (https://www.enciclopedia727.com.br/en)
• 727 prototype on rbogash.com
• Boeing-727.com site
• Fatal Boeing 727 Events on Airsafe.com