Airplane Watching and Recognition
- Boeing 727 -
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This plane is a Boeing 727-251. Delivered on October 20th 1975, it is the 1168th of 1832 planes (572 B727-100 et 1260 B727-200) built from 1963 to 1984.
This Northwest plane is registered N275US and bears the fin number 2275. (The "fin number" is so called because more often than not the company number of the plane is painted of the fin) |
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| The 727 is the only rear engine commercial plane built by Boeing. But there were other planes with this engine configuration. The British had the Hawker Siddeley Trident, the Soviets the Tupolev Tu-154 and Yakolev Yak-42.
Other smaller planes also show this trijet tail mounted engines configuration among which the Yakolev Yak-40 and the Dassault Falcon 50 or 900 (below). |
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| Northwest Airlines was created on September 1st 1921 (Northwest Airways) and flew for the first time one month later.
The red tail is used since 1948, thus for more than 50 years! Click on one of these three pictures to download an enlarged version (~250 Meg) |
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These two pictures, up front and partial side view, show the characteristic engine position on the 727. | ||
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| You can still see Boeing 727 in operation. But most of them remain flying as cargo planes cargo. Right is a Federal Express 727-100 picture taken at Mirabel in the 90's.
The one below was seen from afar at the Vancouver International Airport on August 15th 2001. The two other pictures below right show a Boeing 727-200 during a flyover Mirabel on October 28th 2001. |
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| This cargo plane (right) bearing an ace of spades on the fin is one of ten AllCanada Express Limited 727-200, a Toronto based company. (Source : WINGS, Canada's National Aviation Magazine, Issue 2, Volume 42, May/June 2001) | ||||
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| This image also on this site on the plane recognition tips page show a few of the 727 characteristics.
Pointed noise (also on the 707 and military derivatives and on the 737). Note the curve of the wing leading edge near the fuselage. Flaps separarated by a noticeable space is also Boeing-like. And of course let's not forget those three tail mounted engines. |
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| Two pictures taken on the same morning on July 10th 2004 of 727s landing at Dorval's "Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau" international airport. | |||
| Although now rare, the 727 is recognizable with it's dictinctive silhouette. |  |
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| A few features mentionned above are visible in the picture on the left : "Flaps separarated by a noticeable space. And yes, those three tail mounted engines. | |||
Text : Jean-Pierre Bonin © 2001-2004
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You remember a few characteristics of the plane but can't remember the name? Click on the drawings to go to the visual identification guide. |
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Web site conception and production , text, pictures and illustrations : Jean-Pierre Bonin © 1999-2004 If you use my pictures or illustrations, please
send me your web page address by e-mail.
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