On February 19th, 1982, the Boeing 757 took to the skies for the first time. This came a week earlier than planned, and while the test aircraft encountered certain issues, the type became an FAA-certified airliner by the end of that year. The 757 went on to become one of the workhorses of commercial aviation, proving popular with carriers around the world.
How did the aircraft come to be, and what are some key moments in its history? Developed to succeed the 727 By the time the 757 came about, Boeing was already an established narrowbody manufacturer. Alongside the famous 737, it had enjoyed particular commercial success with the three-engined 727 series, selling over 1,800 examples. As Key Aero notes, the company wanted to build on this success with a larger 727-300.
More than 500 Boeing 757s are still actively flying. However, due to a lack of interest in this stretched trijet, and following consultation with potential customers in the narrowbody market, Boeing instead opted to succeed the 727 with a brand-new design. Initially designated as the 7N7, the US manufacturing juggernaut wanted this aircraft to offer considerably better operational efficiency than its predecessor.
With this in mind, the new aircraft, whose name was eventually changed to the 757, was built with just two wing-mounted engines. This contrasted to the three-engined wing-mounted approach seen on the 727, but ultimately worked a treat. Indeed, Boeing notes that " the 757 was up to 80% more fuel efficien.