Aero Benin was an airline , based in Benin but registered in Germany, which carried out land and sea freight as well as passenger services. As of 8 April 2009 it is banned within the European Union and as of July, 2012, it is inactive.
94-446: Aero Benin appear not to have had a fleet of their own, rather they code-shared with Boeing 727 aircraft (and Boeing 737 aircraft for flights between N'Djamena and Cotonou) Aero Benin flew the following routes: Brazzaville - Cotonou - Johannesburg - Libreville - N'Djamena - Senou - This article relating to an African airline is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Benin -related article
188-574: A Scottish Aviation DC-3 conversion featuring British instrumentation and an increased seating capacity of 32. In addition to having 38 DC-3s converted to Pionair passenger carriers, BEA had a further 10 DC-3s modified as "Leopard" class freighters. The same year, BEA introduced its first tourist class on Viking services. This entailed re-configuring a total of 49 aircraft in a 36-seat, single class layout. BEA referred to its re-configured, all-tourist class Vikings as "Admiral" class [aircraft]. In 1952, BEA carried its one-millionth passenger and introduced
282-493: A legal monopoly as the sole short-haul scheduled British airline. Due to BEA's inability to take over the UK domestic flights of independent scheduled operators such as Railway Air Services , Allied Airways (Gandar Dower) and British Channel Islands Airways on 1 August, these independents continued to ply their scheduled routes under contract to BEA until they were absorbed into the corporation in 1947. The first flight operated by
376-420: A "727-00" pattern. Aircraft were delivered for United Airlines as 727-22, for American Airlines as 727-23, and so on (not -122, -123, etc.) and these designations were retained even after the advent of the 727-200. Convertible passenger cargo version, additional freight door and strengthened floor and floor beams, three alternative fits: QC stands for Quick Change. This is similar to the convertible version with
470-574: A 33⅓% minority shareholding in Welsh independent regional airline Cambrian Airways. In March 1958, BEA ordered six de Havilland DH106 Comet 4B jet aircraft for delivery from 1960. This was BEA's answer to the impending introduction of the Sud-Est Caravelle , Air France 's new short-/medium- range jet , on the French flag carrier's European , North African and Middle Eastern network, including
564-410: 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
658-511: A few months, the concept was developed into the Boeing 7N7 design, which eventually became the Boeing 757 . 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. As of October 2024 , 9 Boeing 727s were in commercial service, operated by the following companies: In addition,
752-443: 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 Jeffrey Epstein owned a private 727 nicknamed the "Lolita Express". The Gettys bought N311AG from Revlon in 1986, and Gordon Getty acquired the aircraft in 2001. As of March 2024 ,
846-629: 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,
940-469: 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. A single 727-212 aircraft was operated by the USAF. 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
1034-512: A hush kit) are banned from some Australian airports because they are too loud. In addition to domestic flights of medium range, the 727 was popular with international passenger airlines. 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. The 727s were
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#17328555062421128-509: A launch order from BEA depended on scaling down the original design, in the belief that the Vickers Vanguard high-capacity turboprops it had ordered the year before would remain competitive against jets on trunk routes as a result of lower operating and seat-mile costs. BEA's insistence on building the Trident smaller with less powerful engines and a lower fuel capacity than originally proposed
1222-719: A network of routes within the Channel Islands and expand services between the islands and the UK mainland . In 1953, BEA began receiving the first 16 Viscount 701 turboprops it had ordered in August 1950. The first of these "Discovery" class aircraft entered service with 47 mixed-class seats in April 1953, and the first production aircraft (G-AMAV) went on to win the transport class of the 1953 London to Christchurch, New Zealand, air race , with BEA MD Peter Masefield as team manager and co-pilot . 1953
1316-474: A one-class version with 180 seats. The fuselage would have been lengthened by 18 feet (5.5 m) 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
1410-668: A profit of £2.09 million. On 1 April 1960, BEA began commercial jet operations with its new Comet 4Bs. On that day, the airline commenced jet operations from Heathrow to Athens, Istanbul , Moscow , Munich , Rome and Warsaw with an initial, five-strong Comet fleet. By June, this fleet grew to seven (out of an eventual 18) aircraft, enabling the launch of additional jet services to Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Düsseldorf , Malta , Zürich and Frankfurt . On 27 September 1960, BEA welcomed its 25-millionth passenger. Also in 1960, BEA took delivery of its final two Viscount 701s bringing its total fleet strength of this sub-type to 50. 1960
