I fly an Archer, let me know how it compares to the Sundowner. I also drive an Accord and have a fridge! Coincidence? The best looking airliner? The BOAC Super VC-10...without question!!! The L-1011 is a close second (but not the - 500). Chris ---- Original message ---- >Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 21:16:13 -0400 >From: Mike Gammon <jmgammon@xxxxxxxxxxxx> >Subject: Re: The 727 >To: AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > >I drive a Honda Accord. It's like my fridge for reliability. One >consistently keeps the beer cold, the other consistently gives me >trouble-free motoring. Just about as sexy as my fridge too... > >But I fly (or I will soon, just sold my Cherokee, new bird arrives in a >week), a Beechcraft Sundowner, but I salivate for a Baron, or at least a >Bonanza ;-) > >That being said, the 727 was a fine bird for its time. Look at how we >evolved: in 1960, the Boeing 720, a true gas guzzler, basically had the >same capacity, and a similar mission, to a B727-200ADV. The 727 must have >seemed like a true revolution to airlines at that time, 3/4 the fuel burn >for the same mission (at least the -200; the -100 actually had about the >capacity and capability of...a B737-200ADV, another story of Darwin at work >in the airliner business). Now the fuel burn is less than half with the >737NG and A320 series. The head-end crew is 2/3 the size. > >The 727's gig is up, but we should recognize it for what it is, a very >important milestone in aviation history. But, not what some claim, the DC3 >of the jet age, not even close. I believe that award should go to the DC9, >still nominally in production 40 years on, and some examples well into their >30s still flying for mainline carriers (NW comes to mind, and until January >this year, AC). Not even the DC3 can match that record... > >The MD11 is unfortunately a dog that needed significant mods to meet its >performance promises, has a higher than average accident rate, is a bitch to >land, and basically is the mistakes (marketing and technical) of the DC10 >expanded. But it does look good though. > >And then, for widebodies, there's the L1011, especially the - 500. My >favourite all-time widebody, well, maybe after the 747-400. > >Mike Gammon > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Alireza Alivandivafa" <DEmocrat2n@xxxxxxx> >To: <AIRLINE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> >Sent: Friday, May 16, 2003 6:40 PM >Subject: Re: The 727 > > >> Actually, I drive a BMW M3 and salivate over Ferraris and Porsche Turbos. >I also salivate over the service and price of Southwest and jetBlue, and >that means a lot more to me that keeping a 20 year old relic (for the >youngest 727s) in the air to make me pay more for a ticket. Notice all the >losses for airlines that flew them until last year?? If you want to keep a >beautiful plane flying, MD-11 should be the first one your list. It out >does A340 and 777, but happened to be made by MDC so it got the shaft. Have >you seen just how good it looks as J-Bird? >>