In many ways, the Boeing 720 is the odd one out when it comes to Boeing jets. All other Boeing-made jets follow the “7×7” naming convention, whilst the 720 does not, much to the annoyance of avgeeks the world over!
Despite this, over a nine year period, Boeing sold 154 copies of the jet, many of which would have service lives that spanned well over 40 years. In fact, one was so good, its service life spanned a total of 50 years!
Pre-Boeing 720
During WWII, both sides began developing jet engines. By the end of the war, Britain not only had a working jet engine, but also a working jet fighter, the Gloster Meteor, which entered service in July 1944.
Following the war, airlines began demanding their own jet aircraft, as they were much cheaper to operate. By 1952, British aircraft manufacturer, de Havilland, had developed a working jet airliner, the de Havilland DH106 Comet.
Over the course of the 1950’s, a number of other jet airliners would also be introduced, including the Convair 880/990, Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. Most of the original jet airliners would sell quite well.
In particular, Boeing’s 707 was especially popular, due to it being far larger and cheaper to operate than any turboprop or piston airliner on the market. As such, it became a staple of transatlantic and transpacific routes.
However, a number of airlines at the time didn’t have transatlantic/pacific routes, with them only flying transcontinental. For them, the 707’s large size was a little bit overkill, especially on mid-demand, transcontinental routes.
As such, it made sense to fly the 707 from a financial standpoint, but these jets would only ever fly three-quarters full. Due to this, many airlines began to demand a short 707, it could use on these kinds of routes.
Development
Hearing this, Boeing would sit down with the CEOs of the airlines who were demanding such a jet, principally, United Airlines, with preliminary talks commencing in 1957.
After fully understanding what United wanted – a shorter 707 that could takeoff from shorter runways, Boeing would get to work.
Boeing would shorten the 707’s fuselage by around nine feet, which allowed the jet to carry 18 fewer passengers. With this shorter fuselage, this new jet weighed less and was powered by the same engines as the 707-120.
Due to this, the jet would be able to take off from shorter runways, and would carry less people. This would make it literally everything United Airlines wanted!
In 1958, Boeing would show United the new jet’s new specs, and they’d agree that it was everything they wanted. As such, they’d order the jet that same year, becoming the type’s launch customer.
However, United had one issue with the jet: its name. You see, Boeing designated it as the 707-020, as it was a variant of the 707. However, United insisted it be changed to Boeing 720, as it sounded friendlier.
The Boeing 720 never had a prototype, due to its systems being the same as those on the 707. Instead, the Boeing 367-80 would serve as the Boeing 720’s “prototype”.
Service History
Following the 720’s first flight in November 1959, it would soon be entered into service with United Airlines in July the following year. From here, it would have a service history, which would last for the next 50 years!
Passenger
Whilst United would be the Boeing 720’s launch customer, a number of other airlines would place orders for the jet. These would be built and delivered over the next seven years.
Among these airlines would be Western Airlines, El Al, Northwest Airlines, Eastern Airlines and Lufthansa (among many others!)
By the mid-1960’s, Boeing would introduce the 727 trijet. With this, many airlines would start to phase out the Boeing 720s in favor of the more fuel efficient 727. As a result, they would begin to sell their 720s.
Many airlines hadn’t acquired the Boeing 720 due to its price, which was more than the much larger 707 (at the time). However, these used 720s were going for much less than they were worth, so many airlines bought them.
Although not the only airline who bought them, Pan Am bought many 720s, repainting them in blue and white, using them extensively. Pan Am in particular would operate them until the early 1970’s, where they’d retire them.
Following this, a number of smaller airlines would buy the Boeing 720. For many of these airlines, the 720 would be their flagship, and would be used until the late 1990’s and/or early 2000’s, before being retired in favor of younger jets.
Cargo
By the early 1970’s, most airlines had acquired either the 727 or the most recent 737-200 and 737-300s. With this, the 720 had become inadequate and was quickly retired from regular passenger service.
However, the late 1960’s also saw the emergence of the first true cargo airlines (as we know them today). Many of these early cargo airlines couldn’t afford to buy brand new jets, so instead, bought old airliners.
From here, they’d then rip out the airline interior, replacing it with a cargo one, often at a fraction of the price of buying a brand new cargo jet from Boeing or Douglas!
Most airlines simply wanted to get rid of their Boeing 720 fleets, so often sold the jets at a bargain price. As such, most 720s saw a second life as a cargo airliner, hauling freight up and down the country.
The overwhelming majority of these jets would be used until the late 1980’s. Here, passenger airlines would begin to dispose of older 747-100s and 747-200s, which cargo airlines would buy mostly due to their huge size.
With this, most Boeing 720s would be retired by the early 1990’s. Only a handful remained in cargo service throughout the 1990’s, with the last one being retired before the turn of the millennium.
Charter
However, it wasn’t just cargo airlines that bought up retired 720s. The 1980’s had seen a new type of airline emerge, which soon became quite popular all around the world: The charter airline.
