Boeing 720 - The Forgotten Boeing

Hello again! :D
Often derided as one of Boeing's biggest commercial failures, the 720 was essentially a stop-gap for the firm in developing dedicated short-to-medium range jet airliners during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and while it's easy to criticize this machine based entirely on its sales figures, the truth of the matter is that what was meant to be an interim measure did in fact lead to a model that saw work in all walks of life, ranging from frontline, high frequency stalwart of American transport corridors, to engine testbed, to airliner safety crash mule, to flying tour bus, to even being a war hero in its own right throughout one of the bloodiest conflicts in history.
All video content and images in this production have been provided with permission wherever possible. While I endeavour to ensure that all accreditations properly name the original creator, some of my sources do not list them as they are usually provided by other, unrelated KZbinrs. Therefore, if I have mistakenly put the accreditation of 'Unknown', and you are aware of the original creator, please send me a personal message at my Gmail (this is more effective than comments as I am often unable to read all of them): [e-mail]
The views and opinions expressed in this video are my personal appraisal and are not the views and opinions of any of these individuals or bodies who have kindly supplied me with footage and images.
If you enjoyed this video, why not leave a like, and consider subscribing for more great content coming soon.
Press the Join button to get access to new videos a week ahead of schedule by becoming a channel member for just £2.99 a month!
Paypal: paypal.me/rory...
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/rory...
Thanks again, everyone, and enjoy! :D
References:
- Key Aero (and their respective references)
- Charles Kennedy (and his respective references)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references)

[@albatross5466]

When Boeing was run by engineers and not accountants.

[@heirofaniu]

And when companies could afford to buy planes built by engineers and not accountants.

[@SuperScratch1]

Precisely so !!

[@bcshelby4926]

...indeed. I'd still take a 720B over a Max any day.

[@Philc231]

Don’t forget government regulations and political payoffs .

[@gregorywright2798]

Absolutely Correct after Boeing Bought McDonald Douglas in 1997, McDonald Douglas accounting regime entered Boeing. The Dollars Were More Important then Safety and ruin Boeing.

[@grahamariss2111]

If Vickers had sold 150+ VC10s they would have considered it a massive commercial success.

[@ABrit-bt6ce]

When they retired Concorde VC10 re-inherited the Fastest Airliner title. VC10 was a beast.

[@mirzaahmed6589]

@@ABrit-bt6ce what about the Convair Coronado?

[@mancubwwa]

@@ABrit-bt6ce where exactly were the VC-10s flying when Concorde was retired?

[@grahamariss2111]

@@mancubwwa Flew until 2013 with the RAF as tankers and transports.

[@grahamariss2111]

@@mirzaahmed6589 Faster but corrosion issues put them out of service very quickly. VC10 flew until 2013 with ghe RAF.

[@andrewsmactips]

What a beautifully balanced and proportioned design. It still looks sleek and fresh today.

[@ABrit-bt6ce]

Tasty. I'd loop one on my dollar.

[@PeterNGloor]

but too many engines, as we can see by the 727's subsequent replacement of the 720.

[@emergencylowmaneuvering7350]

@@PeterNGloor Oh, that beauty... That beauty. I almost cried when i saw Aerosucre crash in Colombia a few years ago.

[@coriscotupi]

@SpaceAce100 The 720Bs were powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3D turbofans.

[@springertube]

​. Fairly early on they adopted the Turbofans ID'd by the absence of "flutes" seen on the back end of the Turbojets, thus the ultimate -B variant that also included the taller tail seen on the 707-300 (-B and non -B) series.

[@GeorgeMCMLIX]

As an aircraft engineer I had many happy years working on 720s at Luton airport, England. The mainstay of Monarch Airlines’ fleet from the early 1970s they were a very versatile aircraft, appreciated by flight crew and engineers alike. My apprenticeship and early years of my career was spent on these great machines, affectionately known as the 707GT due to its impressive performance. Fond memories of a unique aircraft.

[@benjya]

First plane I remember going on was a Monarch B720B from LTN to TLV in 1980.

[@adamw2911]

As a kid I always thought the runway at Luton would have been way too short for a 707 type aircraft. However I saw one on the ground there and Dad managed to explain its decent short take off and landing attributes.

[@GeorgeMCMLIX]

@@adamw2911 - At Monarch we operated the 720 and 707-100, both of which easily operated from Luton’s runway. For a brief period Monarch operated a series of Caribbean flights using a 707-300. With a full passenger load and a high fuel load for the route the 300 series was too heavy to safely depart from Luton’s runway. So the flight would stage through Shannon, Ireland.

[@Silverback0687]

My father was a Flight Engineer on these for Monarch, you must have known him. He indeed used to describe it as a 707GT. He passed away in 2019 but always talked fondly of his time flying these, quite a step up from the Bristol Britannias he ws flying previously.

