1. Development and design
    Background  Model developments   Engines  Further developments  Modifications 

2. Variants
    737-300  737-400  737-500 

3. Operators
    Civilian  Military  Deliveries 

4. Aircraft on display

5. Accidents and incidents

6. Specifications

7. See also

8. References

9. External links

The Boeing 737 Classic refers to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737. It is the second-generation derivative of the 737, following the original -100/-200 models that began production in 1966. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners. Produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes from 1984 to 2000, the 737 Classic includes three variants and can seat between 145 and 188 passengers. Improvements over the previous generation of 737 aircraft included CFM International CFM56 high-bypass-ratio turbofan engines, upgraded avionics, and increased passenger capacity (in the -300/-400 models).

The first model of the Classic series, the 737–300, entered service in 1984. It was followed by a stretched model, the 737-400, which entered service in 1988, followed by the shortened 737-500, the smallest variant in the classic series, in 1990. In total, 1,988 aircraft were delivered. The Classic series was introduced as the new generation of the 737,^[1] but following the introduction of the 737 Next Generation in the mid-1990s, was officially designated as the 737 Classic series.

Development and design

Background

Following the success of the Boeing 737-200 Advanced, Boeing wanted to increase capacity and range, incorporating improvements to upgrade the plane to modern specifications, while also retaining commonality with previous 737 variants. Development began in 1979, and in 1980, preliminary aircraft specifications were released at the Farnborough Airshow.^[2] The new series featured CFM56 turbofan engines, yielding significant gains in fuel economy and a reduction in noise, but also posing an engineering challenge given the low ground clearance of the 737 - a trait of its 707-derived fuselage. Boeing and engine supplier CFM International solved the problem by placing the engine ahead of (rather than below) the wing, and by moving engine accessories to the sides (rather than the bottom) of the engine pod, giving the 737 a distinctive noncircular air intake.^[3]

The wing incorporated a number of changes for improved aerodynamics. The wing tip was extended {{Convert|9|in|cm}}. The leading-edge slats and trailing-edge flaps were adjusted.^[3] The flight deck was improved with the optional electronic flight instrumentation system, and the passenger cabin incorporated improvements similar to those on the Boeing 757.

Model developments

In March 1981, USAir and Southwest Airlines each ordered 10 aircraft of the 737-300 series, with an option for 20 more. That aircraft, the initial model of the 737 Classic series, first flew in February 1984 and entered service in December of that year with Southwest Airlines. A further stretched model, the 737-400, was launched with an order for 25 aircraft with 30 options from Piedmont Airlines in June 1986. That aircraft first flew in February 1988 and entered service later that year with Piedmont Airlines. The final model of the series, the 737-500, was launched with an order for 30 aircraft from Southwest Airlines in May 1987. That aircraft, which was designed as a replacement for the 737-200 and had similar passenger capacity and dimensions, as well as the longest range of any member of the 737 Classic family, first flew in June 1989 and entered service with Southwest Airlines in 1990.

Engines

Boeing selected the CFM56-3 exclusively to power the 737-300 variant. The 737 wings were closer to the ground than previous applications for the CFM56, necessitating several modifications to the engine. The fan diameter was reduced, which reduced the bypass ratio, and the engine accessory gearbox was moved from the bottom of the engine (the 6 o'clock position) to the 9 o'clock position, giving the engine nacelle its distinctive flat-bottomed shape, which is often nicknamed the "hamster pouch". The overall thrust was also reduced, from {{cvt|24000|to|20000|lbf|kN}}, mostly due to the reduction in bypass ratio.^[4]

Further developments

Throughout the 1980s, the 737 Classic series attracted large orders from airlines in the United States and Europe, with its order totals exceeding those of preceding 737 models. By far, the most successful model was the 737-300, with deliveries totaling 1,113 aircraft (the 737-400 and -500 reached 486 and 389 deliveries, respectively). Major operators included US carriers, small national airlines, and charter carriers.

By the 1990s, when regular Boeing customer United Airlines bought the Airbus A320, this prompted Boeing to update the slower, shorter-range 737 Classic -400 into the rewinged, updated, more efficient, longer 737NG-800.^[5]

Production of the 737 Classic continued alongside that of the Next Generation for a period of time; the first 737-700 was completed in December 1996; the last 737 Classic was completed in February 2000.

Modifications

Six former Southwest 737-300s are modified and operated for aerial firefighting by British Columbia-based Coulson Group, supported by a C$3.4 million ($2.6 million) loan from the Canadian government.

Specifications

See also

• Boeing 737 rudder issues

• Boeing 737
• Boeing 737 MAX
• Boeing 737 Next Generation
• Boeing T-43

• Airbus A320 family
• McDonnell Douglas MD-80
• McDonnell Douglas MD-90
• Tupolev Tu-154
• Yakovlev Yak-42

• List of Boeing 737 operators
• List of civil aircraft

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Endres, Günter. The Illustrated Directory of Modern Commercial Aircraft. Osceola, Wisconsin: MBI Publishing Company, 2001. {{ISBN|0-7603-1125-0}}.
• Sharpe, Michael and Shaw, Robbie. [https://books.google.com/books?id=nTlOXCxBq10C&dq=737+advanced+improvements Boeing 737-100 and 200]. Osceola, Wisconsin: MBI Publishing Company, 2001. {{ISBN|0-7603-0991-4}}.
• Shaw, Robbie. Boeing 737-300 to 800]. Osceola, Wisconsin: MBI Publishing Company, 1999. {{ISBN|0-7603-0699-0}}.
• Shaw, Robbie. Boeing Jetliners. London, England: Osprey, 1995. {{ISBN|1-85532-528-4}}.

External links

• 737 page on Boeing.com
• Celebrating the 5000th 737 on FlightInternational.com
• {{cite web |url= http://www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/company/about_bca/startup/pdf/historical/737-classic-passenger.pdf |title= 737 classic |date= 2007 |publisher= Boeing}}

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