727 Question

[Soulman]

To any Boeing Engineer or 727 Driver,

I was having a chat with my dad today about his favourite civilian aircraft, the 727, and he was telling me about the jumpseat ride he got as a pax back in the 80's.

The conversation then led on to the speeds of commercial airliners, and he said that someone told him (not the flight crew) that the 727 could push Mach 1, pending structural damage.

Is there any truth behind this comment? I understand that breaking the sound barrier in a civilian airliner doesn't do the aircraft much good, but if anyone can help my father and I out, we would be most grateful.

Thanking you in advance,

Souls.

P.S This topic is open to anybody's opinion - not just the engineers and drivers as addressed! :p

[Flight Detent]

Hi Soulman,
Back in '92, my contract with Australian Airlines was ended, when they decided to get rid of the B727-276's they operated, best aircraft they ever had, barr none, but that's another story, anyway, I had been flying them for about 4 years at this point, and was forced overseas to continue my career as an FE.

I found work as a B727-269-17R FE in Kuwait Airways right away, they had three very well kept aircraft.

During our induction period, my new Chief Pilot, a Kuwaiti national, told me a story about when the Iraqi's initially invaded Kuwait, he was Captaining an inbound B727 flight to Kuwait.
To make a long story short, he was advised by Jordanian ATC that he was being intercepted by two Iraqi fighter aircraft, so he gave it everything, 'slight nose down attitude' were his words, and just avoided going supersonic by adjusting his decent rate, still at full power, until crossing the Jordanian border, apparently, it was quite a close encounter!

The aircraft was checked over, and is still flying today, in the fleet of Syrian Arab Airways, I see it every year at the Hajj terminal in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
They were sold to Syria after Desert Storm, for US$1.00 each, in response to their help during that struggle.

I delivered the three aircraft to Damascus, and spent 6 weeks there, training the Syrian B727 crews about these very late model, -17R examples, great aircraft!!

Sorry for getting a little carried away with the story!

Cheers