Boeing 707
Boeing · United States · first flew 1957 · airliner
The Boeing 707 was the four-engined jet airliner that launched mass jet travel for the Western world, defining the modern swept-wing podded-engine layout.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turbojet, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Long slender narrowbody with pointed nose |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Four separate underwing engine pods
- Long slender narrowbody with pointed nose
- Tall swept fin, often a ventral fin below
Look for four individually podded engines slung under a sharply swept low wing, a long thin fuselage with a pointed nose, and a tall swept fin frequently accompanied by a ventral fin beneath the tailcone.
Specifications
- The Boeing 707 has a length of 46.6 m (153 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 44.4 m (146 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 975 km/h (606 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed from the 367-80 'Dash 80' demonstrator that flew in 1954, the production 707 first flew in 1957 and entered Pan Am service in 1958. Around 865 were built, and its Dash 80 ancestor also spawned the narrower-bodied KC-135 tanker and E-3 AWACS. Its configuration set the template every subsequent jetliner followed.
Variants
The short-body 707-120 gave way to the definitive long-range 707-320/-320B Intercontinental with curved wingtips and JT3D turbofans. BOAC's Rolls-Royce Conway-powered 707-420 was a 'buy-British' concession, and convertible -320C freighters extended the family's life.
Where you'll see it
BOAC flew the Conway-powered 707-420 from Heathrow from 1960, passing to British Airways in 1974, while British Caledonian operated 707s from Gatwick. Western passenger use ended by the mid-1980s. The forward fuselage of BOAC 707-436 G-APFJ is preserved at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune.
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- Boeing 707-120
- Boeing 707-320 Intercontinental
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- KC-135 Stratotanker
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