Aircraft Factfile and Recognition Guide - Boeing 767 Series

Background

The twin-engine 767 - sized between the single-aisle 757 and the larger, widebody 777 - has built a reputation among airlines for its profitability and comfort.

The Boeing 767 family is a complete family of airplanes providing maximum market versatility in the 200- to 300-seat market. It includes four models:

• 767-200ER (extended range),
• 767-300ER -- approximately 21 feet (6.43 m) longer than the 767-200ER,
• 767-400ER - approximately 21 feet (6.43 m) longer than the 767-300ER,
• and a freighter based on the 767-300ER fuselage.

Cabin Width:
The Boeing 767's cabin is more than 4 feet (1.2 m) wider than single-aisle jetliners, and the 767's versatile design allows customers to select four, five, six, seven or eight abreast seating to best suit their operational requirements. The 767 seats from as few as 181 passengers in a three-class seating arrangement on the 767-200ER to as many as 375 passengers in a high-density charter configuration on a 767-400ER.

Seating:
The extended-range airplanes typically have three-class seating of 181 to 245 passengers, using five-abreast, 747-sized first class seats; six-abreast business class and seven-abreast economy class.

Cargo:
Lower-deck volume available for baggage and cargo ranges from 2,875 cubic feet (81.4 cu m) for the 767-200 to 4,580 cubic feet (129.6 cu m) for the 767-400ER.

Takeoff Weight:
All three passenger models are offered in a variety of takeoff weights, which allow operators to choose only the amount of design weight needed to satisfy their requirements. These offer corresponding design ranges from just over 5,645 nautical miles (10,450 km) to as many as 6,600 nautical miles (12,220 km).

This range versatility gives the 767 family the ability to efficiently serve routes as short as U.S. domestic and pan-European to long-range flights over the North Atlantic and North Pacific. The 767 now crosses the Atlantic from the United States to Europe more often than any other jetliner.

Schedule reliability - an industry measure of departure from the gate within 15 minutes of scheduled time - is nearly 99 percent for the 767. Fleet-wide, daily utilization - the actual time the airplane spends in the air - averages more than 10 hours

Boeing has delivered 916 767s that are flown by more than 80 operators around the world. The 767 family has accumulated more than 7.7 million flights, and has carried millions of passengers. About 1.3 million of the 7.7 million flights were on extended twin-engine operations (ETOPS) rules.

Above paragraphs sourced from Boeing's Official 767 Background.

The 767 family has the lowest operating cost per trip of any widebody airplane. This low operating cost, combined with a choice of three sizes, variable range capability, almost universal airport compatibility and ETOPS capability, makes the 767 a versatile family of airplanes.

This versatility is an extreme competitive advantage to an operator that needs to serve a variety of different missions and passenger demands. Extensive commonality with the Boeing 757, which includes a common pilot-type rating, offers even more operational versatility to 767 operators.

Last two paragraphs sourced from Boeing's Official 767 Background.

The 767 has a long history of leading the way in technological innovation. Included in its list of "firsts" are:

• First two-person flight deck on a widebody airplane

• First, and still the only, common pilot type rating, which is shared with the Boeing 757
• First vacuum toilet waste system
• First to use brakes made of carbon fiber
• First airplane to achieve both 120- and 180-minute ETOPS approval
• First widebody airplane to offer a choice of three passenger sizes, the 767-200ER, 767-300ER and 767-400ER
• First large commercial airplane to use efficiency-enhancing "raked" wingtips

The 767 wing is thicker, longer and less swept than the wings of earlier Boeing jetliners. This provides excellent takeoff performance and fuel economy. Each 767 is powered by two high-bypass-ratio turbofan engines, which are interchangeable with 747 engines with only minor modifications.

Above paragraphs from Boeing's Official 767 Background.

Design of the 767-200 began in 1978 when an order for 30 767s was announced by United Airlines.

The first 767 - still owned by Boeing - was completed and rolled out of the Boeing plant in Everett, Wash., Aug. 4, 1981. First flight was Sept. 26, 1981.

The 767-300 program got under way in September 1983. The first 767-300 was delivered to Japan Airlines in September 1986.

Each of these models was followed by an increased range (extended range, or ER) version, which offers operators even more versatility. This increased range capability, and the 767's uniquely low operating costs are largely responsible for the fragmentation of the North Atlantic markets.

To take advantage of the airplanes' increased ranges and long, over-water flights, new features were added:

• An advanced propulsion system and auxiliary power unit with high-altitude start capability,
• Afourth hydraulic-motor-driven generator,
• Increased cargo compartment fire-suppression capability and
• Cooling sensors for electronic flight instruments.

Above paragraphs from Boeing's Official 767 Background.

Currently, Boeing has proposed to the United States Air Force to replace the fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers over the next several years with modified 767-200s. These 767s will be capable of in-flight refueling as well as transporting cargo and/or troops on the cargo deck. One hundred aircraft are on order, with twenty on lease and eighty being purchased. Currently, this order is in limbo as an ethics scandal has plagued Boeing and the company is under a federal investigation on the deal.

Recognizing the Boeing 767 Family

The 767 is a very easy airliner to identify from the ground and in the air. Here's some tips on how to identify the 767:

Wings: Large, swept back with three barely noticeable flap guides (not five obvious ones). The 767-200 and 767-300 share the same wing, while the larger 767-400 has a larger wing with raked wingtips.
Engine(s): One turbofan engine slung underneath each wing. Compare with the 777, whose engines are much larger than those found on any 767 model.
Fuselage: Tail of fuselage tapers symmetrically beneath the tail fin, noticeable dihedral in tail planes. The 767-200 has a short fuselage, while the 767-300 is stretched and the 767-400 is even further stretched. Compare to the 777, where the fuselage tail fairing (APU exhaust area) is straight, while the 767's is pointed.
Tail: Base of rudder extending towards trailing edge of elevators - compare to Boeing 777, where the base of its rudder does not extend towards the trailing edge of elevators.

ALSO, on the ground, compared to the 777, the 767 has main gear with two sets of wheels on each bogie (eight main wheels), while the 777 has three sets of wheels on each bogie (twelve main wheels).

Sources: Official Boeing 767 Website, Aerospaceweb.org Boeing 767 Factfile

© 2004-2007 Steven Holzinger