Boeing 737 Next Generation

Creation History

The creation of the Airbus A320 family , which incorporates the latest technologies in the field of avionics and composite materials , prompted Boeing in 1991 to develop an updated aircraft. ^[4] After consulting with potential customers on November 17, 1993, the launch of the Boeing 737 Next Generation program was announced. ^[5] The 737NG family includes options −600, −700, −800 and −900. Today it is the most serious update of the 737 model. The flight performance of the 737NG has been significantly improved, but at the request of the customers, the continuity with the previous generations of the Boeing 737 is preserved. The redesigned wing has a 25% larger area, the span is increased by 4.88 m, which allowed to increase 30% fuel reserve. Installed less noisy and more economical engines CFM International CFM56-7B ^[6] . These improvements allowed to increase the range of the model by almost 1700 km, which allows the aircraft to perform transcontinental flights ^[5] . The flight test program was carried out using ten aircraft: three modifications −600, four −700 and 3 −800 ^[5] .

Salon

Salon Boeing 737 Next Generation has been improved in accordance with the solutions used on the Boeing 757-200 and Boeing 737 Classic ; some elements were borrowed from the Boeing 777 , in particular the more spacious and rounded ceiling luggage compartments and the smooth lines of the ceiling panels. The solutions used in the Boeing 737 Next Generation became standard on the Boeing 757-300, and then began to be installed on request on the Boeing 757-200.

In 2010, the interior of the Boeing 737 Next Generation was redesigned to unify with the Boeing 787 . In the cabin, called the Boeing Sky Interior , new rotating luggage racks were used (for the first time on a Boeing narrow-body aircraft), new wall panels, new service units and interior lighting with LEDs . Sky Interior cannot be installed in existing aircraft, but component manufacturer Heath Tecna offers service packs for models 737 and 757 that look similar to Sky Interior (mainly due to new luggage racks) ^[7] .

Production and Testing

The first modification of the Boeing 737NG series was the −700. The aircraft was first shown on December 8, 1996. This aircraft became the 2843rd instance of the Boeing 737 and made its first flight on February 9, 1997.

The first 737-800 was shown on June 30, 1997 and made its first flight on July 31, 1997.

The smallest version of the −600 in the new series, identical in size to the −500 modification, was built in December 1997 and made its first flight on January 22, 1998. The FAA certificate for it was obtained on August 18, 1998 ^{[5] [8]} .

Improvements

In 2004, Boeing offered customers a package of improvements to the Short Field Performance, developed by order of Gol Transportes Aéreos , often serving airports with limited bandwidths. The package improved the take-off and landing characteristics of the aircraft. The package is installed on request for any 737NG modification and is standard equipment for the Boeing 737-900ER.

In July 2008, Boeing began offering ceramic brake discs developed by Messier-Bugatti, which reduce the weight of brake mechanisms by 250-320 kg, depending on which steel discs are installed on the aircraft, conventional or high-performance. Reducing the weight of the brake system by 320 kg on the Boeing 737-800 leads to a decrease in fuel consumption by 0.5%. ^[9] The first customer of the new system was Delta Air Lines , which at the end of July 2008 received the first Boeing 737-700 with a new brake system. ^[ten]

Boeing planned to increase production of the 737 model from 31-35 units per month in January 2012 to 38 units per month in 2013. The peak of production - 42 cars per month - was planned in 2014. ^{[11] [12]}

Future Models

Since 2006, Boeing has been considering replacing the 737 with a completely new project (internal name is “Boeing Y1”). ^[13] In 2010, Airbus launched the Airbus A320neo , a narrow-body aircraft with new engines providing better fuel and operational efficiency. Under pressure from these circumstances, on August 30, 2011, the Boeing Board of Directors approved the Boeing 737 MAX project.

Boeing claims that the 737 MAX will consume 16% less fuel than the current Airbus A320, and 4% less than the Airbus A320neo ^[14] .

737-600

Modification 737-600 was a direct replacement for 737-500 and competes with the A318 . This is the only production version of the Boeing 737, which does not install winglets ^[15] . The first customer was supposed to be WestJet , but in the third quarter of 2006, the company announced that it did not intend to purchase these aircraft. The first customer in 1995 was the Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in 1995; the first aircraft was delivered on September 18, 1998. In total, 69 −600 modification aircraft were handed over to customers. ^[3]

In 2012, Boeing removed the modification 737-600 from the price list ^[1] , which most likely means that the model is discontinued.

737-700

Boeing 737-700 was the first modification of the Next Generation family. The first customer in November 1993 was Southwest Airlines . The variant was created on the basis of the 737-300 model and went into operation in 1998. ^{[16] The} direct competitor is the Airbus A319. The aircraft accommodates 137 passengers in a two-class layout and 149 with an economy-class cabin only. The main operator of the 737-700 modification is Southwest Airlines , which has more than 400 such aircraft in its fleet and has placed additional orders.

Modification 737-700C (Convertible - "convertible") is a variable version of the main model. It involves the ability to remove passenger seats and carry goods. A large door is provided for loading them on the left side of the fuselage. The first customer of this modification under the designation C-40 Clipper was the US Navy . ^[17]

737-700ER

Modification 737-700ER (Extended range - "increased range") was launched on January 31, 2006 ^[18] . The first customer was All Nippon Airways ; the first plane was handed over on February 16, 2007 and became the first of five ordered. The 737-700ER is the main passenger version of the BBJ1 and 737-700IGW (Increased Gross Weight - “increased take-off weight ”). It used the fuselage of modification 737-700, and the wings and landing gear - from 737-800. The aircraft can carry 126 passengers in a standard two-class cabin for a range of up to 10,200 km. ^{[19] The} competitor to this modification is the Airbus A319LR. 737-700ER ranks second in the 737 family in range after BBJ2 .