[@heirofaniu]

I think the fact that so few are left in preservation is one of the greatest testaments to the 720's quality to be honest, at least given the greater context of their service history. It's an aircraft that was designed to be a disposable stop gap but ended up being so useful and so in demand that it ended up flying all over the globe for decades upon decades in some of the most demanding and dangerous air spaces available to the point that they were simply worked to death. That is a damned good machine.

[@thunderamu9543]

Concur!!!

[@burntnougat5341]

They don't make em like they used to

[@paulnechols2647]

I flew B-720's for Northwest Airlines in the 70's. With the same power as the 707-320's we had and at 100k lbs. lighter it would climb like a homesick angel. It was the only plane I flew that would out perform the B-757-200.

[@GeorgeMCMLIX]

Working for Monarch Airlines in the UK we had 3 fine examples of ex NWA 720Bs. In fact they brought the airline into the jet age, after operating Bristol Britannia turboprop aircraft for several years. Excellent machines!

[@ianbell8701]

Excellent video covering a wonderful airplane type! You covered the Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) 720B flying test bed (FTB) aircraft (C-FETB). P&WC at one time actually owned three operational 720Bs (C-FETB, C-FWXI and C-FWXL). I have a photo of these three lovely ladies sitting on the St. Hubert ramp around Christmas of 1995. C-FWXI and C-FWXL were subsequently flown to Mojave (KMHV) that December for long term storage. C-FWXI was later brought out of storage to become a second 720B FTB (N720PW) operated out of Plattsburg by P&WC for Pratt & Whitney (Hartford Connecticut). A forth 720B was also operated as and engine test bed by Garrett/AlliedSignal/Honeywell (N720GT/N720H). It was my good fortune to have flown as a flight engineer on these four last operational 720Bs. In terms of absolute performance the 720B type was a true thoroughbred. The maximum design cruise Mach number was 0.90 with a maximum design dive speed of 0.95 Mach. Engine test operations to 45,000 feet were common for both P&WC and Honeywell. We actually flew C-FETB to a maximum altitude of 49,000 feet during one of the early test flights. I remember we ferried the two 720Bs that ended up in Mojave across the Atlantic at 0.89 Mach. The more modern airliners below us were asking on 123.45 (common freq.) who we were and what kind of aircraft were we flying. Good times!

[@rudderboost4188]

As usual technically accurate and very informative; from a former 707 pilot. Thank you!

[@christopherdaniel4841]

Excellent documentary! I can almost imagine Southwest Airlines liveries on these. My first ride on a jet aircraft was in 1965 on a United 720 from Denver to San Francisco. It was also my first experience with the smell of coffee and jet fuel, an olfactory memory that stays with me to this day and evoking that memory whenever boarding a jet airliner. Chances are good that one of the United examples presented here was that one. Thanks for this.

[@eucliduschaumeau8813]

Led Zeppelin's Boeing 720 made a cameo appearance in their full-length film "The Song Remains the Same". I saw them play in 1977 at Madison Square Garden with box-seat tickets. As a teen in the 1970s, we were always impressed that Zeppelin had their own large passenger jet. Forty years later, it's informative to learn that it was one of the rare Boeing 720 models.

[@willc5512]

This is absolutely cool! Anybody that flew on that is a god! Like riding in a 1983 Ford thunder bird. Not many of those left to enjoy! People need to enjoy the experience of the simple things in life.

[@thud9797]

The owners of that jet called the Starship, leased it to many entertainers. Zeppelin used it in 73 and 75, for 77 the aircraft was grounded due to engine issues so they had to make other arrangements. The last artist to use it was Peter Frampton in 76. It was eventually parted out and scrapped in 82.

[@boataxe4605]

Yep! And when the mood struck him Bonzo would take over the controls.

[@bluetopguitar1104]

The singer Bobby Goldsboro and his manager owned that jet. It was their business idea to rent it out. Deep Purple also used it.

[@MrBelter]

I flew to Menorca on a 720B when i was a kid and the pilot invited all the kids on the plane in to the cockpit, how times have changed.

[@Ben-xe8ps]

A Monarch 720? Yes inviting children into the cockpit weas normal before security went paranoid.

[@dave8599]

You mean before islam turned deadly?

[@Ben-xe8ps]

@@dave8599 Here we go. No. I mean before some never properly explained events in a foreign country which were used as an excuse by the US for two very profitable wars of aggression occurred.

[@burtbacarach5034]

"So Timmy,do you like movies about gladiators?"

[@GRMNCVS]

@@burtbacarach5034"You ever seen a grown man naked?"

[@desertmodern7638]

A superbly comprehensive segment. I flew many times between Phoenix and San Diego on the 720B with Western Airlines, and occasionally on the same with American when Western was on strike. The short, powerful takeoffs and reverse-thrust landings were particularly impressive.

