The Boeing 727 is a mid-size narrow-body three-engine jet aircraft built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes from the early 1960s to 1984. It can carry 149 to 189 passengers and later models can fly up to 2,700 nautical miles (5,000 km) nonstop. Intended for short and medium-length flights, the 727 can use fairly short runways at smaller airports. It has three Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines below the T-tail, one on each side of the rear fuselage with a center engine that connects through an S-duct to an inlet at the base of the fin. The 727 is Boeings only tri-jet aircraft.\r
The 727 followed the 707, a quad-jet airliner, with which it shares its upper fuselage cross-section and cockpit design. The 727-100 first flew in February 1963 and entered service with Eastern Air Lines in February 1964; the stretched 727-200 flew in July 1967 and entered service with Northeast Airlines that December. The 727 became a mainstay of airlines domestic route networks and was also used on short- and medium-range international routes. Passenger, freighter, and convertible versions of the 727 were built.\r
The 727 was heavily produced into the 1970s; the last 727 was completed in 1984. \r
Stretched version of the 727-100. The -200 is 20 feet (6.1 m) longer (153 feet 2 inches;46.69 m) than the −100 (133 feet 2 inches;40.59 m). A ten-foot (3-meter) fuselage section (plug) was added in front of the wings and another ten-foot fuselage section was added behind them. The wing span and height remain the same on both the −100 and −200 (108 and 34 feet (33 and 10 m), respectively). The original 727-200 had the same max gross weight as the 727-100; however, as the aircraft evolved, aof higher gross weights and more powerful engines was introduced along with other improvements, and, from line number 881, 727-200s are dubbed −200 Advanced. The aircraft gross weight eventually increased from 169,000 to 209,500 pounds (76,700 to 95,000 kg) for the latest versions. The dorsal intake of the number two engine was also redesigned to be round in shape, rather than oval as it was on the 100 .\r
The first 727-200 flew on July 27, 1967 and received FAA certification on November 30, 1967. The first delivery was made on December 14, 1967 to Northeast Airlines. A total of 310 727-200s were delivered before its place on the production line was taken over by the 727-200Advanced in 1972.\r
Super 27: Speed increased by 50 mph (80 km/h), due to replacement of the two side engines with the JT8D-217 or the JT8D-219, which are also found on many MD-80s, along with the addition of hush kits to the center engine. Winglets were added to some of these aircraft to increase fuel efficiency. This modification was originally developed by Valsan Partners, but was later marketed by Quiet Wing Technologies in Redmond, Washington.\r
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Líneas Aéreas Suramericanas is a cargo airline based in Bogotá, Colombia. It operates domestic cargo charters and international services to North and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Its main base is El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá.\r
The airline was established and started operations in 1972 as AeroNorte. It changed its name to the present title in 1986, when its air operators certificate was cancelled by Law 30. It began international operations between Bogotá and Panama in 1987. It is owned by Álvaro Cote (50%) and Luis Enrique Prieto (50%).
