Between the disastrous launch of the 737 MAX, multi-year delays to the 777X and ongoing regulatory scrutiny of the 787 Dreamliner, it’s fair to say that the current generation of Boeing commercial airliners is having a rather bumpy ride. Amid the turbulence, Boeing devotees could be forgiven for harking back to an altogether simpler time, precisely four decades ago, when the American OEM first took flight with what would later become one of its greatest hits.
To find the roots of the 757 programme, it helps to consider the development and strategy of the earlier 727. Boeing's management was pleased with the success of the trijet – with more than 1,800 being built – and naturally started to examine options to expand the platform. The mid-1970s was a period of high demand for new aircraft and, in time, the OEM studied a stretched and modified version of the jet, which was provisionally known as the 727-300.
Following extensive conversations with existing operators, the -300 concept was cast aside in favour of a clean-sheet design. Given ‘7N7’ as a working title, the new aircraft would showcase – among other elements – recent advances in construction techniques together with improved high-bypass turbofan engines.