1504-674: 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,
1598-427: 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 148 inches (3.8 m). This allows six-abreast seating (three per side) and a single aisle when 18-inch (46 cm) wide coach-class seats are installed. An unusual feature of the fuselage is the 10-inch (25 cm) difference between the lower lobe forward and aft of
1692-406: A roller-bearing floor for palletised galley and seating and/or cargo to allow much faster changeover time (30 minutes). QF stands for Quiet Freighter. A cargo conversion for United Parcel Service , these were re-engined with Stage 3 -compliant Rolls-Royce Tay turbofans. A stretched version of the 727-100, the -200 is 20 feet (6.1 m) longer (153 feet 2 inches;46.69 m) than
1786-456: A separate legal entity on 1 April 1974 when the merger with BOAC to form British Airways (BA) took effect. The name was revived by British Airways from 1991 to 2008 when it changed the name of an existing subsidiary, British Airways Tour Operations Limited to British European Airways Limited . British Airways Tour Operations Limited was itself founded in 1935 as an air travel company, named Silver Wing Surface Arrangements Limited . With
1880-404: 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 169,000 to 209,500 pounds (76,700 to 95,000 kg) 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
1974-622: A single class. Launched in 1965, the stretched 727-200 flew in July 1967 and entered service with Northeast Airlines that December. The 20 ft (6.1 m) longer variant typically carries 134 passengers in two classes over 2,550 nmi (4,720 km; 2,930 mi), 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
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#17328555062422068-499: 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
2162-457: A total of 353 incidents involving 727s had occurred, including 120 hull-loss accidents resulting in a total of 4,211 fatalities. British European Airways British European Airways ( BEA ), formally British European Airways Corporation , was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. BEA operated to Europe , North Africa and the Middle East from airports around
2256-464: 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. 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
2350-639: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Boeing 727 The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes . After the heavier 707 quad-jet 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,
2444-692: The Associated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC), which had been formed of several pre-war charter companies on 27 June 1940. BOAC formed a British European Airways division on 1 January 1946 in anticipation of that year's Civil Aviation Act. Following its formation, BOAC's new division began taking over Transport Command's operations from 4 March 1946. On that day, it inaugurated a weekly Dakota service from Northolt to Madrid and Gibraltar , followed by additional Dakota services to Stavanger and Oslo , Copenhagen , as well as Athens via Marseille and Rome . On each of these flights, half of
2538-702: The Attlee government lifted wartime restrictions on civil flying in the United Kingdom. Within Europe, this resulted in BOAC resuming Imperial Airways ' pre- war routes to continental Europe augmented by Royal Air Force Transport Command non-military flights from Croydon Airport , using Douglas Dakotas in RAF livery flown by crews in RAF uniforms, and UK domestic air services operated by
2632-607: 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 4,500 feet (1,400 m). In 1960, Pratt & Whitney
2726-505: The jet age in 1960 with de Havilland 's DH106 Comet 4B . On 1 April 1964, it became the first to operate the DH121 Trident ; on 10 June 1965, a BEA Trident 1C performed the world's first automatic landing during a scheduled commercial air service. For most of its existence, BEA was headquartered at BEAline House in Ruislip , London Borough of Hillingdon . BEA ceased to exist as
2820-711: The number two engine location were prohibitive. 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
2914-406: The -100 (133 feet 2 inches;40.59 m). A 10-ft (3-m) 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 (108 and 34 feet (33 and 10 m), respectively). The original 727-200 had the same maximum gross weight as the 727-100; however, as the aircraft evolved,
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3008-525: The 1960s, licences to operate rival international scheduled services on several trunk routes from London Heathrow and Gatwick respectively, these airlines were unable to use them without actual traffic rights. For example, lack of traffic rights prevented BUA from running direct London (Gatwick) – Paris (Le Bourget) scheduled flights although it held a licence for that route, which the ATLB had awarded it in late 1961. In that case, BUA's failure to obtain traffic rights
3102-445: The 40-degree 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. The 727 is one of the noisiest commercial jetliners, categorized as Stage 2 by the U.S. Noise Control Act of 1972, which mandated
