Short Documentary: The History Of The Boeing 737

Video from the channel Long Haul by Simple Flying about Boeing 737, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 16:04. Language: English. Video type: Documentary.

A short documentary on the history of the Boeing 737. It covers its four generations, from its conception in the 1960s to the 737 MAX crisis and the situation in mid-2020.

The 737 was born as a complement and eventual replacement for the 727, to compete with the DC-9, the BAC One-Eleven and the Caravelle. While its rivals carried their engines on the tail, Boeing hung them under the wings. This let it offer six seats per row, carry standard containers and simplify maintenance. The first example was unveiled on 17 January 1967, and production soon moved to Renton. Only 30 units of the 737-100, whose launch customer was Lufthansa, were ever delivered. The stretched -200 entered service with United in April 1968, was built until 1988 and sold around 1,095 units. Then came the Classic series (-300, -400 and -500), launched in 1984 with CFM56 engines; the Next Generation (-600 to -900), with a new wing and glass cockpit; and the MAX, announced in 2011 and in service since May 2017.

By mid-2020, 10,580 aircraft of the family had been delivered, the most delivered of any airliner in history, although the A320 overtook it in orders at the end of 2019. The 737-800 is the best-selling variant, with 4,991 orders. After the Lion Air 610 and Ethiopian 302 accidents, the MAX was grounded worldwide over failures of the MCAS system. By July 2020, Boeing had racked up more than $9 billion in liabilities over it. The video also looks at the BBJ business versions and the project for a new mid-size aircraft.