1960's

1960’s

The 1960’s meant that all manufacturers were competing for the spot once held by the 707. Now, when one manufacturer built a plane, another would build one to compete. Boeing spent most of their time developing the 727 and later the 737. McDonnell Douglas developed the DC-9.

Boeing 727

Boeing received orders from United Airlines, American Airlines, and Eastern Air Lines. This justified building the 727. The 727 was a very high seller and was popular with the flying public. The 727 had a checkered safety record, but none were Boeing’s fault.

Boeing 737

The Boeing 737 was late; rival aircraft were already in the air. Once the 737 was finished certification, many orders were placed and the 737 was already ahead. Many variants were introduced as the orders were growing and more demanding. Through the years, over 7,000 737’s were built. A new generation of passenger aircraft were built half way through the 737’s life and in now the prime competitor.

McDonnell Douglas DC-9

Douglas (and later McDonnell Douglas) was looking to build a short range airliner to complement its longer range brother. When the DC-9 was sold, hundreds of orders were placed and eventually many new planes were built based on the concept.