3196-460: The 727 has seen sporadic government use, having flown for the Belgian , Yugoslav , Mexican , New Zealand , and Panama air forces, along with a small group of government agencies that have used it. 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. Donald Trump traveled in
3290-469: 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 133-foot-long (41 m) 727-100 typically carries 106 passengers in two classes over 2,250 nautical miles [nmi] (4,170 km; 2,590 mi), or 129 in
3384-483: The 727-200 Advanced, a total of 935 were delivered, after which it had to give way to a new generation of aircraft. 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 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) by 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) forward main deck freight door, and
3478-411: The 727-200 was introduced in 1970. It featured powerful engines, fuel capacity and MTOW (185,800–210,000 lb or 84.3–95.3 t) increased the range from 1,930 to 2,550 nmi (3,570 to 4,720 km; 2,220 to 2,930 mi) 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
3572-435: 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
3666-411: The ATLB that there were sufficient passengers to justify the proposed scheduled services, that these stood a reasonable chance of becoming profitable and that they opened up new markets rather than divert traffic from the corporations to overcome the latter's objections. Although the ATLB granted British Eagle and British United Airways (BUA), BEA's and BOAC's two biggest independent competitors during
3760-565: 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 on short- and medium-haul routes. 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. The airliner's middle engine (engine 2) at
3854-601: The Chinese CAAC Airlines ), only the "Big Four" US airlines – American Airlines, United Airlines, Pan Am and TWA – carried more. By that time, BEA served most major European cities, with the network stretching as far east as Moscow, Kuwait and Doha as well as North Africa to the south, and it was furthermore a founder/minority shareholder of Alitalia , Aer Lingus , Cyprus Airways, Gibraltar Airways and Jersey Airlines. In 1961, BEA placed an order for three Armstrong Whitworth Argosy all-cargo aircraft. These were
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3948-774: The Cold War agreements regulating air travel within Germany. The company slogan was Number One in Europe. Formed as the British European Airways division of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) on 1 January 1946, BEA became a crown corporation in its own right on 1 August 1946. Operations commenced from Croydon and Northolt airports, with DH89A Dragon Rapides and Douglas DC-3s . Having established its main operating base at Northolt, BEA operated its first service from Heathrow in April 1950; by late 1954, all Northolt operations had moved to Heathrow, which remained
4042-598: The Dakota's 16 seats were reserved for UK government officials. Initially, crews continued to wear BOAC uniforms. Although some services still used Croydon for some time, the main operating base moved to RAF Northolt . On 1 August 1946, the Civil Aviation Act 1946 was given Royal Assent and passed into law. This established BEA as a crown corporation in its own right (British European Airways Corporation ) and transferred primary responsibility for scheduled air services from
4136-641: The JT8D, as it was about 1,000 lb (450 kg) 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 devices on its wing, the 727 could use shorter runways than most earlier jets (e.g. the 4800-ft runway at Key West International Airport ). Later 727 models were stretched to carry more passengers and replaced earlier jet airliners such as
4230-532: The London terminal for all international flights. Although it continued to use Northolt as a London terminal for domestic flights serving Manchester, Edinburgh, Renfrew (Glasgow) , Aberdeen , Belfast and the Channel Islands which by that time were mainly operated by 36-seater "Admiral" class Vikings, these were wound down in favour of concentrating all of BEA's London flights at Heathrow. A Jersey-bound Pionair in October 1954
4324-508: 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
4418-664: The UK to Europe (including the British Isles) to BEA. To fulfill its role as the new short- and medium-haul British flag carrier , BEA was organised into two divisions based at Northolt and Liverpool Speke respectively, with the former responsible for all scheduled services to the Continent and the latter for all scheduled services within the British Isles. The Civil Aviation Act 1946 furthermore provided for nationalisation of private, independent British scheduled airlines and gave BEA
4512-627: The United Kingdom. The airline was also the largest UK domestic operator, serving major British cities, including London , Manchester , Glasgow , Edinburgh and Belfast , as well as areas of the British Isles such as the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man . BEA also operated a network of internal German routes between West Berlin and West Germany as part of