[@BrokebackBob]

A truly superb, complete, and excellently written retrospective of a model in Boeing's line which deserves to be remembered and which was pivotal in positioning Boeing strongly in the short to medium range aviation market. Bravo!

[@martdedub]

I've said it before and want to repeat that take any one of your videos and there is better information, engaging commentary than anything on the mainstream media today. Always an instant like and never disappointed, you Sir are one of the few gems on KZbin.

[@d.r.martin6301]

I remember my first flight on a jet airliner, a 720. I was a kid who built model airplanes and to be on such a cool plane was just like a little bit of heaven. From MSP to LAX. I even got bumped up into first class, while my parents sat back in coach. As many shirley temples as I could drink!

[@MartiAtserias]

Really Interesting. The flaps on this aircraft are amazing. A video about the 767-400 would also be really be nice.

[@drmoss_ca]

I travelled on a Monarch 720B from Luton to Menorca for my honeymoon in 1980! The strangest thing about it was the packet of sandwiches in a seatback compartment that served as an in-flight meal.

[@tombirkland]

Fascinating video. My very first flight was as a kid when we moved to Alaska. We flew from Seattle to Anchorage on a 720B. It was fun because my father had worked for Boeing, although not directly for building the planes. But it was still good to finally ride on a Boeing product.

[@davidharris4101]

Flew once in the west as a student, remember I assumed I was flying in a 707 till I discovered a 720 on the safety card. Thx for your history-vids.

[@DC4260Productions]

I remember hearing about the 720 a while back, but didn't know the design had such a wild and varied history. Seeing that footage of the crash test reminded me of a documentary I watched a few years ago, in which a 727 was deliberately crashed for similar research purposes. Thinking back to the two celebrity-carrying 720s, it's a shame that neither of them were preserved. Incidentally I didn't expect all those musical artists to get name-dropped.

[@ewetoo]

What a wild history, rock bands and civil wars

[@javiergilvidal1558]

... and deliberate crashes by remote control!

[@natehill8069]

I think the 707/720 had the most graceful lines of any airliner.

[@vtwinbuilder3129]

Hard to beat the ‘27 but I agree it’s a pretty aircraft.

[@MontytheHorse]

@@vtwinbuilder3129easily beaten by the VC10, IMVHO.

[@EricIrl]

At the time Ireland ordered the 720s and for the first couple of years of their operation, they were not flown by Aer Lingus. Ireland had, at that time, two state owned airlines, Aer Lingus, which operated to the UK and Europe, and Aerlínte Éireann (Irish Airlines) which had been set up to fly trans-Atlantic routes. So, for the first few years of flying 720s, the wording on the aircraft just said Irish International AIrlines with no mention of "Aer Lingus" . The two airlines were partially merged in 1964 so a new colour scheme was introduced for both airlines which said "Aer Lingus - Irish International Airlines" on genuine "Aer Lingus" aircraft and "Irish International - Aer Lingus" on the "Irish International" aircraft. The two airlines fully merged in 1974 when the "Irish International" name was dropped. The Irish 720s were sold by 1972.

[@robr2389]

Informative. Well done. The 707 is a wonderful airframe. I first flew on one when I was 8. Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Then on to Lisbon, Portugal. Memory. That was Summer, 1970.

[@gameboy3800]

wow i had no idea there was such a shortened 707 variant! thanks for sharing!

[@elliottsmith8268]

Ruairidh, your videos are always so detailed- I always figured the 720 was a stopgap while the 737 was in the works, and this information clearly places it in the timeline and shows its impact vs relatively low development cost. I love how many of your airplane videos focus on unique topics or less than successful ventures, and I'd love to learn about the Mooney aircraft company. 11,000 built, yes, but it's his 20th design and by far and large the only one anyone hears about. Many other companies have a few flagship planes when producing such massive numbers, but the Bravo really remained relatively unchanged in design since inception and none of his other planes took off, which surprises me- the Mooney mustang is incredible! I'm sure you have tons of insight, one of these days, I'd love to learn the details behind all its bankruptcies and it's crazy mergers!

[@floridaactor]

I was a crewmember for Continental back in the 1970s. Our pilots referred to the 720B as a hot rod.

[@leokimvideo]

Interesting you bring up the airframe 'life expired'. Yet we see very old warbirds flying around that should have been grounded 60 years ago.

[@sandervanderkammen9230]

The service life is part of the design specification and safety redundancy factor, Boeing and Douglas have higher life expectancy by design, significantly higher than typical British aircraft.

[@serkandevel7828]

Older warbirds don't have anpressurized cabin, hence there are less pressure cycles and stresses to the structure, compared to modern airliners

[@JBSbass]

most 60 year old warbirds have all been completely restored, a lot of work goes into keeping them in the air.

