What's a"717"?

[ExSimGuy]

I see references to the "B717" and I've been puzzled for a while. The Boeing website doesn't give an "history" of its aircraft.

"Way Back", we had the 707, the 727, 737, 747, and they were just bringing in the new-fangled 757 and 767. They seemed to have "left a number out"

Now we see a "twin on the tail" aircraft appearing called the 717. Is it really such an old design, from the early Boeing jet days (and if so, why did I never hear of it or see one at LHR or LGW?)

Or is it a new designation for the MD90, now that MD is owned by Boeing?

Or is it a relatively new aircraft and Boeing suddenly realised that they had missed that number, and there's only one other number left in the series now that the 787 concept has been announced (keeping 797 in reserve for their first Mach-2 aircraft maybe?)!!

[point5]

The 717 was introduced when Boeing took over MD and is basically the only MD design. The last one has now been built. You never see them at LGW/LHR as they weren't very popular! Mostly went to American carriers such as valujet.

Cheers!

[Romeo Delta]

The 717 goes all the way back to the early days, and IIRC was the original designation of the military versions of the 707 (either the KC135 or the E3). It fell out of use, though, and was revived when Boeing took over McDonnell Douglas. The MD-95 was renamed the Boeing 717, and the rest is literally history.

I think Olympic is the only regular European operator of the type, while AirTran, Midwest, and Hawaiian or the main US operators left (American disposed of all their ex-TWA birds). JetStar in Oz is I believe the only other operator of the type in the Pacific region (other than Hawaii).

[Fried_Chicken]

Turkmenistan (formerly part of the USSR) have taken delivery of 7 of them. They passed through Birmingham, UK on delivery

FC

[Golf Charlie Charlie]

Originally Posted by ExSimGuy

I see references to the "B717" and I've been puzzled for a while. The Boeing website doesn't give an "history" of its aircraft.

The essential point was that the 717 was just the Boeing company model number for the military tanker KC-135 airframe, which was slightly narrower than the 707 passenger airframe. Later military versions of the 707 airframe gained designations like C-137, E-3, E-6....., but there was no other 717 airframe other than the KC-135 (and its offshoots like the RC-135 and EC-135).

Fast forward to the late 1990s when Boeing absorbed McDonnell-Douglas. They canned the MD-11 and MD-80/90 but kept the MD-95 airframe, which was renamed the Boeing 717. Production of the 717 was formally ended last year. The MD-90 and MD-95/717 are very much under-rated aircraft in my view.

[wiccan]

A "DC9" by another name
bb

[ExSimGuy]

Originally Posted by wiccan

A "DC9" by another name
bb

or even a BAC-11

Thanks a lot everyone - for many years I wonderred what happened to the "missing" Boeing, never having heard the tanker reffered to as a 717. Then suddenly it appears, and not looking like a machine of the 707/727 era!

Pity they "dumped" the MD-11, I flew in them a few times and thought (from a pax point of wiew) that it was a lovely aircraft. Still, I suppose it did compete fairly closely with the 747

Now we have to wait for the 797, to see what that comes up with

[GK430]

This is a 717

[IB4138]

Flew on one of AeBal's 717s AGP-MAD-MAH about 20 months ago.
They had four at the time, but think they leased at least two out to a German carrier last year.
Basically a DC9 derivative with Rolls Royce engines.

[Intruder]

...and a nice glass cockpit.

[GK430]

Ex simguy - see

http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles...ong+Beach.html

[barit1]

Speaking of cockpit "glass" -
A couple years ago (well, maybe 15 years ago) I saw a ABX DC-9 in conversion to glass. It was an experimental retrofit at that time. How common is this today?

[AlphaWhiskyRomeo]

Have flown on them on Qantas domestic flights in Australia, and Spain's Spanair have a few which can be seen regularly at BCN.

[mutt]

AFAIK, When Saudi Airlines were TOLD that they were taking MD90s, they requested that the cockpit was converted to GLASS. The glass cockpit design was then introduced into the MD95, later to be the B717.

Mutt

[Romeo Delta]

Ah, yes, I forgot about the Spanair/AeBal 717s. And Turkmenistan, I didn't realize. I'm guessing they got them from the California/Arizona desert?

[GK430]

Uh, no - they were all brand new.
Olympic was the first operator in Europe as I recall.

[Phileas Fogg]

Aerolineas de Baleares Boeing 717-200 4
AirTran Airways Boeing 717-200 85
Bangkok Airways Boeing 717-200 4
Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717-200 11
Jetstar Boeing 717-200 6
Midwest Airlines Boeing 717-200 24
National Jet Systems Boeing 717-200 8
Olympic Airlines Boeing 717-200 3
Turkmenistan Airlines Boeing 717-200 6
Total 151

[AerocatS2A]

Originally Posted by Romeo Delta

JetStar in Oz is I believe the only other operator of the type in the Pacific region (other than Hawaii).

National Jet also operate them in Australia.