Aviation

History of Boeing 737

 

The airline was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Murtala Muhammaed International Airport. Med-View Airline commenced domestic flight operations in November 2012 with a fleet of 2 boeing 737-400 aircraft and later with a Boeing 737-800.

In 1964 the concept of a cheaper twin-engined jet transport was floated by Boeing. Building on the designs of the Boeing 707 and Boeing 727, the concept came to fruition in 1967 in the form of the Boeing 737 100 . The initial specification called for 50 – 60 seats, however, in consultation with launch customer, Lufthansa who had 21 aircraft on order, this was increased to 100 seats. Only 30.

Boeing 737 100 s were produced. In April 1965 United Airlines placed an order for 40 aircraft but they required a slightly larger version. Boeing complied by stretching the Boeing 737 100 design by 91cm (36 inches). This new variant became the Boeing 737 200 and was preferred by airlines compared to the 737 100.

A slow order book in 1970 caused Boeing to consider selling off the design. The cancellation of the Supersonic Transport project, however, freed up funds and Boeing offered a convertible version of the 737. Dubbed the Boeing 737C. This aircraft featured a 340 cm × 221 cm (130 in × 87 in) door just behind the cockpit which allowed for the loading of palletised cargo. The Boeing 737 QC (Quick Change) was also offered which enabled palletised seating and cargo. Airlines could fly passengers by day and then cargo by night. These models were offered in both Boeing 737 100 and Boeing 737 200 air-frames.

Toward the end of the 1970s, Boeing realised that to keep pace with the market they had to update and modernise the Boeing 737. At the Farnborough air show of 1980, initial specifications for what would become the Boeing 737 300 were released. This aircraft was larger with a seating capacity of 149 and a lengthening of the fuselage by 2.87 metres (9ft 5in) as well as an increase to the wingspan of 53cm (1ft 9in). The original Pratt and Whitney JT8D-1 low bypass engines which sat under the wing protruding fore and aft were replaced by CFM56-3B-1 high bypass engines. Due to the low ground clearance of the aircraft the engines were hung on pylons from the wings to sit ahead of the wings. The air intakes were also not circular but rather flattened at the bottom to aid with ground clearance. Wing aerodynamics were improved as well as the offering of IFIS (Electronic Flight Instrumentation Systems) cockpits.

October of 1988 saw a further stretch to the Boeing 737 in the form of the Boeing 737 400 , a variant which added an additional 3 metres (10 feet) to the fuselage length thus enabling a 170 seat capacity.

Not all airline customers required the extra capacity offered by the newer versions of the Boeing 737. The Boeing 737 500 was launched in 1987 as a replacement for the

Boeing 737 200 . Being 48cm (1ft 7in) longer than the Boeing 737 200 and powered by the newer CFM56-3 high bypass engines the Boeing 737 500 showed a 25% fuel saving over the older variant.

The late eighties and early nineties saw serious competition offered by Airbus with their Airbus A320 model. In 1991 Boeing began development on a new generation of aircraft. The Boeing 737 NG (Next Generation) group of aircraft includes the Boeing 737 600, Boeing 737 700 , Boeing 737 800 and Boeing 737 900 . This was the most significant update to the Boeing 737 so far, resulting in an all-new aircraft performance wise, but still retaining important commonality with previous versions. The wing was redesigned with greater chord and updated airfoil sections. The wingspan was increased by 4.9 metres (16 feet) giving a wing area increase of 25%. Coupled with the new CFM56-7B engines and increased fuel capacity the range was increased by 900NM to 3,000NM. Winglets were also offered. Modern avionics were offered as well as a modern cabin which was taken from the Boeing 777 .

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