5 interesting facts about the Boeing 720

• Not as well known as other Boeing aircraft, the 720 had respectable long range and good fuel economy.
• The Boeing 720 defied convention by renaming itself after an earlier Boeing jet airliner.
• In 1962, the world speed record was broken in the journey from London to Karachi.

The Boeing 720 was a commercial airliner produced in the 1960s that was used by many airlines around the world. Due to its extended range and economical fuel consumption, the aircraft gained popularity.

When Boeing presented the 717 concept to commercial airlines, the history of the Boeing 720 began. But since airlines didn’t have much of a 717 and didn’t necessarily have the good qualities of the long-haul 707, the American manufacturer created a new plane that didn’t even look like the popular 707.

This aircraft is a major player in aviation history, even if it is not as famous as some of the other well-known Boeing models.

No prototype. Straight into production

The Boeing 720’s system was so similar to that of the 707 that it never needed a prototype. The Boeing 367-80, often referred to as the Dash 80, served as a testbed for the American airliner’s minor system modifications to the 720 and -120. Boeing’s 720 was based on the B707–120, although it had a thicker inboard section to increase local sweep and reduce drag, as well as four lower frames in front and one behind the wing, with outboard Kruger flaps.

Despite having the original JT3C turbojet engine from the Boeing 707-801, the 720 was faster than the B707-120 due to its lower overall weight and updated wing. The roots were B720 a low-risk derivative of the B707–120, Boeing went directly to production.

The only Boeing jet airliner that deviates from its naming tradition

The unique number assigned to an aircraft helps engineers distinguish between the various models on display by any manufacturer. In the case of Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer has always assigned serial numbers to its models, with jet-powered commercial aircraft being in the “700” series.

From a marketing point of view, the formulaic but asymmetrical 7X0 is less attractive on paper than the symmetrical 7X7, which also sounds better out loud. Because the 707 was so successful, Boeing decided to stick with this numbering system.

Having said that, Boeing has mostly followed their 7X7 naming scheme for their jet-powered aircraft; However, thewhole story on the Boeing 720’s name. Simple Flying has a full essay on the naming of the Boeing 720.

Record flight from London to Karachi

On January 2, 1962, Captain Abdullah Baig flew a PIA Boeing 720B from London to Karachi, Pakistan, setting a new world speed record of 938.78 km/h (582.98 mph). As part of its delivery, the aircraft was en route to Karachi from the Boeing facility in Seattle. It previously held the record for the fastest flight between Seattle and London.

Captain Baig and Air Commodore Noor Khan received a warm welcome on their arrival in Karachi. The $6 million turbofan jet made the trip in six hours, forty-five minutes and thirty-three seconds. This incredible feat on the London-Karachi route remains unmatched even today and its importance in the history of aviation cannot be questioned.

Controlled Impact Demonstration

The Federal Aviation Administration and NASA Dryden Flying Research Center collaborated on a controlled impact demonstration flight experiment in 1984. The idea was to test gasoline additives that would extinguish or reduce flames in the event of a crash landing. FM-9 additive is a long-chain polymer with high molecular weight. When combined with Jet-A fuel, demonstrated the ability to prevent fires from starting and spreading during simulated impact testing.

For the experiment, an antique Boeing 720 four-engine airplane was obtained from the FAA. To breach the gasoline tanks on the wings, the aircraft was deliberately crash-landed on several steel structures erected on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base using remote piloting.

As part of its fuel studies, NASA Langley Study Center conducted an experiment to test structural loads. They used instrumented dummies on passenger cabin seats for this experiment. Several impact-survival experiments were installed on the aircraft, including burn-resistant glass, galley and stowage-bin enclosures, a new seat design, and a flight data recorder.

The Boeing 720 Starship

N7201U was the first Boeing 720 ever. After being sold to United Airlines in October 1960, it was acquired by Contemporary Entertainment in 1973. Originally built as a commercial aircraft, the interior was modified to include a bar, couches, tables, video library and beds.

In the 1970s, “The Starship” was adopted by many famous rock bands. For their North American performance tours in 1973 and 1975, Led Zeppelin recruited The Starship. The plane was also rented by Peter Frampton, Alice Cooper, The Rolling Stones and Deep Purple during their tours.

But during Led Zeppelin’s 1977 tour, the Starship suffered engine trouble and was forced to park permanently at Long Beach Airport. The group is forced to find an alternative, so they hire another plane, Caesar’s Chariot. From 1977 to 1979, Starship changed ownership several times until it was broken up for pieces in 1982.

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