Aircraft Factfile and Recognition Guide - Boeing 767 Series

Background

The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twinjet airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the 767 can carry between 181 and 375 passengers, and have a range of 5,200 to 6,590 nautical miles, depending on variant and seating configuration. The Boeing 767 has been produced in three fuselage lengths. The original 767-200 first entered into airline service in 1982, followed by the 767-300 in 1986, and the 767-400ER in 2000. Extended range versions of the original -200 and -300 models, the 767-200ER and 767-300ER, have been produced with added payload and operating distance capability. The 767-300F, a freighter version, entered service in 1995.

The first wide-body twinjet produced by Boeing, the 767 was conceived and designed in tandem with the narrow-body Boeing 757 twinjet. Both airliners share design features and flight decks, enabling pilots to obtain a common type rating to operate the two aircraft. The 767 was the first Boeing wide-body airliner to enter service with a two-person crew flight deck, eliminating the need for a flight engineer. Following in-service indications of its twinjet design reliability, the 767 received regulatory approval allowing extended transoceanic operations beginning in 1985.

Through the 1990s, the Boeing 767 became commonly used on medium long-haul routes, and the aircraft has ranked as the most commonly used airliner for transatlantic flights between the United States and Europe. There have been over 1,000 Boeing 767s ordered with over 900 delivered as of 2009. The -300/-300ER models are the most popular variants, accounting for approximately two-thirds of all 767s ordered.

The Boeing 767 design phase occurred at the same time as the 757, its narrow-body sibling. Development occurred in partnership with Italy's Aeritalia along with a consortium of Japanese aerospace companies. Both the 757 and 767 became the first Boeing jetliners to share common flight decks and handling characteristics. The aircraft were also the first Boeing jetliners after the 737 to be designed with two-crew cockpits. The 767 was intended to be operated with a two-person flight crew, with electronics to assist with the monitoring of systems. As a result of their shared flight deck design, after a short conversion course, pilots rated in the 757 were also qualified to fly the 767 and vice versa. Both twinjets were further designed with similarly configured systems, shared instrumentation, avionics, and flight management systems.

For the 767 design, Boeing incorporated the engines used on the 747, namely the Pratt & Whitney JT9D and General Electric CF6, with wings sized to match. The 767 was the first Boeing jetliner to offer a choice of engines at its launch. The wings were large relative to fuselage size and provided higher-altitude cruise performance, along with capacity for possible stretched variants. Moreover, the larger wings only increased fuel usage slightly and provided better takeoff and landing performance. The 767 wings had increased thickness for added fuel capacity, and their aft-loaded design produced the best span-wise distribution of lift on a Boeing jetliner to date. The basic 767 was designed with enough range to fly across North America and across the northern Atlantic.

Boeing 767-200

The first model of the Boeing 767 family, the 767-200 was launched in 1978 and entered service with United Airlines in 1982. This model is used mainly for continental routes such as New York City to Los Angeles. The 767-200 typically is outfitted with 181 seats in a 3-class layout or 224 in a 2-class layout. All -200 models have a capacity limit of 255 due to exit-door limitations. An additional exit door can be specified when the aircraft is ordered to allow for up to 290 seats in a high-capacity, all-coach (30 in pitch 2+4+2) layout. Its main competition was the Airbus A300 and A310. Some 767-200 models were later converted to the -200ER specification; and since March 2005 Israel Aerospace Industries holds a supplemental type certificate for conversion of 767-200s to 767-200SF (Special Freighter) specification.

The extended-range variant of the original Boeing 767, the 767-200ER, was first delivered to El Al in 1984. This model became the first 767 to complete a nonstop transatlantic journey, and broke the flying distance record for a twinjet airliner on April 17, 1988, with an Air Mauritius 767-200ER flying 8,727 nautical miles (16,162 km) between Halifax, Nova Scotia and Port Louis, Mauritius. The 767-200ER became popular overseas with smaller operators seeking wide-body airliners but not needing the 747's capacity.

Boeing 767-300

The 767-300 is a lengthened 767 ordered by Japan Airlines in 1983. It first flew on January 30, 1986, and was delivered to JAL on September 25. The 767-300's direct competitor from Airbus is the A330-200. The 767-300 is expected to be replaced by the 787-8 in Boeing's lineup.

The 767-300ER is the extended-range version of the -300. It first flew in 1986 and received its first commercial orders when American Airlines purchased several in 1987. The aircraft entered service with AA in 1988. In 1995, EVA Air used a 767-300ER to inaugurate the first transpacific 767 service. The -300ER has a takeoff run of up to 11,800 ft (3,600 m). The 767-300ER can be retrofitted with blended winglets from Aviation Partners Boeing. These winglets are 11 ft (3.4 m) long and will decrease fuel consumption an estimated 6.5% on the -300ER.

Boeing 767-400ER

The 767-400ER is the final extended variant and was launched in 1997 on an order for Delta Air Lines and Continental Airlines to replace their aging Lockheed L-1011 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10 fleets. Orders were also placed by others including Kenya Airways and ILFC but these were eventually canceled. Kenya Airways and ILFC converted their orders to the Boeing 777. The -400ER was stretched 21.1 ft (6.43 m) from the -300 for a total of 201.4 ft (61.4 m). It also saw a wingspan increase of 14.3 ft (4.36 m) over the previous two variants. The -400ER is the only 767 variant to also feature "raked" wingtips for increased fuel efficiency. Its first flight was on October 9, 1999, and entered into service with Continental Airlines on September 14, 2000. This variant is only available as the 767-400ER, as there was no 767-400 variant. However it has less range than the other two ER variants.

Military Versions

The 767 has become a platform for military versions, most notably in the AWACS platform (E-767) and for the tanker platform (KC-767).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.

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

© 2004-2010 Steven Holzinger