The Boeing 700’s are very capable of handling duties in the commercial and
military world. The Boeing 700’s are capable of handling many tasks in the
commercial and military world. With the introduction of the 707 in the late
fifties to the most recent 777 in the early nineties the, 700’s have dominated
the commercial world for five decades. They are a line of aircraft that are
capable of handling many roles from basic civilian transport to various military
needs.
They are the people movers of the 20th century. Each with a large carrying
capacity combined with the range of a jet aircraft they have moved more people
longer distances than what was once thought possible. Boeing has truly produced
some of the greatest aircraft in history. The various duties that the 700’s
perform are quite extraordinary. It all started in the fifties. There was a
growing demand for a commercial airliner that could move a greater number of
people farther and faster.
The age of the jet engine still had not reached to civilian transportation.
There was still a fear of the jet because of lack of reliability, but with the
advancement of technology the jet engine now had become more even reliable than
the piston engine. The need for a jet engine powered plane was growing. Airlines
still were looking for a plane that could cross the Atlantic Ocean without a
refueling stop. The Lockheed Super Connies, a piston powered plane, were able to
cross the Atlantic Ocean with out stopping on the eastbound leg, but they had to
stop in Gander, Newfoundland to refuel on the westbound leg.
The airlines desired a plane that could easily travel the Atlantic with out a
stop. The piston engine just wasn’t going to do it, the jet engine was the
answer to the question. Boeing realized this and moved to look for a design for
a jet powered plane. At first Boeing was looking to modify existing aircraft
with jet engines to perform the tasks. They quickly realized that they needed a
whole new aircraft. The Boeing 707 was born. The first Boeing 707 was delivered
to Pan America airlines in May of 1958 (Bauer, 218).
Sales started out slow in fact the 707 almost died many times in it’s first
couple years of existence. It wasn’t until Boeing modified the 707 by increasing
the overall length, the wing span, and adding more powerful engines did the 707
confirm its place in as a commercial transporter. With the new modifications the
707 became a very capable aircraft, crossing the Atlantic Ocean became a routine
affair. With the introduction of the 707 transatlantic travel doubled in two
years (Bauer, 195).
Airlines’ profitability soared due to the new capabilities of the 707
presented. The 707 began a new era and improved the way people are flown. The
707 being the first major jet airliner saw many applications and variations in
it’s lifetime. There were thirteen variations of the 707, they varied in
capacity, range, and speed (Wright,49).
Each variation was designed to meet a specific needs of an individual
airline. Some 707’s could carry a larger capacity of passengers over a shorter
distance, were as another variant could carry fewer passengers over a longer
distance. With all of these variations the 707 left little room for the Douglas
DC-8 which was once though to be a major treat to Boeing. The 707 could meet any
need of an airline; this is one reason that made the 707 such a versatile
aircraft and why it dominated the market. The 707 also saw plenty of action in
uniform. It’s most useful application came in the way of the KC-135 Stratotanker.
