manufacturing numbers

[rogerk]

Anyone know the reason for companies allocating numbers tor their product ??
For instance
boeing -707 - 737 - 747
Airbus - A320 - A380
SAAB - 900 - 900 - 93

[hiflymk3]

Perhaps to distinguish between models in the same group.

[eckhard]

Sometimes it’s passenger numbers: A.300, ATR-42, Beech 1900 (19)
Sometimes it’s in the name: Douglas Commercial DC-1, 2, 3, etc.
Sometimes it just sounds good and is suggested by the marketing department: Boeing 707, 727, etc.

[charliegolf]

Nobody wants to fly in number 'ONE'

CG

[axefurabz]

Except POTUS?

[charliegolf]

I'll give you POTUS.

CG

[KelvinD]

There was a rumour, many moons ago, that Boeing decided to launch the 7X7 series with 707 as that was their PO Box number (presumably in Seattle) at that time. Possibly just a rumour

[longer ron]

Historically with some aircraft manufacturers the number was simply the type number or design number.
Since the proper Avro Aircraft family started at 500 then the Avro 707 was the 207th aircraft designed by the company - or at least the 207th design that got far enough to be given a number or ID.

[longer ron]

Originally Posted by rogerk

Anyone know the reason for companies allocating numbers tor their product ??
For instance
boeing -707 - 737 - 747

This from the internet

The company’s engineering department divided the model numbers into blocks of 100 for each of the new product areas. For example, 300s and 400s represented aircraft, 500s were used on turbine engines, 600s for rockets and missiles, and 700s – you guessed it – were used for jet transport aircraft. It was an easy way to keep things organized.

[n5296s]

I guess the alternative would be to give them names, like some car manufacturers do - which is a whole separate discussion (Toyota Tacoma - really? ever been to Tacoma?). So we could have the Boeing Bellingham, the Airbus Blagnac. De Havilland did after all.

[barry lloyd]

Naming cars - or other items of public transport can be dangerous, as Mitsubishi discovered with the Pajero. Wondering why as a 4x4, it did not sell well in South America, they investigated and found the following:

https://dictionary.reverso.net/spanish-english/pajero

The local Mitsubishi dealers offered to re-badge it as Montero (huntsman) free of charge.

I think the aircraft builders were careful, given their international market, to (largely) stick with numbers.

[treadigraph]

Remember the Vauxhall Nova? Slow sales in Spain as I recall?

Dows anyone call the 787 the Dreamlifter?

[2 sheds]

I think the aircraft builders were careful, given their international market, to (largely) stick with numbers.

Sikorsky came unstuck with the S76, originally called the Spirit - not well received in South America and similar parts.

Then there was the Rolls-Royce Silver Mist in Germany.

2 s

[hiflymk3]

There was a proposal to call and airliner an 'Accountant'. Freddie Laker was involved, it never got off the drawing board.
Presumably the bean counters thought that to save fuel it shouldn't have engines.

[treadigraph]

The Accountant flew, just didn't attract any interest...

[DaveReidUK]

In the old days, the initial variant of an aircraft type was usually the -1 or -100.

Nowadays, it seems to be compulsory to start with the -8 or -800.

[Less Hair]

That's intended to please the asian market with a lucky number to start with.

[tdracer]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

Dows anyone call the 787 the Dreamlifter?

Actually, the 787 is named the "Dreamliner" - the "Dreamlifter" is the modified 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF) that's used to haul the large bits of the 787 to the final assembly location.

Longer ron is correct about the 700 series being for large transport jets. Supposedly the second 7 in 707, 727, etc. is because 7 is considered a lucky number. Lots of speculation on what will come after the 797 moniker gets used.
The Boeing SST was going to be called the 2707.

[c52]

I've always imagined the A380 got its number from 800 pax - and its influence was such that everything else had to have an 8 in it if it could - A330-800, B737max8, 747-8, 777-8, 787-8

[farsouth]

Originally Posted by rogerk

Anyone know the reason for companies allocating numbers to their product ??

Not an answer to your question, but reminded me of a thread I started a long while back on the subject of aircraft designation numbers...

What is the lowest unused aircraft designation number??