4606-584: The Viscount 630 prototype on the London–Paris and London–Edinburgh routes, BEA ordered 20 Viscount 701s in August 1950 for delivery from 1953. Also in 1950, BEA informed Vickers of its requirement for an aircraft with 10% lower costs per seat-mile than the 800 series Viscount . This provided the impetus for Vickers to begin developing the four-engined Vanguard high-capacity turboprop in 1953. Peter Masefield's arrival as managing director (MD) in 1950 marked
4700-548: 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
4794-548: The airline's main operating base until the merger with BOAC in 1974. During 1952, BEA carried its millionth passenger, and by the early 1960s it had become the Western world's fifth-biggest passenger-carrying airline and the biggest outside the United States . In 1950, BEA operated the world's first turbine-powered commercial air service with Vickers ' Viscount 630 prototype , from London to Paris . The airline entered
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#17328555062424888-447: 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
4982-516: The backbone of its fleet until the 2000s; FedEx began replacing them with Boeing 757s in 2007. Many cargo airlines worldwide employ the 727 as a workhorse, since, as it is being phased out of U.S. domestic service because of noise regulations, it becomes available to overseas users in areas where such noise regulations have not yet been instituted. Charter airlines Sun Country , Champion Air , and Ryan International Airlines all started with 727 aircraft. The 727 had some military uses as well. Since
5076-433: The beginning of BEA's commercialisation. This entailed introduction of new cost control measures and innovative methods to boost revenue and passenger loads , including off-peak fares on late-evening flights and high-frequency services on the London–Paris route. BEA's new commercially aggressive approach soon resulted in monthly earnings of £ 1 million. In early 1951, BEA introduced its first "Pionair" class Douglas DC-3,
5170-427: The corporations would object to applications by independent airlines seeking to be licensed as competitors to the state airlines. Each application by an independent airline for a scheduled route licence was heard by the newly established Air Transport Licensing Board (ATLB), the new UK government body in charge of air transport economic regulation that succeeded ATAC. At these hearings, the independents needed to convince
5264-830: The first 11 of an eventual 83 Vickers Viking piston-engined airliners. These were BEA's first new aircraft, which it leased from the UK government. The first Viking revenue service departed Northolt for Copenhagen on 1 September 1946. Compared with the Dakota, the Viking took 35 minutes less to reach Copenhagen from London. Following their introduction on the London–Copenhagen route, Vikings began replacing Dakotas on BEA's services to Amsterdam, Oslo, Stockholm , Gibraltar and Prague . In November 1946, BEA's first service to Northern Ireland departed Croydon for Belfast ( Sydenham ) via Liverpool , using an ex- Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 52/3m operated by independent airline Railway Air Services on
5358-516: The first independents merged into the new corporation. 1947 was also the year BEA operated its first scheduled all-cargo flight from Northolt to Brussels with a DC-3 freighter. The same year, it inaugurated a scheduled service between Land's End Airport in southwest Cornwall , England , and St Mary's Airport on the largest island of the Isles of Scilly archipelago off the southwest coast of Cornwall, using "Islander" class Dragon Rapides. Despite
5452-545: The first of 20 Airspeed Ambassadors . These cost £3 million and featured a 49-seat mixed-class layout. BEA's first commercial Ambassador service left London for Paris on 13 March 1952. Flights to Milan and Vienna began the following month. These aircraft introduced the airline's passengers to new standards of comfort and speed. Compared with BEA's older piston types, the Ambassador's flight time from London to Milan, for example, reduced by two hours. In June 1952 BEA re-launched
5546-484: The first two airlines to be given associate status by BEA in May 1948. These arrangements enabled the latter to contract the operation of a new feeder route between Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare to both of the former, which respectively used Dragon Rapides and Avro Ansons to provide a daily service. East Anglian Flying Services (EAFS) was another early BEA associate. The association agreement between BEA and EAFS resulted in
5640-554: The fledgling corporation's behalf. The following month, BEA's Belfast operations transferred to Nutts Corner while Dakotas replaced the "Jupiter" class Ju 52s from 1947. On 1 February 1947, the process of merging the wholly private, independent airlines operating in the UK under the AAJC umbrella into BEA began. Railway Air Services, Isle of Man Air Services , and Scottish Airways (which had been formed in 1937 by merging Northern & Scottish Airways and Highland Airways ) were among
