Boeing 7-7

[Triton]

Model of Boeing 7-7 150-seat airliner press photo circa 1981 found on eBay.

Source:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1981-Boeing-7-7-150-Seat-Aircraft-Design-Press-Photo-/190704400001?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item2c66de3681

 

[taildragger]

I suspect that this project was dropped when a way was devised to mount high bypass turbofans on the 737. I think it's interesting that this model has a 757-style nose, but that this has never made it onto 737 developments. Early models of the 757 had a 707/727/737 nose and the final profile must have offered some advantages which didn't pan out.

 

[LowObservable]

That's interesting. It must have been a short-lived project, since the 737-300 was already launched by then. Boeing then waffled for a while until the A320 was launched, at which point they tried to squash it with the mythical 7J7.

Thinking back, I don't recall the 7-7 ever getting to the stage of serious discussions with airlines.

 

[Triton]

The article snippet mentions that McDonnell Douglas and Fokker were developing a 150-seat airliner which I presume is the MDF-100 in 1981. With Airbus, A320, and McDonnell Douglas/Fokker developing new aircraft, perhaps Boeing felt pressured to develop a new aircraft to replace the 737.

 

[LowObservable]

I think they may have trotted out a model - but, at the time, I don't think anyone in Seattle believed in it.

 

[burunduk]

Not only Lockheed and MD tried to place one engine on the tail and two other under the wing.

Here is Boeing project 7N7, 1977.

 

[SSgtC]

Not only Lockheed and MD tried to place one engine on the tail and two other under the wing.

Here is Boeing project 7N7, 1977.

IIRC, the 7N7 was the predecessor to the 757 family and was originally conceived as an updated 727.

Edit to add: This article gives some great background on the development of the 757. Including why the nose looks the way it does (it was broadened from the 707/727/737 nose to fit the cockpit from the 767 in it)

 

[SSgtC]

Sorry, the link isn't working in my post above.

https://www.boeing.com/news/frontiers/archive/2002/december/i_history.html#:~:text=The%20new%20727%20replacement—initially,efficient%2C%20high-bypass%20engines.&text=Boeing%20launched%20the%20757%20in,British%20Airways%20for%2040%20aircraft.