【Aviation TODAY Series] Boeing 717 first flew!

Today, September 2nd, will be the first flight of the B717. (September 2, 1998)

The B717 is an aircraft that has never flown in Japan, so it seems that there are few people who have actually boarded it. Since the number of production aircraft was a small number of 156 aircraft, it can not be said that it was a successful aircraft. I will explain what kind of aircraft such a rare B717 is. The key points are the following three points.

• T-shaped tail
• Aircraft name changed during development
• Competing models are in the same Boeing company

First, I will explain the “T-shaped tail”. As of 2022, most of the aircraft operated by Japanese domestic airlines will be of the type with engines attached under the main wings. On the other hand, the CRJ700 operated by IBEX Airlines will have a T-shaped tail like the B717. The advantage of this T-shaped tail is that it makes the horizontal tail less susceptible to air turbulence generated from the main wing. On the other hand, it can be said that it is a disadvantage that inspection work becomes more difficult because the horizontal stabilizer is far away from the ground surface. As a similar disadvantage, it was pointed out that the DC-10, which has three jet engines, also had one engine on the vertical tail, which made it difficult to maintain.

For the above reasons, new aircraft with T-shaped tails are not seen recently.

Next, I would like to explain about "The aircraft name is changed during development". In October 1995, the official development of MD-95 was decided, but in August 1997 McDonnell Douglas was merged with Boeing. Therefore, the initials of McDonnell Douglas "MD" could not be used, and the aircraft name was changed to start with "B" which is the initials of Boeing. The "1" in B717 means a 100-seat passenger plane.

Finally, I would like to explain that “competing models are in the same Boeing company”. Boeing already had the B737 series as a 100-seat class airliner selection. In addition, when the B717 was being developed, the B737-600 was already in the lineup, and an airline that had ordered the MD-95 (= B717-200) was asked to change the order to the B737-600. It is said that However, the airline that ordered the B717 had operated the DC-9 series in the past, and wanted to make use of its pilot and maintenance resources, so it did not agree to change the order to the B737. As a result, the B717 was developed with a minimal budget.

The situation may be similar to the recent A220 and A320 series. If aircraft of the same size are competing within the aircraft manufacturer, it is natural to remain a hot seller.

It seems that the aircraft I boarded at that time is still in operation as of 2022. However, it may be replaced by new aircraft such as the A220 in the future. I heard that the birth of this aircraft was full of ups and downs, but I hope that it will continue to fly energetically in the Hawaiian sky, which is popular among Japanese people.