5734-517: The former. In its 1955–56 financial year, BEA carried more than two million passengers for the first time at an all-time high average load factor of 69.4%. During that period, it recorded a profit of £603,614, mainly as a result of revenue growth accounted for by the Viscount fleet. In 1956, BEA acquired a 25% minority shareholding in Jersey Airlines and the corporation's Southampton – Guernsey and Southampton– Alderney routes transferred to
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#17328555062425828-462: The gradual introduction of quieter Stage 3 aircraft. The 727's JT8D jet engines use older low-bypass turbofan technology, whereas Stage 3 aircraft use the more efficient and quieter high-bypass turbofan design. When the Stage 3 requirement was being proposed, Boeing engineers analyzed the possibility of incorporating quieter engines on the 727. They determined that the JT8D-200 engine could be used on
5922-413: The independent. 1956 was also the year BEA began using Viscounts for nightfreight operations to increase cargo capacity as well as the aircraft's utilisation. While BEA continued taking delivery of Viscount 701s, it placed its first order for 12 larger 66- to 68-seat Viscount 802/806s . These were delivered from February 1957. By 1958, BEA had 77 Viscounts in service. On 7 February 1958, BEA acquired
6016-508: 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. 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
6110-451: 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
6204-405: The larger Airbus A300 , so the project was cancelled in 1976. A concept with a 155-foot (47 m) 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
6298-533: The latter operating a Southend – Rochester feeder service on behalf of the former. 1948 was also the year BEA's reservations department moved to new premises at Dorland Hall, Lower Regent Street in London's West End . BEA made aviation history in 1950 with the world's first turbine-powered commercial air service from London to Paris, using the UK Ministry of Supply -owned Vickers Viscount 630 prototype G-AHRF. By that time, BEA's main operating base at Northolt
6392-516: The launch customer for the Vanguard, Vickers' new high-capacity turboprop powered by four Rolls-Royce RB109 "Tyne" engines. The airline's launch order was for 20 aircraft, including six Vanguard V.951s and 14 heavier V.953s . In mid-1955, BEA entered into a 10-year operating agreement with its associate Cambrian Airways . This resulted in the latter launching new services from Liverpool and Manchester to Jersey (via Bristol and Cardiff) on behalf of
6486-401: The newly constituted British European Airways Corporation departed Northolt for Marseille, Rome and Athens on the day of its formation at 8:40 am. This was followed by further route launches to Amsterdam , Brussels and Lisbon . Initially, BEA supplemented its ex-RAF Transport Command Dakotas with Dragon Rapides and Avro Nineteens . Between August and October 1946, BEA took delivery of
6580-460: The original design also reduced seating capacity from 111–130 to 79–90, in mixed- and single-class configuration respectively. ) On 7 November 1959, BEA took delivery of its first Comet 4B (G-APMB), nearly two months ahead of the contracted delivery on 1 January 1960. This was followed by the official handover ceremony of the airline's first jet airliner on 16 November. In its 1959–60 financial year, BEA carried 3.29 million passengers and recorded
6674-524: The outbreak of war in September 1939 all commercial and private flying within the UK had been severely restricted by the government due to the possibility of civil flights encountering enemy aircraft. To offset this halting of civilian air traffic limited aerial services were instead carried out from 1940 onwards by the state-owned and operated British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) to a number of destinations, both European, and worldwide. On 1 January 1946,
6768-409: The pre-war mid-day Silverwing service pioneered by Imperial Airways on the London–Paris route with 40-seat all- first class Ambassadors. The Ambassador was BEA's last major piston-engined type. It referred to the aircraft as "Elizabethan" class to commemorate the accession of Elizabeth II that year. Also in 1952, BEA made Jersey -based independent airline Jersey Airlines an associate to develop
6862-550: The previous year's nationalisation of several private airlines and their absorption into BEA, the government-owned carrier continued to contract its private sector counterparts to operate a limited number of regional feeder services on its behalf via "associate" agreements. These needed to be approved by the Air Transport Advisory Council (ATAC), the contemporary UK government department in charge of air transport economic regulation. Cambrian and Western Airways were
6956-560: The prime Heathrow – Le Bourget route from July 1959. The arrival at Heathrow on 30 July 1958 of a BEA Elizabethan from Cologne marked the type's last service with the airline. Although its operating costs on short routes such as London–Paris were lower than the Viscount's, the piston type could not match the turboprop's passenger appeal. Unlike the Pionairs and Leopards, which continued serving regional feeder and freight routes, Elizabethans were deployed on trunk routes where passenger appeal
7050-516: The risk of foreign object damage . 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