737-800

Boeing 737-800 became an extended version of the modification 737-700 and replaced the 737-400. The first customer in 1994, 737-800, was Hapag-Lloyd (the original name, now TUIfly ), which received its first aircraft in 1998. The 737-800 seats 162 passengers in a two-class cabin or 189 in a fully economy class cabin. The main competitor is the Airbus A320 . Due to the longer fuselage, the Boeing 737-800 accommodates in a typical layout 10 passengers more than the Airbus A320 , which makes the modification very popular. In many US airlines, the 737-800 has replaced the obsolete Boeing 727-200 .

The Boeing 737-800 was one of the models that replaced the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and MD-90 . It consumes 3200 liters of fuel per hour, which is approximately 20% less than the MD-80, but it carries more passengers. ^[20] According to the aviation magazine Airline Monitor, the 737-800 consumes 18.5 liters of fuel per passenger per hour. ^[9] Alaska Airlines replaced the MD-80 aircraft with a Boeing 737-800, which allowed it to save up to $ 2000 per flight (at a cost of jet fuel of $ 1 per liter). The cost of a full refueling Boeing 737-800 (in 2008 prices) is $ 8500.

On August 14, 2008, American Airlines ordered 26 Boeing 737-800 aircraft (20 were used options, and another six were new orders) with expedited delivery ^[21] . In total, 2135 737-800 and 16 Boeing 737-800 BBJ aircraft were delivered, another 1,521 orders have not yet been completed. ^[3] Ryanair , an Irish low-cost airline, is one of the main operators of this modification, with 298 vehicles in its fleet serving more than a thousand routes in Europe and North Africa.

737-900

The Boeing 737-900 is the longest version of the model. Since the number of doors in the model has not changed compared to the Boeing 737-800, the number of passengers is limited to 177th in the 2-class layout and 189th in the economic version. Alaska Airlines became the first customer to modify the 737-900 in 1997 and received its first aircraft on May 15, 2001. The Boeing 737-900 also has the same maximum take-off weight and fuel reserve as the 737-800, which reduces its range but increases the payload. These shortcomings, until recently, prevented the 737-900 from competing on an equal footing with the Airbus A321 .

737-900ER

The Boeing 737-900ER (Extended Range - “increased range”), which had the designation 737-900X before the start of orders, became the newest and largest version of the Boeing 737. The modification is designed to replace the discontinued 757-200 and compete with the Airbus A321 .

Two additional doors and a flat rear bulkhead allowed to increase passenger capacity up to 180 people in a 2-class layout and up to 215 people in an economic version. The increased fuel supply and winglets installed on all aircraft allow the modification to have a range comparable to other Boeing 737NG variants.

The first Boeing 737-900ER was shown at the Renton plant on August 8, 2006 and was intended for the first customer, Lion Air . Lion Air received the aircraft on April 27, 2007 in a special coloring, combining a tail in Lion Air colors and a fuselage in Boeing's signature colors. Lion Air ordered 166 Boeing 737-900ER. ^[3]

On August 22, 2011, it was announced that Delta Air Lines placed an order for 100 aircraft of the 737-900ER modification, which was the largest order for this option. ^[22]

In total 52 aircraft 737-900, 82 737-900ER and 6 737-900 BBJ were delivered. 183 orders have not yet been completed. ^[3]

Military Modifications

• The Boeing 737 AEW & C is a modification of the 737-700IGW, which has much in common with the 737-700ER. It is an early warning and control aircraft based on the Boeing 737NG. The first customer was the Australian Air Force (as part of the Wedgetail project), Turkey and South Korea .
• The C-40 Clipper was developed based on the Boeing 737-700C and ordered by the U.S. Air Force to replace the McDonnell Douglas C-9B Skytrain II . Aircraft C-40B and C-40C are used by the U.S. Air Force to transport high command.
• P-8 Poseidon is developed on the basis of 737-800ERX ("Extended Range" - "the increased range"). On June 14, 2004, he was selected to replace the Lockheed P-3 Orion naval reconnaissance aircraft . ^{[23] The} uniqueness of the P-8 is that it uses beveled wingtips, as on the 767-400ER , rather than winglets installed on other versions of the Boeing 737NG. Boeing denotes this modification by the index 737-800A. ^[24]

Boeing Business Jet

Sources: Specifications for the Boeing 737, ^[26] 737 Airport Planning Report ^[25]

Data for December 2013 ^[3]

• Boeing
• Airbus A320
• Boeing Customer Code List
• Competition between Airbus and Boeing

• Endres, Günter. The Illustrated Directory of Modern Commercial Aircraft . St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company, 2001. ISBN 0-7603-1125-0 .
• Norris, Guy and Mark Wagner. Modern Boeing Jetliners . Minneapolis, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 1999. ISBN 9780760307175 .
• Shaw, Robbie. Boeing 737-300 to 800 . St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company, 1999. ISBN 0-7603-0699-0 .

• Page Boeing 737 NG on the Russian-language site Boeing
• Page Boeing 737 on the English site Boeing