Good Morning, Oppo

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 04/21/2020 at 08:50 • Filed to: good morning oppo, Planelopnik

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Let’s make today 722 Tuesday. Because winglets on a 727- 200 (Adv) look really cool. Also because 7/22 is a Wednesday this year. 

OPPOsaurus WRX > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 09:05

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WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 09:07

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I miss my early days traveling a lot for work. It was the 1990s, and I spent a lot of time traveling on lightly loaded United 722s. They were great, comfortable and quiet airplanes as long as you sat toward the front.

In the back or on the ground, though, they were really loud.  

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 09:08

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There’s one that sits on a ramp near the approach end of 36R in Charlotte. It’s a sexy plane.

Just Jeepin' > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 09:33

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Wait, I thought we agreed on two-tone Tuesday. Why do you keep changing the rules? WHY?

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW 04/21/2020 at 09:42

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Many years ago, the UT band flew to NYC for a performance at Carnegie Hall. My wife got to go along, but we didn’t have seats together. She got stuck in the last row of the AA MD-80. After takeoff, I went back and asked the guy sitting next to her if he wanted to switch with me, and he gladly agreed. Back of the MD-80 bus, with no window, and all engine, is not a great place to be. 

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 09:45

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I have questions about this. Is it privately owned? Why does it have eyebrow windows and winglets?

ttyymmnn > Just Jeepin' 04/21/2020 at 09:47

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Because I forgot. How about a two -tone 722?

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 04/21/2020 at 09:53

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Definitely privately owned, it’s based in Johannesburg . Far as I know all 727s had eyebrow windows like the 737 Classics did, and the winglets were added under an existing STC.

https://samchui.com/2017/05/20/flying-the-presidential-vip-boeing-727-private-jet/

ttyymmnn > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 04/21/2020 at 09:54

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When you bump up to the Super 27 727-200, you get winglets. Can’t tell you about the eyebrow windows. The Super 27 was the last variant, and the winglets were added to increase fuel efficiency.

From the Flickr:

Fortune Air - Boeing 727-2N6(Advanced) (Super 27) - ZS-PVX (c/n 22825/1805)

This Fortune Air 727-200 carries the South African government’s diplomatic delegation to New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting.

This aircraft was originally delivered to the Nigerian government in July 1982 as 5N-AGY, a Boeing 727-200 Advanced (727-200(ADV)) model. The Government of Nigeria would re-register the aircraft as 5N-FGN in November 1988. The Republic of Nigeria would later have the aircraft converted to “Super 27" configuration featuring a hush-kitted Number 2 (center) engine (JT8D-15(HK)), new JT8D-217C Number 1 and Number 3 engines (outboard), the addition of winglets, as well as other improvements.

Nigeria would then sell the aircraft in 2008. The aircraft is currently flown by South African operator Fortune Air.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 09:55

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When we helped start the engines on a 727. Remember?

ttyymmnn > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 04/21/2020 at 09:55

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Click the photo credit for aircraft history.

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 04/21/2020 at 09:56

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I could never forget. 

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 10:00

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That plane is based in South Africa. (I n ever knew the Super 27 was a thing)  There was a 727 for a short time at the airport I worked at years ago, and it had Rolls Tay engines from a Gulfstream in place of the JT8Ds. More power, much quieter and lower fuel burn.

https://samchui.com/2017/05/20/flying-the-presidential-vip-boeing-727-private-jet/

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 10:02

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Didn’t see that; I just searched under privately owned 727s and it’s one of the first that show up. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 10:04

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Make tri -jets great again.

ttyymmnn > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 04/21/2020 at 10:05

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Apparently it was the 727-100QF that came with the Tays, at least according to Wiki. That VIP 722 is stunning. 

ttyymmnn > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/21/2020 at 10:09

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I always like seeing the tri-j ets when I go plane spotting. The Falcons are the only tri-jets still in production.

facw > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 10:22

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I’m honestly a bit surprised the Russians aren’t building a Yak-42 every year or two and claiming it’s in production, like they do with the Il-96, but I guess it stopped in 2003 . They did build the Tu-154 up until 2013, but the Tu-204/214 clearly supersedes it (so much so that you really wonder how they continued building the -154 for a quarter century after the Tu-204's introduction)

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 10:30

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What the hell??  That's not a 737!!

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW 04/21/2020 at 10:34

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That was my thought too. From Wiki:

Southwest Airlines has only operated Boeing 737 jetliner models, except for a period from 1979 to 1987 when it leased and operated several Boeing 727-200s from Braniff International Airways.

https://simpleflying.com/southwest-airlines-boeing-727/

Check out this crazy livery:

user314 > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 10:35

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The USAF operated six B727s as the C-22, though almost all have since been scrapped.

One 727-30, originally delivered to Luftansa, mainly flew from Howard AFB in Panama.

Four 727-35 were pur chased from National Airlines and used to transport ANG and NG personnel

One 727-212 was flew as the C-22C before being placed on Celebrity Row at AMARG

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 10:38

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I was lucky that I was a frequent flyer on United, and pretty much always sat in the first few rows of coach. I was also an expert on working seat assignments out of those back rows when I had to on AA or DL.

But I did get stuck back there a couple of times (never the windowless row though) and it’s a horrible place to sit.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > ttyymmnn 04/21/2020 at 12:02

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There’s something special about the oddness of trijets that I did interesting. I’m ‘meh’ on most bizjets, but various Falcons, from the 50 through the 8X, appeal to me. The HU-25, operated by t he USCG, was a fascinating little craft, with its cool but oddball ATF3 engines. I miss those long lost days when a government agency could buy the right aircraft for their needs instead of this now to common ‘buy American’ mentality; sure, buying from one’s home country is a good thing, but does it help if it means not getting the best product for their needs? I recall that this has happened with the Air Force tanker deal and the Marine One replacement.

I recently learned of a couple of trijets that I was unfamiliar with, one old and one new. After seeing your post with the Martin 4-0-4 I did a little research on the Martin company and found out about the B-51.

Whilst reading about that company I also learned that Glenn Martin started building aircraft at my old hometown airport in Orange County CA. Growing up I knew all about Eddie Martin, with our old terminal being named after him, but rarely was there a mention of Glenn.

The other interesting trijet(s) over been reading about are the new breed of supersonic bizjets being developed which are choosing the design to get around ETOPS restrictions.

I’ve spent plenty of time around 727s, much of it detailed on this very site. There was the aircraft pull competition, the seriously ratty  USPS freighter with the duct taped McDonald’s coffee cup for catching drips (I need to find that picture), and accidentally serving as ballast from the first officer’s seat when doing engine run-ups, an incident where we almost stood that thing on its tail. There’s another tale that I’ve been meaning to write up that involves former Singapore Airlines aircraft, flight attendants freaking out and nearly filing a completely unwarranted sexual harassment lawsuit over some cockpit crew humor...

ttyymmnn > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 04/21/2020 at 12:08

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I wrote about the B-51 some time ago. Wild plane. But your mention of tai-jets got me thinking about planes in general with three engines. And there were a number of them back in the piston days.

That alone might make an interesting article.