[@jhmasterson3087]

@@JBSbass I spent 4 years on 720b's with Monarch & then on to RAF C130's as an ground engineer, as any aircraft gets older, periodic inspections are carried out. parts that fatigue or corrode, are replaced ...a bit like Triggers broom 9 new brush heads & 7 new handles! certainly the C130's had new center wings, outer wings re planked, structural chines & longerons replaced along with most belly skins & structural floor boards, due to damage & corrosion, airliners have a slightly easier life but still have parts replaced regularly, if economically viable. Old warbirds are usually stripped right down & often rebuilt with a majority of new parts to the original drawing or pattern as required. just like Triggers broom! Some of the older C130's were in the hangers for 2 years whilst all the work was carried out there are still 3 original 1960's RAF C130k's flying with the Austrian Air force today in 2024!!

[@egpx]

My first flight in a Jet was on a Monarch B720 from East Midlands to Genoa in 1976. I’ve had a soft spot for them ever since.

[@maxon-m3c]

Thanks for this. Many memories of riding the 720 between SFO and LAX as a kid. Dad was an employee of UAL. My last flight on one was in the mid 70s on a Western 720 from San Jose to Honolulu via Oakland.

[@moley3109]

Ahhh! Many, many happy flights in the two Ethiopian Airlines 720Bs, Blue Nile and White Nile, as I flew from UK to Addis at the start and finish of each school term (boarding school in England, dad worked in Addis). The livery was fantastic and the interior was unique, the cabin being lined withe wallpaper that depicted scenes from the country. No Heathrow slots in thse days (1963-67) so I joined EAL at Frankfurt and it was then Athens-Asmara-Addis, EAL was the first African airline to have jet pilots that were it's own citizens, and Captain Alemayou was the very competent pilot I remember most. Thanks for the incrdibly detailed video!

[@psmith2234]

This vid is entitled, "the forgotten Boeing," but no airline pilot who flew the 720B model ever forgot its rocket-like takeoff and climb-out performance. As far as I know, my dad, Western Airlines captain Philip H. Smith, still holds the record for the fastest run between Anchorage and Seattle, of 2 hours and 2 minutes. The preflight info from Western's Anchorage dispatch office included the fact that a usefully-positioned jetstream was going to be available for a good part or the flight, so the cockpit crew thought, "Why not?" In Seattle, having been informed of the record run they had not particularly had in mind, the crew laughed that they could have easily gotten under 2 hours had they requested a southward takeoff from the Anchorage tower. Yet despite that oversight, as well as flying at ordinary cruising speeds with a load of passengers, the jetstream assist resulted in groundspeeds far above what any commercial carrier could have achieved in still air before the SST came along. One wonders how the passengers felt about being record-setters as they cooled their heels in the SeaTac terminal, looong before their expected ETA . . . .

[@bobdobalina838]

I remember Eastern Airlines! I used to fly them as a kid(!) between my mother and my father ( who had separated) - the route being Birmingham Alabama to Chicago. This would have been the early to mid 70s. Anyway great and very professional analysis thank you so much.

[@jjgreek1]

As a child growing up in Athens, Greece I would admire these aircraft at Athens airport as Olympic Airways had a bunch. The only way I could distinguish it from the 707 was that the 720 only had one emergency exit window.

[@christianbenn316]

I even had an admiration for the 707s

[@spaceranger3728]

First jet I ever rode in was a Northwest Airlines 720 out of Minneapolis for Seattle. It was the second plane ride of my life-the first was that morning in an Ozark DC-3 from Mason City to Mineapolis.

[@mikehindson-evans159]

A useful footnote to history - thanks for the time invested in this documentary.

[@user-ql7yv7zx5s]

This was a great airplane, the company I worked for back in the 70s and 80s had 3 of them. They were a dream to work on and inspections were easy.

[@kineticdeath]

how i learnt of the 720 was in "Air Disaster volume 1" which details a 720 that broke up over florida. The book discussed how the plane suffered a pitch down so violent it would have likely ejected the toilet contents back into the passenger cabin

[@TenMinuteTrips]

10 July 1974. I flew from Los Angeles, CA to San Antonio, TX on a Continental B-720 on my way to USAF basic training. “720” was molded into the handle portion of the window shade. Having flown on PSA 727s a couple of times previously, I was surprised to see the 720 moniker because until that flight, I didn’t know there was such a thing.

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

Great vlog as always! Love it! I flew the 720 on an IT flight (Inclusive Tour) an ex NW flying for Mærsk, yes THE container shipping company. A handfull of airlines in Northern Europe did start with shipping, boats. We have BU and FO in Norway, DM in Denmark and HF in Germany. Today you have Vamos and Carnival that feed its cruise ship with pax. SAS/SK did sniff at the 720 but ended up with the CV-990 and selling them to SR and leasing them back. They used them for the high alt apt of South America. UAs CEO at the time must have been a huge forward thinker. He also bought the 727, Caravelle, and the 737. On the N.Y to Chicago run they made so much money with the Caravelle. AA had only the L-188 and it was not as fast and comfy. Did you know that both BU and NB bought special versions of the 737-200 and the 727-200. NB bought three 727 with a MTOW of 94t in 1972. So they could fly non-stop from the Scandinavian capitols to the Canary Islands. BU wanted the same and bought three 737-200 heavy adv that had a MTOW of almost 59t.! Now you know. Keep up the good work!

