Boeing B-737 NextGen Scrapbook

An early B-737-700 jetliner without winglets. Retrofitting winglets on the airframe led to increased fuel efficiency.

Photos by Don Linn, Scott Zeno, Scott Jankowski and Ken Kula

The Boeing B-737 contains four distinct groups of variations of the original 737 airframe. Airframe size and powerplant upgrades marked the third group, known as the 737 NG (Next Generation). This series contains the B-737-600, -700, -800, -900 and -900ER model jetliners.

Boeing 737-600 Series

Less than 70 airframes of the B-737-600 version were built between 1998 and 2012. Up to 130 passengers could be carried in the smallest -NG version. Economically, more seats to fill usually means a bigger profit, and the 737s of the next sizes up garnered more orders. The aircraft above once flew for Lauda Air but was leased to the U. S. Navy as an aircrew trainer for Boeing E-6 Mercury communications jets. It later was operated by Austrian Airlines before being scrapped after only 9 years of use.

The Boeing 737-700 series jets can hold up to 148 passengers. Southwest Airlines was the launch customer for the -700 series and would order hundreds of the model. The U. S. Navy’s C-40A Clipper combination passenger and freight transport is based on the -700 series. The Boeing Business Jet (in the photo above – later known as the BBJ1) is also based on the -700 series jet. The Boeing E-7 airborne warning and control jet (known as the Wedgetail in Royal Australian Air Force) is based upon this airframe too and has been ordered by five countries. Over 1,100 B-737-700 airframes were produced.

Boeing’s B-737-800 was the best-selling NG variant, with more than 5,000 airframes delivered or ordered. The stretched fuselage can hold up to 189 passengers. The type has shown it is capable of filling passenger, freighter and military special use missions worldwide. The BBJ2 business jet is modeled after the -800 airframe, and the Boeing P-8 Poseidon naval patrol and anti-submarine aircraft also has its roots in the -800’s design… ten countries have orders for the maritime patroller.

Boeing’s largest B-737 NG is the -900/-900ER (Extended Range) version. More than 200 passengers can be seated in the longest fuselage of the NGs, the -900ER trades a few seats less for extended range. Only 52 of the original -900 series jetliner were delivered, but the increased range of the -900ER drew over 500 airframe orders. Boeing’s BBJ3 is based upon the B-737-900ER too.