The first 271 737s were
assembled at Boeing
Field/King County before
production was moved to
nearby Renton in 1970.
WIKICOMMONS/JELSON25The first prototype N73700
(c/n 19437) was officially
rolled out in December 1966,
adorned with Boeing’s
distinctive yellow and
brown house livery. The jet
completed its maiden flight
the following April, kicking
off a 1,300hr, six-aircraft
certification programme.
BOEINGHaving failed to secure a
large-volume order from a
major domestic customer,
the 737 programme was
instead launched on the
back of a 21-aircraft
commitment from German
flag carrier Lufthansa.
KEY COLLECTION/BOEING30 AIRLINER WORLD JUNE 2018
the extra weight of the larger fin, the jet
was still 1,543lb (700kg) lighter than an
equivalent, rear-engined design.
Where the twinjet really stood out
from its siblings was in its wing, which
was designed to deliver good lift and
low-speed handling characteristics
for short field operations, economic
high-speed performance at the
relatively low altitudes of short-range
commuter services, and space to
accommodate sufficient fuel for flights
of up to 1,000 miles (1,609km).
It was thicker than that of the 727 and
had a less acute sweepback, though the
737 inherited leading edge Kruger flaps,
outer span leading edge slats and triple
slotted trailing edge flaps, along with
the same Pratt & Whitney (P&W)
JT8D-7 engines.
Low running costs were also a key
design requirement, and Boeing
incorporated several novel features to
reduce weight. When retracted, the
main landing gear folded into an
opening in the fuselage, effectively
sealing itself and eliminating the need
for heavy doors.International Rescue
By the end of 1964, the Seattle manu-
facturer was locked in a bitter sales bat-
tle with rival firm, the Douglas Aircraft
Company. The British-built One-Eleven
had already secured sales in the US and
Boeing was reluctant to proceed with
the 737 unless it secured a large-volume
order from one of the leading domestic
carriers, namely United Air Lines and
Eastern Airlines.
Ultimately, it was the intervention of
German national carrier Lufthansa that
decided the future of the new
aircraft. Having been in discussion
with Boeing over a potential order, thethe redesign reduce drag, but it also
gave a more favourable centre of
gravity, a quieter aft cabin with more
usable space, and easier access for
maintenance.
It did, however, come with some
downfalls. The problem of excessive
asymmetric thrust was a relatively new
one for Boeing; like the Caravelle,
the impact of an engine failure was
relatively benign on the 727 tri-jet
while symptoms were also less-notable
on the four-engined 707. To combat the
potential difficulties, the 737 was given
a taller, redesigned tail fin to provide
greater directional stability – even with