[@leeoldershaw956]

I rode in the cockpit jump seat of a 720 enroute from PHL to MIA in December 1963 for my Eastern Air Lines employment interview. I learned then to climb at high altitude you don't slow up but just add power and keep mach .84- .85

[@andreasu.3546]

17:50 The Mile High Club wishes to express a special thank you to the Boeing 720 airliner.

[@checkyoursix5623]

As I recall, one recognition feature of the 720 was the single over-wing emergency exit door per side as opposed to two on the 707.

[@simonwyndham]

I flew on Air Malta's 720 around 1980. It was the first plane I ever went on. Everything seemed so modern back then, even though it was a product of the 50s.

[@michaelc5257]

My 1st jet experience was as a boy in the 70s. My parents were members of an Air Travel Club called: Ambassadair. They flew a B720 called Miss Indy. I still remember her number of n8711e. It was sooo awesome to fly on her. Very fond memories and I remember capt mikleson not sure if I spelled his name right would come back an talk to people. They don't make them like the 720s anymore

[@raygreenberg6720]

My first jetliner ride, and my second-ever airplane ride, was on a Boeing 720 from Newark NJ to Bermuda in 1967.

[@robjennings6795]

We ran into thunder storms over Iowa @2:30 AM in late May, Denver to Chicago. This was 1967. The pilot seemed to be going around the big storm, but caught most of it. What a ride, we barely made it. Our 720 was well built to that ruff ride.

[@sullybiker6520]

Flew regularly on MEA when I was a kid, including one hairy night at the airport where we were all kept under guard as the war raged outside the 'field. The 720 was a big part of my childhood. I think I last saw one in Mombasa in 1989, flying for Kenya Airways.

[@sydyidanton5873]

Great video for a terrific aircraft of its time. The shorter fuselage aircraft always have a interesting appearance. The stubbier fuselage gives the wings an oversized impression. It makes them look a bit 'sporty'.

[@stuartpeacock8257]

Phenomenal information and detail of a to me unknown sub type

[@feedingravens]

I flew in a 707 in the 70s, barely a teenager back then. From Frankfurt, Germany over Duluth to San Francisco. In that time you still were allowed to have a look into the cockpit.

[@robm3074]

No mention of the Honeywell Boeing 720B based in Phoenix for many years. It was broken up at the Phoenix airport about 10 to 15 years ago. Loved watching that thing take off. It was like a rocket

[@callenclarke371]

Goodness! What a tale! I'm a huge 707 fan, and have been my whole life, but only recently dived in to the minutiae of the design history. The 720 seemed to be a rather uninteresting footnote to the 707 story. I clicked on this video expecting very little, but just wanting to round out the picture for myself. Goodness! Led Zeppelin! Lebanon! War and mayhem and survival. Wow. Maybe the most historically underrated airframe of all time. Well done.

[@funkyswede62]

I've flown on 2 charter flights with the Boeing 720B. Once with Maersk Air and the other with Conair, both flights to Ibiza in 1979 and 1981 respectively 😊

[@davehall8584]

Another superb fact-laden video....excellent work..

[@breathtakingblue]

Another superb video. I've always liked the 720 and it's great to see a detailed video about this particular jet. Whilst a failure, as you say, it provided the blueprint for medium range travel today. Fantastic video, really enjoyed this. Thank you. 👏👌

[@willc5512]

Its not that a medium range jet failed at that time, its just that fuel was cheap enough to fly something bigger. I'd much rather fly on a 720 than get bounced around on an Embraier CRJ/ERJ 195 ish thing!

[@thunderamu9543]

The Las Angeles Dodgers MLB team operated a B720 through the seventies and early eighties. An ideal jet for transporting the entire team and coaching staff with short field performance allowing them to travel directly into Vero Beach Florida and their spring training facility, which was conveniently across the street from the terminal! The plane had beautiful livery!

[@bcshelby4926]

...indeed: live.staticflickr.com/4126/5110601132_1fa6eaab48_b.jpg Before that they had an L-188 I remember seeing that in Milwaukee when they came to play the Braves. www.walteromalley.com/images/feat/holman/1/electra-dodger_plane.jpg

[@thunderamu9543]

@@bcshelby4926 Thanks a bunch for the awesome photos!

[@craigbenjamin]

My father was a flight engineer on that plane while Walter O'Malley was the owner. Once the team passed to Peter O'Malley they sold the plane to cut costs. I was a young boy and thought it was pretty cool. I still have an autographed team baseball from that period.

[@christianbenn316]

Did they flew from LAX to miami in those days.