A number of smaller would buy the jet over the course of the late 1980’s, with many charter airlines having large 720 fleets. Here, the jet would be used on a wide variety of routes, in a number of different capacities.
During the tourist seasons, most of these charter aircraft were configured for passenger flights. In this capacity, they’d fly both medium-haul and medium-to-long-haul routes, mostly transcontinental routes.
During the off-season, however, these 720s would see use as a cargoliner. With this, their airline interiors would be quickly replaced with a cargo interior, which would then be used to carry large amounts of medium-sized cargo.
Over time, a number of these charter 720s would be retired. Here, they’d be permanently reconfigured for cargo operations, and chartered out, where they’d often be used to carry large, but valuable cargo.
VIP
In 1961, the Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) placed an order for one Boeing 707 and one Boeing 720. These were to be modified as VIP aircraft, meant to transport the President and his cabinet, whilst on official business.
For many Taiwanese presidents, the 720 would prove to be the comfier and more reliable aircraft. As such, the 720 was more commonly used on official Taiwanese business, which resulted in the jet becoming famous all across the world.
Both jets would serve in this capacity for over thirty years. However, both jets have since been retired in favor of the newer, more fuel efficient 737-800 (for long haul missions) and Fokker 50 (for short haul missions).
In the early 1960’s, Boeing would give the 720 prototype to United Airlines. The airline would operate the jet alongside the rest of its 720 fleet, before retiring it in 1973.
That year, it would be purchased by record label, Contemporary Entertainment. Here, it would have its airline interior replaced with a brand-new luxury one, have its body painted gold and red, and nicknamed The Starship.
For almost a decade The Starship would serve as an executive charter jet for world-famous musicians on tours, namely rock bands. The Starship would later be retired, stored and later dismantled for parts, in 1982.
Testbed
In December 1985, Pratt & Whitney Canada, the Canadian division of engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, acquired a former American Airlines Boeing 720. This jet was bought to be used as an engine testbed.
Pratt & Whitney Canada would take possession of the jet in January 1986, re-registering it as C-FETB (with “FETB” standing for “Flying Experimental Test Bed”). This is the most recently added registration of any Boeing 720.
For the next ten months, P&WC would make a number of modifications to the jet. Primarily, these modifications would be focused in two areas: the fuselage and the wings, with both being modified heavily.
P&WC would focus on strengthening the wings, as they’d be reconfigured on numerous occasions with different engines, some more powerful than others.
For the fuselage, P&WC would strengthen it too, whilst also adding a huge sensor pylon at the front. The pylon’s main job would be to monitor different atmospheric and internal changes during the flight.
P&WC would finish making these modifications in October 1986, before being used as an engine testbed for the next quarter-century.
The last operational flight of the Pratt & Whitney Canada 720, would occur in September 2010. Here, Pratt & Whitney Canada would replace it with a Boeing 747SP, which it is still using (as of the time of writing).
Museum
However, this was not the end for the former P&WC 720. In May 2012, it would fly again, albeit briefly. Here, it would fly to CFB Trenton, in Ontario, where it would be put on display at the National Air Force Museum of Canada.
Despite the 720 not having been used by the Canadian military, the P&WC 720 was involved with the Canadian armed forces. You see, the P&WC 720 would be used to test the engines of most of Canada’s fighter jets from the 1980’s onwards.
Following its replacement by the 737-800 and the Fokker 50, both the Taiwanese 707 and 720 would be retired. Here, the 720 would be put on display at the Taiwan Air Force Museum in Kangshang.
On national occasions, the Taiwan Air Force Museum allows visitors to take a tour around the Boeing 720. These tours show the might of the Taiwan, including pictures of the jet at famous airports all across the world.
Beyond just this, Pakistan also has two 720s on display, one in Lahore and the other in Karachi. These serve as static displays outside of the two PIA planetariums in the country (as PIA were the last operated of these 720s).
Columbia also has one, located at the Museo de los Niños, in Bogota. This was the first 720 delivered to Avianca (and incidentally also the first jet-powered airliner delivered to a South American airline!)
Specifications
As the 720 was designed to be merely a shorter variant of the 707, the two jets naturally share a number of similar specs. However, due to these modifications, the two jets are also very in different in many ways too!
Boeing would initially build the 720. However, the initial success of the 720 convinced Boeing to develop another variant of the jet – the 720B, which was a slightly longer variant with a longer range.
| Specifications | Boeing 720 | Boeing 720B |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 136 ft 2 in (41.50 m) | 136 ft 9 in (41.68 m) |
| Wingspan | 130 ft 10 in (39.88 m) | 130 ft 10 in (39.88 m) |
| Height | 41 ft 5 in (12.62 m) | 41 ft 2 in (12.55 m) |
| Crew | 3 | 3 |
| Passengers | 131-156 | 137-170 |
| Cruise Speed | 0.79 Mach (980 km/h; 609 mi; 529 kn) | 0.79 Mach (980 km/h; 609 mi; 529 kn) |
| Range | 2,800 nmi (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) | 3,200 nmi (5,900 km; 3,700 mi) |
| Service Ceiling | 42,000 ft (12,800 m) | 42,000 ft (12,800 m) |
| MTOW | 229,300 lb (104,000 kg) | 234,300 lb (106,200 kg) |
How Successful Was The Boeing 720?
