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...eet a specific needs of an individual airline. Some 707’s could carry a larger capacity of passengers over a shorter distance, were as another variant could carry fewer passengers over a longer distance. With all of these variations the 707 left little room for the Douglas DC-8 which was once though to be a major treat to Boeing. The 707 could meet any need of an airline; this is one reason that made the 707 such a versatile aircraft and why it dominated the market. The 707 also saw plenty of action in uniform. It’s most useful application came in the way of the KC-135 Stratotanker. It was modified to perform in-flight refueling task for the United States Air Force. The 707 saw a healthy lifespan as the KC-135, of the 735 units build in the early sixties 550 still remain in service today (www.Boeing.com). The 707 also had the very privileged role of presidential transport. As Air Force One it started its career in 1962 and served seven Presidents. It was only to be replace by one of it’s bigger brothers the Boeing 747. Another of one of it’s more interesting applications was that of the "Vomet Come" a modified KC-135 to make large in-flight arcs to provide a weightless environment to train NASA astronauts. Altogether the 707 and its derivatives saw many varied and interesting applications. With the 707 fulfilling the needs for a long range jetliner there was a demand by the airline industry for a short to medium range jet. A jet that was designed for short-range use would provide savings over a long-range jet and faster travel times that were presently completed by prop driven planes. Boeing went to the drawing boards and came out with the 727. When the 727 finally came to production it came out with better performance that what was originally planned. "As throughout Boeing’s history, its strong, patient, intense engineering efforts had once more been the key" (Bauer, 226). The 727 filled the duty of short to medium range better than any other aircraft. It showed in the sales and the 727 became at the time the most selling Boeing aircraft, but that title would not remain very long. The Boeing 737 became the most selling commercial jetliner in the world. To date it has sold 3,158 units and there are still more on order (www.Boeing.com). Its primary role is short to medium range passenger transport. The 737 were to be a gradual replacement to the 727 and did so quite well, it became known as the "Little Giant." The 737 also proved to be a very rugged aircraft, with a kit add-on to the landing gears it made it possible for the 737 to land on unimproved runways like a grass field or a gravel runway. The 737 also were far superior in its ability to take off from high altitude, short runways. These abilities made the 737 very versatile it could link many areas that were unable maintain a modern airport that would have a paved runway (Bauer, 250). One key feature to the 737, which made it the success it was, was the decision to make the plane six seats abreast. Douglas was the main competition in the beginning has a plane that was five seats abreast. Even with Douglas’s advantage in speed and range it could never match the seat per-mile cost the 737 gave. The single decision, which meant about a 17inch increase of diameter over the DOUGLAS DC-9, meant the success of the 737 and the failure of the DC-9. Above: Comparison between the DC-9 and 737 cross-sections. With the ruggedness of the 737 it sees several applications for the Military. Its most widely used application is as a training aid for both pilots and navigators. Pilots use the USAF designated T-43 737s as a flight trainer for large cargo and transport aircraft. The 737 is a large aircraft but not too large aircraft, it provides the perfect stepping stone for pilots into the huge birds that are present in today’s Air Force. It also provides navigational training. Its wider design offers plenty of room for the trainees and their instructors. One T-43 has about 19 stations for its students (Minton, 31). The T-43 provides a very accommodating learning environment for the flight students. The largest and most infamous member of the family is the Boeing 747, the "Jumbo Jet"." This is an aircraft that has changed commercial airliners forever. With its sheer size it put itself in a class of it’s own. The 747 offer a lower seat per-mile cost and a more efficient way for transportation than any other aircraft. It can move more people and cargo farther and faster. "The 707 brought jet transportation to people. The 747 brought jet transportation to the everyday people" (Norris and Wagner, 26). 747s have become the backbone of many airlines, in that they handle more people and cargo than any of their other planes. 747 not only provides a highly efficient people mover it has also been a great improvement of cargo transportation. Some modified 747 have a large upward swinging door at the nose of the plane. This door allows for great ease in loading large cargo items. Boeing also offered the option of a side panel door for loading. This was mainly used in the "Combi" 747; they were 747 they would transport people and cargo at the same time. The 747 also serve several roles in the Military. Most notably is in the application of presidential transportation as Air Force One. The 747 replace the 707 as Air Force One with great pride. With the increase in room and luxury the President hasn’t had a better ride since. The 747 also found itself the solution to a rather large problem that is of the transportation of the Space Shuttle. There really is no other way to transport the large orbiter than strapping it onto the top of a 747. NASA bought an ex-American Airlines 747 in 1977 and has been using it ever since (Gilchrist, 61). By the late seventies the 727 and 737 were showing their age. Boeing was unable to sell newly modified versions of the two aircraft and they soon realized that a whole new aircraft was in...