[@flaps45]

Note how some 720s, in particular UAL and AA, lack the HF antenna at the tip of the tail. This is because those airlines did not intend to operate them on routes that required HF radios, such as overseas or to Hawaii. There were also a very small number of 707s built without HF antennas.

[@sydyidanton5873]

Interesting observation. I knew they were antennae, I didn’t know they were the HF type though. Are they also HF antennae on the trailing edge wing tips on some older airframes such as B707 and B747-100 - 300 etc?

[@djfoxalaska]

Saudia had 2 of these in the late 70's. 234k gross weight vs 332k for the 707-320. A nice hotrod, especially on a cool day. A real blast to fly.

[@willc5512]

Probably takes off like a rocket when u pop the throttle! 🙂

[@byronpost809]

This was the first plane that I flew from the east coast to the west coast back in the late 70s. It was on TWA from Harrisburg, PA to Los Angeles.

[@Caduceus88]

Growing up in the 60’s-70’s my mom worked for Western Airlines and they had a fleet of 720 B’s. I remember flying the nonstop Anchorage to Honolulu, 2800 mile flight. Fond memories.

[@RedArrow73]

Dearly miss the 'Beatle Concert' scream of the old JT3C engines.

[@cameraman655]

I seem to recall an article in either Airways or Ailiners magazine back in the 90s, I believe titled ‘The Boeing 720, Boeing’s Hot Rod’ profiling the 720. I had the pleasure of flying aboard a Braniff 720 back in ‘72’, then again, I was only 7.

[@BobbyGeneric145]

My mentor, a retired TWA Captain, said that he liked the 720B most out of everything he flew at twa... Eventually retired on the 767. He said it was the lightest with the biggest engines and would go like a rocket.

[@GeorgeMCMLIX]

In the UK company I worked for the 720B was known as the 707GT ❤

[@sydyidanton5873]

@@BobbyGeneric145 It must have been such an overwhelming buzz going from piston-props to the B707. The B720 being lighter an so over-powered would have felt like a rocket. There kind of a reference to that, some crew described the B720 like it had a fifth engine. Though that was referring to a change in power plants. Still the effect would have been there regardless. The B727 and B757 were also terrific over-powered aircraft they leapt skyward like being shot from a cannon. Flying in your mentor's day would have been a blast when the skies were less crowded and those hideous low cost carriers hadn’t contaminated the industry. Aviation will always be magic no matter what decade we're in, but that extreme change in technology and performance would have been a head spin.

[@BobbyGeneric145]

@@sydyidanton5873 he hired onto twa in 63 and retired in 91. He said he had around 500 hours when he hit the right seat of the 707. Flew that, the 720,727,and retired on the 76. He said in the early days you went the speeds you wanted because you were up there by yourself for the most part. Captain Tom Brewster... He passed in 2008. As I got into my airline career I can look back and recognize that some of the things he told us were complete and utter bullshit, but he was an old man who loved telling stories to a bunch of young pups. He was the head of the aviation program at my college and we all idolized that man... Hell, we even called him "Captain Brewster" exclusively. Don't think I ever heard someone refer to him as Mr Brewster once.

[@trader891]

Very interesting. Seems like the 2 aircraft used by rock bands would have made nice museum exhibits.

[@lrg3834]

Missed opportunity.

[@dbvetter7485]

I flew both the VC-10 and B707 as a kid and got to visit the cockpit too. 😊. I fly a 707-320 in the PC Flight Simulator (X-Plane 12) all the time. Love it.

[@vtwinbuilder3129]

The 720B is pretty epic actually when you consider it’s the basis for the KC-135 which is one of the longest serving military aircraft in history.

[@macjim]

It was definitely forgotten as I’d never heard of it

[@tectorama]

When Monarch bought a 720 back in around 1971, it was the fastest commercial aircraft on the British register after Concord

[@kevin122759]

I flew on the 707 and 720B. Seattle to Tokyo and back in the 60s. The 727 was fast and quiet, really nice. I wish it was still in service.

[@DoubleMrE]

I’m a little stunned here. I’m somewhat of an airliner enthusiast, but I’ve never heard of this plane. 😮 Thanks very much for this excellent doc! 👍👍👍

[@cageordie]

Ahhh. Back in the old days, when Boeing was an engineering company and just kept making better jets because they could, and customers flocked to them. Now it's the Douglas accountants, and their idea of success is not spending a penny that doesn't go to an executive bonus plan.

[@cellpat2686]

What the 720 failed to do in sales it more than made up with in the evolution of later Boeing aircraft models. You can say it can even trace its influence forward all the way to the 757. The 727 and 737 happened because of it.

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

...and customers were VERY pleased with the 720, guaranteeing orders when new models (727/737) became available. They stuck with Boeing.

[@coriscotupi]

I got to fly a few times in the 720, including the very OD-AFM pictured at 23:34. Fond memories.