In all honesty, it really depends on who you ask. At the time, Boeing considered the jet to be a bit of both, whilst many aviation analysts and avgeeks have since declared it one of the biggest aviation flops to date.
Boeing initially believed that the jet would sell incredibly well, perhaps more so than the 707 itself. This is something it did do, selling 154 copies, compared to the 707-100 and -200’s combined 146.
However, when you compare it to subsequent variants of the 707 family, particularly the 707-320 family, the Boeing 720 was woefully unsuccessful, selling only 154 copies, compared to the 580 copies of the 707-320.
This latter point is usually what analysts and avgeeks tend to hang onto, as proof that the 720 was a complete and utter failure.
With that being said, Boeing clearly demonstrated that the was a market there, as they would introduce the 727 in 1964. The 727 would quickly become Boeing’s best selling commercial airliner family.
This is a title it still holds today, almost 60 years later!
How Safe Was The Boeing 720?
Recently, Boeing aircraft have gotten a reputation for being rather dangerous aircraft to fly on. This is mostly due to the highly publicized 737 MAX groundings, which is still relatively fresh in most people’s minds.
To make matters worse, the 707, which the 720 was derived from, is also considered to be one of the worst aircraft you could fly on in terms of safety. These two factors together don’t really bode well for the 720…
Quite shockingly, the Boeing 720 is surprisingly safe, at least for a jet of its era.
In total, Boeing produced 154 720s, all of which would enter service. Of those 154 720s, only 23 would be involved in any form of aviation-related incident, or roughly 15% of all 720s ever built.
For the 1960’s, this was actually quite “safe” although by modern standards, 15% would be considered incredibly dangerous!
Of these 23 accidents, only 13 of them would result in fatalities, which total 256.
Most of these fatal accidents were due to freak accidents no one could have predicted, whilst others were simply due to poor maintenance by the airline, rather than anything to do with the aircraft itself.
Unfortunately, the 720 was also a frequent target of both terrorists and hijackers. One 720 was successfully blown up mid-flight, resulting in 81 fatalities.
Many more were hijacked, or had attempted hijackings, before the introduction of the FAMS.
Legacy
The Boeing 720 had a service life spanning almost 50 years, as such, it left a large impact on the aviation industry, perhaps in more ways than we’ll ever know! However, we can still see a lot of its impact today!
Boeing
Prior to the introduction of the 720, Boeing was only really known for making large aircraft. The 707 was among the largest jets of its day, only being beaten by the slightly longer Douglas DC-8.
Before the introduction of jets, Boeing had released the Boeing 377, the world’s first fully double deck airliner. This airliner was similarly large, with it being developed into the Guppy line of cargo aircraft later on in life.
However, the introduction of the Boeing 720 proved to the world that whilst Boeing’s specialty was large airliners, it could still produce smaller airliners (at least by comparison) too!
In many ways, the 720 would embolden Boeing to introduce the 737 in the late 1960’s, which was Boeing’s first major attempt at producing a short haul airliner. Whilst the path has not been smooth, it has certainly paid off for Boeing!
Boeing 720
Today, the 720 is the odd one out, when it comes to Boeing-made jet airliners. Although it briefly held the title of 717, it is remembered as the 720, being the only Boeing-made jet airliner not to follow the “7×7” naming convention.
For most aviation historians, the 720 is remembered for being the jet that helped to create the medium-haul jet airliner category. This is a category that’s still in use today, over 50 years later!
Assuming you want to see a Boeing 720 in real life today, there are sadly none still flying, not even as cargo or VIP aircraft. Instead, most are relegated to the aircraft graveyards scattered across the world.
Thankfully, however, there are a few preserved Boeing 720s around the world, mostly in Asia and the Americas. So if you wanted to, you could quite easily go and see an actual 720 in real life!
Future Aircraft
Both the success and the failure of the 720 would inspire Boeing to develop a medium-range jet airliner. Here, they would learn from the 720’s mistakes, and be sure not to repeat them.
Released in 1964, the 727 as it was known, soon dominated the medium-range jet airliner market. With this, many Boeing 720 operators would retire the jet in favor of the newer and cheaper to operate 727.
The 720 would prove to be the first commercial airliner that was used as a private jet. This trend would be continued with the 727, as well as many other jets, eventually morphing into the BBJ and ACJ programs we know today.
In many ways, Boeing would repeat the issues it had with the 707, with the 747. This would lead to the introduction of a shortened 747, the 747SP, which was similarly both a success and a failure (mostly the latter!)
What do you think of the Boeing 720? Have you ever flown on it? Tell me in the comments!
Photo courtesy of Aero Icarus via Flickr.