Airplane Watching and Recognition

- Boeing 727 -

B727-251 Northwest N275US Fin2275


B727-251 Northwest N275US Fin2275 This plane is a Boeing 727-251. Delivered on October 20th 1975, it is the 1168th of 1832 planes (572 B727-100 et 1260 B727-200) built from 1963 to 1984.

This Northwest plane is registered N275US and bears the fin number 2275. (The "fin number" is so called because more often than not the company number of the plane is painted of the fin)

B727-251 Northwest N275US Fin2275
The 727 is the only rear engine commercial plane built by Boeing. But there were other planes with this engine configuration. The British had the Hawker Siddeley Trident, the Soviets the Tupolev Tu-154 and Yakolev Yak-42.

Other smaller planes also show this trijet tail mounted engines configuration among which the Yakolev Yak-40 and the Dassault Falcon 50 or 900 (below).

Dassault Falcon 900EX (Tag Aviation) HB-IAH

B727-251 Northwest N275US Fin2275 B727-251 Northwest N275US Fin2275
B727-251 Northwest N275US Fin2275
Northwest Airlines was created on September 1st 1921 (Northwest Airways) and flew for the first time one month later.

The red tail is used since 1948, thus for more than 50 years!

Click on one of these three pictures to download an enlarged version (~250 Meg)

B727-251 Northwest N275US Fin2275
B727-251 Northwest N275US Fin2275 These two pictures, up front and partial side view, show the characteristic engine position on the 727.
727-100 Federal Express
You can still see Boeing 727 in operation. But most of them remain flying as cargo planes cargo. Right is a Federal Express 727-100 picture taken at Mirabel in the 90's.

The one below was seen from afar at the Vancouver International Airport on August 15th 2001. The two other pictures below right show a Boeing 727-200 during a flyover Mirabel on October 28th 2001.

727-100 AllCanada Express 727-200 AllCanada Express
727-200 AllCanada Express
This cargo plane (right) bearing an ace of spades on the fin is one of ten AllCanada Express Limited 727-200, a Toronto based company. (Source : WINGS, Canada's National Aviation Magazine, Issue 2, Volume 42, May/June 2001)

727-200 AllCanada Express

Boeing 727
This image also on this site on the plane recognition tips page show a few of the 727 characteristics.

Pointed noise (also on the 707 and military derivatives and on the 737).

Note the curve of the wing leading edge near the fuselage.

Flaps separarated by a noticeable space is also Boeing-like.

And of course let's not forget those three tail mounted engines.

Two pictures taken on the same morning on July 10th 2004 of 727s landing at Dorval's "Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau" international airport.
Although now rare, the 727 is recognizable with it's dictinctive silhouette.
A few features mentionned above are visible in the picture on the left : "Flaps separarated by a noticeable space. And yes, those three tail mounted engines.

Text : Jean-Pierre Bonin © 2001-2004


You remember a few characteristics of the plane but can't remember the name?
Try this visual guide. I hope it will help you.

Click on the drawings to go to the visual identification guide.

B 737


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About the author

Web site conception and production , text, pictures and illustrations : Jean-Pierre Bonin     © 1999-2004
Send suggestions and comments to : djipibi@hotmail.com
Web site created on August 8th 1999
Last page created on November 3rd 2001, last modified July 10th 2004

If you use my pictures or illustrations, please send me your web page address by e-mail.
If you use these images for a school research, then don't forget to mention the source of your document (and I wish you a good grade!)

 Autres sites du même auteur /
Other web sites created by the author

Pédagogie / Pedagogy [in French only]
http://www.collegeahuntsic.qc.ca/services/spdp/spdp.html

Techniques d'électrophysiologie médicale /
Medical Electrophysiology Techniques
[in French only]
http://www.collegeahuntsic.qc.ca/Pagesdept/epm/

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