7144-482: The three airlines agreed on a trijet design for the new aircraft. 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
7238-454: The two side-mounted pylons. The JT8D-200 engines are much quieter than the original JT8D-1 through -17 variant engines that power the 727, as well as more fuel efficient due to the higher bypass ratio, but the structural changes to fit the larger-diameter engine (49.2 inches (125 cm) fan diameter in the JT8D-200 compared to 39.9 inches (101 cm) in the JT8D-1 through -17) into the fuselage at
7332-471: 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. The 727 was designed for smaller airports, so independence from ground facilities
7426-402: 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 150 m (490 ft). 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
7520-435: Was BEA's final flight from Northolt. The Viscount's commercial success had made it the leading short-haul aircraft in Europe in the mid-1950s. This led Lord Douglas to believe that turboprops would continue to be the mainstay of BEA's fleet into the 1960s. On 31 March 1955, BEA completed its first profitable financial year, recording an operating profit of £552,314 and a net profit of £63,039. In July 1955, BEA became
7614-483: Was also a manifestation of the cautious attitude of the airline's senior management against a backdrop of a [temporary] reduction in its profit margin and slowdown in its growth rate. Meeting BEA's specifications for the Trident involved reducing the length of the aircraft's fuselage , its wingspan and weight and replacing the Rolls-Royce RB141/3 "Medway" engines with Rolls-Royce RB163 "Speys" . Shrinking
7708-434: Was also the year Flightmaster , BEA's first mechanical reservations system , was installed. This enabled the simultaneous display of seat availability on 32,000 flights. Between February and April 1954, BEA's expanding Viscount fleet replaced Elizabethans between London, Nice and Rome, and on regional routes from Manchester and Birmingham . By that time, BEA had shifted its main operating base to Heathrow, which became
7802-514: 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. 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
7896-583: Was briefly locked on by a Kuwaiti Mirage F1 on August 2) and the subsequent Iraqi monitoring of Coalition forces during Desert Shield . The 727 has proven to be popular where the airline serves airports with gravel, or otherwise lightly improved, runways. The Canadian airline First Air , for example, previously used a 727-100C to serve the communities of Resolute Bay and Arctic Bay in Nunavut, whose Resolute Bay Airport and former Nanisivik Airport both have gravel runways. The high-mounted engines greatly reduce
7990-695: 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 . Data from: Boeing Aircraft since 1916 The two series of 727 are
8084-427: 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. Actual aircraft followed
8178-531: Was furthermore the year the UK Parliament enacted the Civil Aviation (Licensing) Act 1960 ( 8 & 9 Eliz. 2 . c. 38), which abolished the statutory monopoly BEA and BOAC had enjoyed on principal domestic and international scheduled routes since the beginning of the post-war era. In theory, this gave independent airlines equal opportunities to develop scheduled routes in their own right; however, in reality,
8272-524: 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 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
8366-471: 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
8460-559: Was mainly the result of the French authorities' refusal to grant these without a corresponding reduction in BEA's share of London–Paris flights. In its 1960–61 financial year, BEA carried 3.99 million passengers at an average load factor of 65% and recorded a loss of £1.75 million. By the early 1960s, BEA carried just under four million passengers per year, more than any other airline in Europe (excluding Aeroflot ); worldwide (excluding Aeroflot and
8554-567: Was more important; this further hastened their demise in BEA service. On 12 August 1959, BEA signed a £28 million contract for 24 de Havilland DH121 Trident Mark 1(C) "second-generation" jets plus 12 options, making it the launch customer for the world's first commercial T-tailed rear-engined trijet due to enter service in spring 1964. (This version of the Trident was smaller and lighter than de Havilland's original DH121 of 1956. At that time BEA's chairman, Anthony Milward, had insisted that
8648-405: 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. A convertible passenger cargo version; only one was built. The Advanced version of
8742-442: 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. With no wing-mounted engines, leading-edge devices (Krueger, or hinged, flaps on
8836-407: Was the busiest airport in the UK; however, the airline was losing money, which resulted in replacing former BOAC director, Gerard d'Erlanger, who was BEA's first chairman , with Lord Douglas of Kirtleside , as well as appointing Peter Masefield as its new managing director . In April 1950, BEA operated its first service from London Heathrow Airport . Following the provisional introduction of
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