[@doughunt9621]

I am confused by this video on 2 counts. Firstly, when I used to go planespotting in the sixties at Heathrow, you could see 720s from Pakistan International, but there is no mention of them in the video. Apparently they had 5 720Bs, all delivered new between 1961 and 1965. Also, Aer Lingus took delivery of 3 720s in 1960/61 and used them to Boston. Then Lufthansa got 8 720Bs in 1961/62, and these were claimed the first to be flown outside America. So it appears that Aer Lingus were before Lufthansa, unless the video is referring to the 720B specifically.

[@jjohnsonTX]

Quantas operated them too, I think. Didn't John Travolta have a 720 ?

[@wintersbattleofbands1144]

So what's the confusion? He said they were delivered to 16 carriers when new. He never said he was going to name them all.

[@Andre_XX]

The first flight I ever went on was on a 720 from Johannesburg to Salisbury (now "Harare") on Air Rhodesia in about 1974. Rhodesia was under United Nations sanctions at the time and they had managed to acquire a few 720s by some secret and nefarious means!

[@patrickcannell2258]

Loved it. UN and their evil agenda.

[@MrJimheeren]

I don’t even want to know why you should want to go to Rhodesia in the 1970s but sure

[@Andre_XX]

@@MrJimheeren My girlfriend (now wife) lived there!

[@ianhunt4147]

@@MrJimheeren Rhodesia was amazing Go there now and see what magabe ruined

[@zanelindsay1267]

This is a great documentary on an interesting facet of commercial jet airliner history.

[@halitosis75]

I flew this aircraft recently in spasmania and island off victoria ,Australia. It flew from hobart to devonport with 2 stops launceston and kabul.

[@denniswofford]

I flew KC-135s (Boeing model 717) in the USAF. When I went to the local FAA office to get the equivalent civilian certificate, it wound up being a Boeing 720 type rating. I never knew what a 720 was until I watched this video. The 720 fuselage and wing indeed look exaclty like those found on the KC-135.

[@carlschneider689]

The 720 still flies with USAF AWACS. They were already decades old when I worked on the computer and display systems in the early 80's with TAC's 961st.

[@thunderamu9543]

The two slicks, without rotodomes, that were operated by the 961st were 707-320 inter continental airframes to match the E-3s. I would see those two birds all the time while wrenching at the 965th AMU which was located in the alert facility at the south end of the runway. And for those of you needing a deep dive into the subject, the Boeing designation found on the stamped data plate located near the main entrance of an E-3C is B707-27D.

[@thunderamu9543]

Sorry Carl, I do not have anything in the correct format to attach. Just good memories.

[@monkeymagic4555]

@16m how cool is that fuel truck?!?!? star of the show :) Ruairidh need to do separate history episode on that brand of truck

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

It makes you think that is all aircraft company boardrooms did was think up new aircraft names. 😁

[@hewhohasnoidentity4377]

That's just fine. As long as they let the engineers do their job without interference.

[@RipRoaringGarage]

What a GREAT video. I worked on 707s and had no clue about more than half of what you told. Nice.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

The 707 and the 720 fuselages are wider than that of the KC-135 which is much wider than the Dash-80.

[@neilturner6749]

The dash 80 design could only take 5 passengers abreast, Boeing widened it to allow for 6 abreast seating.

[@BobbyGeneric145]

I've heard the 135 referred to as slab-side.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@neilturner6749 they first widened it for the USAF with the intention of using the same fuselage commercially but 2 things happened, Douglas introduced the DC-8 which could take 6 abreast due to going to have a sleeper option and the USAF told Boeing that if they used the same fuselage as on 135 Boeing would have to pay them back for the use of the jigs and fixtures the USAF had paid for. So Boeing added a little more fuselage width and the rest is history.

[@anthonyvallillo422]

@@neiloflongbeck5705 C.R.Smith, of American Airlines, is reputed to have told Bill Allen of Boeing that unless the 707 had 6 across seating, AA would not be buying it. In essence, Smith made Allen an "offer he couldn't refuse" several decades before that phrase became iconic!

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@anthonyvallillo422 there was that as well, but there was also the cost of retooling. The DC-8 could do 6 abreast and C R Smith is said to have said the 707 needed to be an inch wider that the Douglas aircraft, hence it became 148in instead of the 144in of the 135. So, either way they had to make new tooling.

[@wayned1807]

My first air plane flight was in a B720 in the summer of 1966 on a flight from LA to Denver. I think it was with United.

[@billballbuster7186]

Flew a Pan-Am 720 from Washington DC to San Juan Puerto Rico in 1970, I remember it as my first commercial jet flight lovely airplane.

[@billeudy8481]

The 720 was instrumental in the failure of the DeHavilland Comet, the Convair 880 and 990, the DC-9 and the Caravel. It was also instrumental in the development of the 727 and the 737 giving Boeing an upper hand in the competition for customers. It was therefore a huge success.

