The Boeing 727 is a narrow-body plane designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes during the early 1960s to 1984. The aircraft has a capacity of 149 to 189 passengers and can fly on a non-stop 5000-kilometer journey. Also, it can operate short flight routes at smaller airports. Therefore, the Boeing 727 aircraft specializes in short and medium flights.

N7001U had been rolled out at Renton on 27 November 1962. It was painted lemon yellow and copper-brown, similar to the paint scheme of the Model 367-80 prototype, eight years earlier.

N7001U is a Model 727-22, now considered to be a 727-100 series aircraft. The Boeing 727 is a swept-wing, three-engine, medium-range jet airliner intended for operations at smaller airports than could be serviced by the 707. It was operated by a flight crew of three and could carry up to 131 passengers. The airliner was 133 feet, 2 inches (40.589 meters) long with a wingspan of 108 feet (32.918 meters) and overall height of 34 feet, 3 inches (10.439 meters). Empty weight was 87,696 pounds (39.8000 kilograms) and maximum ramp weight was 170,000 pounds (77,200 kilograms).

On 9 February 1963, Boeing’s Chief Test Pilot, Samuel Lewis Wallick, Jr., made the first flight of the prototype Boeing Model 727 jet airliner, N7001U, from Renton Municipal Airport, Renton, Washington. Richards Llewellyn Loesch, Jr., was the airliner’s co-pilot, and Marvin Keith Shulenberger was the flight engineer.

The 727 remained airborne for 2 hours, 1 minute, and landed at Paine Field, Everett, Washington.

After completing the flight test and certification program, N7001U was delivered to United Air Lines, 6 October 1964. United operated N7001U for 27 years before retiring after 64,495 flight hours, and 48,060 takeoffs and landings.

In 1991, United Air Lines donated the 727 to The Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington. N7001U has been restored and is currently on display. According to the Museum, United purchased the 727 for $4,400,000, and during its service life, it generated more that $300,000,000 in revenue.

Boeing had expected to sell approximately 250 727s. In production from 1962 to 1984, Boeing built 1,832 Model 727s, making it one of the most successful airliners in history.

The flight crew receives congratulations from Henry F. McCullough, Boeing preflight control supervisor, following the first flight of the Boeing 727. (Airline Reporter/Boeing)

According to thisdayinaviation.com