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FEATURE BOEING 757

wanted another airline on board at launch around existing proven concepts. (43.2cm) wide seats and 18 inch (45.7cm)
and larger progress payments to help The DC-11 featured a high aspect ratio aisles in economy.
its cash flow. Then-SVP of Delta Robert aft cambered wing, wing load alleviation It would be powered by rear mounted
Oppenlander summed up the situation in and three–position slats and double slotted un-ducted fans but later Boeing looked at a
the 1 December 1980 edition of Business flaps. In the flight deck electronic displays wing-mounted International Aero Engines
Week: “They (MDC) wanted to launch a and full ARINC 700 avionics were touted. Super Fan configuration and engine that
new plane without taking any risk. That In the company’s presentation much was originally to be fitted to the A340 but
isn’t the way it works.” was made of the increasing size of dropped due to technology issues.
(Interestingly Douglas Aircraft passengers with one graph showing that Boeing assembled an international
Company launched the DC-9 its most between 1955 and 1980 male shoulder team to build the 7J7 including the
successful jet with no orders.) width had increased by 1 inch and female Japanese heavies Short Brothers,
Balancing that view, John McDonnell, by just over 0.5 inches. SAAB Scania and Australia’s Hawker de
defended the decision—the first to be It also polled passengers as to what Havilland.
made after his father James “Mr. Mac” was most important to them and the Head of the 7J7 program was Alan
McDonnell died. He explained that after results are no different to today. Wider Mulally, who would later rise to be
deregulation, airlines were not as sure seats topped the poll at 24.6 per cent President and CEO of Boeing Commercial
about what size plane they wanted. followed by more legroom 20.8 per cent Airplanes and later President of Ford
“Recently, we have been hearing that 150 and more carry on facilities at 17.5 per Motor Company.
seats or even 120 seats is the right size,” cent. And these results were at a time Like MDC Boeing polled over 2,500
he told Business Week at the time. when the standard economy seat pitch frequent flyers after they toured the
Any way you look at it the DC-11 was was 34 inches (86.3cm)! 7J7 mock-up and the layout received an
one of the most exciting aircraft proposed Interestingly MDC looked at a slightly overwhelming thumbs up.
by McDonnell Douglas. Using the very different double bubble cross section to And then Chairman of SAS Jan Carlson
latest technology, including composite enable the DC-11 to take LD3 containers wanted to be the launch customer.
floor beams, control surfaces, nacelles, increasing its revenue generation “If Boeing provides more passenger
vertical and horizontal stabilizers and potential. The overall drag penalty was pleasing features in the 7J7 we’d like to
other primary structures, MDC predicted put at 3 per cent. be the launch customer,” Carlson told
fuel consumption 20 per cent below that Boeing also toyed with the twin-aisle media at the time. “Nobody wants to sit
of the DC-9 Super 80, later renamed concept with its 7J7 and a full cabin mock-up in the middle seat,” Carlson said in a
the MD-80, using the JT10D-32 engine was shown at the at the 1987 Paris Air Show. 1986 interview and nothing has changed
rated at 32,000 lb. thrust. Essentially the It took the twin-aisle concept further since then. Referring to the standard 3-3
DC-11 would incorporate the very latest with a 188-in. (4.8m) cabin width that configuration Carlson added that “it’s a
technology whereas the 757 was built would permit 2-3-2 seating, 17 inch shame for the industry that there have
been so few changes inside new planes.”
Despite strong interest, the relatively
low price of fuel at the time did not justify
the investment and the project was
slowed in 1987, although it did have a
brief resurrection in 1991.
Boeing went on to launch the 737NG
to meet the sales success of the A320.
MDC also resurrected the twin-aisle
200 seater concept in 1991 with what
it called at the time the MD-XX which
was pitched at a 1996 launch although
a version with fewer technological
advancements could receive a go ahead in
1993 it told media. The MD-XX designator
would later be attached to a development
of the MD-11 that was also stillborn.

Modular Solution
Interestingly the former head of the 7J7
program Alan Mulally told the author
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