[@chefchaudard3580]

The Caravelle is considered as à success in France. It was the first successful step in the commercial jet age, proving that French companies were back in the game after the stop due to thegerman occupation. It prove they could design, manufacture jets on par with the best available. And they sold what was considered as a huge number of them at the time. With Caravelle, manufacturer had to adopt the system of spare parts numbering and tracability, while they were still using old handicraft systems, for example. Caravelle was the necessary first step for companies that will ultimately evolve into Airbus.

[@neilturner6749]

The DC9 was a huge sales success ! Only killed by the removal of internal competition within Boeing after they acquired MD.

[@super20dan]

it was the final nail in the convair 880,s coffin

[@jamesfisher4326]

The 720 on United was the first jet that my friends father flew in service. He liked it well.

[@colonial6452]

I flew in a PIA 720 from Abu Dhabi to Karachi in 1989. The plane had a very outdated interior with a luggage shelf vice luggage bins. An interesting flight.

[@burntnougat5341]

Splendid work. Great homage to the unsung hero of Boeing in the early jet age.

[@drstevenrey]

Ah, those were the days, when you could see the aircraft from behind at take off for only a few seconds, before the view was filled with exhaust smoke. Seriously, in my early career as a pilot my car was always black when I came back to base from the smoke. Crew parking was just beyond the end of the runway then. Good that things have changed.

[@tiocfaidh28]

As a child I flew on an Ethiopian Airlines though can't remember if it was a B720 or a B707. We flew from London Heathrow to Rome via Paris. The journey took over 24 hours due to a 'scare'. I loved both legs of the journey and remember that around half way in the cabin 6 seats on both side of the aisle were facing each with a table between them. I can't find anything on line or on YT with write ups and/or videos on the old Ethiopian Airlines B720 or B707(?). If any one has any links please do send on to me or reply so long as the channel owner doesn't mind. Thank you.

[@Ben-xe8ps]

Curious. I recall that type of seating arrangement which exited in the front row of BEA/BA Tridents and Viscounts with the rear facing seats against the bulkhead. Not to be confused with the rows of rear facing seats that existed in the rear cabin of, for example, the Trident 2. However I am curious as to how it existed half way down the cabin. Never seen that on a 707 or 720.

[@adrianrutterford762]

Interesting video thanks

[@MH-fb5kr]

1962 I was aboard a 730 intercontinental on my way to Okinawa… almost 15 hours from NYC.

[@nomebear]

I flew in one in the early 1970's and enjoyed the flight immensely.

[@MikaelWolden]

Love your videos. greatly made and interesting. Would love to see a video on NSB DI 6,

[@bradleythomasburdentrainta366]

This honestly hits differently since the recent incident on an Alsaka Airlines flight.

[@craigpennington1251]

Love this airliner. It is proportionally correct and had great flying abilities in my opinion. As to it's failure > that's Boeing's fault. With Americans, you can't have two or three planes looking closely the same. The one that gets initiated to the public first will be the winner every time out. That's how America views and accepts things. Always have & always will. Crazy but true. I think the Boeing 720 was a hit.

[@hvfd5956]

Interesting and useful. Thanks! It is entirely possible I flew on a 720 a long time ago as a child. Despite trying, I have yet to fly on an Airbus. I know I have flown on a 707 that was quickly hauled out of storage after the plane I was supposed to be on out of St Louis was grounded to wash the stow away(from Miami, what was left of him) out of the wheel well. I have also flown on many 727's, 737's and a smattering of DC-10's and at least one L-1011. I never did any international travel, so no 747's. Sadly they are now being taken out of service, so I probably will never get the chance. I also had, on the return leg of my first business trip, a quick hop on a Republic airlines Convair 440 tail dragging model from Milwaukee to Chicago back when it was a smaller airport. Having grown up in Houston, I didn't know some airports closed at night! I had a ticket for a Texas International flight to leave Milwaukee at 6:30 PM. Problem was, the airport closed at 6:00 PM. OOPS! Quick work by multiple travel agents got me converted to the Republic flight, followed by an American flight back to Houston. We literally flew low enough we could see peoples swimming pools in their back yards. I was amazed as American brought in several DC-10's, unloaded and reloaded them in only 25 minutes, including one headed to Hawaii. All before my flight back to Houston out of the same gate at Chicago. I don't remember what plane I flew that night, but it was probably a 727. I know it wasn't a larger plane like a DC-10 or an L-1011. I do kind of remember one flight on what was described as a 717, but that is the only time I have heard of that designation. I also had a flight in Hawaii on a twin engine propeller plane, including a flyover of the volcano on the big island and on a couple of Regional jets (neither a good experience). Not a bad flying resume for a poor man.

[@BobbyGeneric145]

Another great video from Rory!

[@thestickman67]

i love the model it is sad to see a plane model not here