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Boeing Officially(ish) Rebrands The 737 MAX
Boeing has today announced an order for up to four Boeing 737 jets by Polish airline Enter Air. Yes, the airline is ordering Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, but that’s not how they’re being described. These planes are being described as Boeing 737-8 aircraft. This is clearly part of a very slow and subtle rebranding exercise for the troubled jet. (onemileatatime.com) More...
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I'm old enough to remember the Lockheed L188 Electra. It was renamed (sort of) as the Electra II once it's problem was corrected. History repeats itself...
And it was a good airplane after the fix. Unfortunately, renaming it did not reassure the flying public.
I used to do airport advisory at an airport with a provincial forestry service base, and every year, they stationed an Aero Commander spotter and Electra air tanker there. They didn’t spend much time parked and in three years I don’t remember them ever going mechanical. What a machine that was!
And, I must say, the Electra II became a very safe airplane.
Yes, and many airlines were loath to retire them including Eastern, who was a launch customer, and kept theirs (flying passengers) until 1977.
Reeve carried cargo and passengers in Alaska until March of 1999.
Varig carried passengers in Brazil until January of 1999 .
Pretty impressive.
The excuse for retirement was "propeller and engine maintenance has become too expensive and parts are in short supply".
Really?
What about all those many hundreds of C-130's and P-3"s?
Reeve carried cargo and passengers in Alaska until March of 1999.
Varig carried passengers in Brazil until January of 1999 .
Pretty impressive.
The excuse for retirement was "propeller and engine maintenance has become too expensive and parts are in short supply".
Really?
What about all those many hundreds of C-130's and P-3"s?
What was the a/c problem?
I flew L188 out of Boston in 1966 as FO and FE.
The initial training full stall and then full power blowing the stall off the wing was impressive.
I flew L188 out of Boston in 1966 as FO and FE.
The initial training full stall and then full power blowing the stall off the wing was impressive.
In 1960 two crashes of L188 Electras were determined to have been caused by structural failure, in which engine mount vibrations in the outer nacelles (#1 and #4) caused resonant flutter in the outer wing panels broke the wings. Lockheed modified the whole fleet to eliminate the flaw, but the plane’s reputation was ruined and new orders dried up as a result.
New orders dried up because, by then, the airlines had learned their mistake. By 1960 it was already clear that the flying public did not want to see propellers---period!
Once the 707 and DC-8 made jet travel accessible to the masses it was all over.
Once the 707 and DC-8 made jet travel accessible to the masses it was all over.
Wow! Including 707 in the conversation brings good memories. 54 years ago. So long on the a/c qualified on all 3 seats.
