Author Topic: The Bad Boeing - One Jet Budget Airlines 7one7  (Read 3604 times)

Offline Brian da Basher

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The Bad Boeing - One Jet Budget Airlines 7one7
« on: July 14, 2019, 04:53:19 AM »


Conceived as a low-cost follow-on to the 727 since it was at least two engines cheaper,



the Boeing 7one7 was designed at the request of one truly tight-fisted customer and would test the limits of single-engine reliability.



Having only one power-plant to its more famous stable-mate's three, this radical departure in passenger safety was only flown by a single carrier, the aptly-named One Jet budget airline.



A typo in new FAA ETOPS guidance opened a very short window where large, commercial single-engine jet airliners became legal if not entirely logical.



Boeing was able to quickly take advantage of this by tweaking their tri-jet 727 into a new design known as the 7one7 in a profound piece of penny-pinching with sadly predictable results.



In a very weak attempt to compensate for the loss of power and to provide greater control in the vertical axis, Boeing developed the infamous "I" tail by adding extra horizontal stabilizers replacing the two lower aft engines of the 727.



The nose was given a long probe which, while providing key flight data, also had the benefit of potentially skewering inattentive ramp workers.



These minor modifications of course in no way made up for the aircraft's main deficiency, but One Jet went ahead and ordered ten Boeing 7one7s anyway.



Unfortunately, before the second 7one7 could be delivered, the airline would suffer a well-publicized tragedy and be forced into premature liquidation. It wasn't a crash or a technical problem with the new 'plane that doomed One Jet but a catastrophic catering failure. Some fish that was past its prime made it onto the menu and the pilots, crew, and passengers had all eaten the in-flight blue-plate botulism special.



They experienced immediate, violent symptoms and when the plane finally landed the entire cabin had been "redecorated". While large, floor-to-ceiling abstract murals may have been avante`garde for the era, this wasn't exactly art and the flying public stayed away in droves, forcing One Jet to fold.



The sole 7one7 in service was converted back to 727 standard as were the rest on order which is why nothing exists of this majestic single-engine jetliner today except an overly-optimistic travel agent's desk model.



The aircraft is depicted with all of the window shades drawn, a traditional sign of mourning, perhaps for what might have been.



Brian da Basher
« Last Edit: July 14, 2019, 06:15:38 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline elmayerle

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Re: The Bad Boeing - One Jet Budget Airlines 7one7
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2019, 05:19:49 AM »
That's a most aesthetically pleasing model and a uniquely enjoyable, as long as one wasn't on *that* flight, back story.  Another beauty from you.

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: The Bad Boeing - One Jet Budget Airlines 7one7
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2019, 05:27:57 AM »
This all started when a true classic, the original 1/144 Revell Boeing 727 showed up recently (thanks a million, hamsterman!). The box art alone is stunning and makes me want to book a flight somewhere exotic.



Here's a look inside.



That's a bit hard to make out. Try this one...



Let me unpack that for you.



Ok maybe not so stunning, but absolutely state-of-the-art for the era in which it was made. Despite the kit's simplicity, you've got all you need to build what will look to all and sundry like a 727. Of course, mine was going to be just a bit different. I started by moving the rear exhaust fan to the front trying dress things up a little.



The rest was just adding spare horiz stabs down below and puttying over the holes that are supposed to be the windshield.



The tail boom was short-shot on one side, so I sanded it down and added a bit of camouflage in back. Up front, I tacked on that potentially fatal nose probe. The model was painted by hand with the old hairy stick in acrylics, Model Masters Semi-gloss Primer White and Gray mostly. The nose was painted in Semi-gloss Black and the probe tip in Steel. The engine was done with Poly Scale Old Silver and the tail probe in Model Masters Aluminum.





The One Jet Budget Airlines livery was cobbled together from spares and the blue windshield framing is actually for an Airbus. I just love doing terrible things like this.



It took me four days to put it all together and I had a blast the entire time. Before I forget, here's the "money shot", U.S. one cent piece for scale.



I'd like to thank Bill for his kindness in sending the kit and Mr JCF for bravely moderating this GB as well as those of you playing along or just stopping by for a look.



I hope you enjoyed the Boeing 7one7 and reading a little more forgotten aircraft history, even if the so-called "experts" dismiss it all as a rather singular bit of silliness.



Brian da Basher



« Last Edit: July 14, 2019, 05:46:26 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline finsrin

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Re: The Bad Boeing - One Jet Budget Airlines 7one7
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2019, 02:28:13 PM »
History of this niche airline and aircraft was obviously swept under the rug.  Yet, Brian's research finds it.  :smiley:

Having never seen it before now.  Seemingly looks legit as a One Jet Budget Airlines 7one7, color scheme and all.  :smiley:

Offline John Howling Mouse

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Re: The Bad Boeing - One Jet Budget Airlines 7one7
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2019, 03:38:33 AM »
Just HAD to do it, didn't ya, Mr. da Basher?!  Turn a perfectly good T-Tail (as God intended ALL aircraft to be) into another letter entirely!  How DARE you?!  Anyhow, another clean, streamlined build---which I always admire---but what I still enjoy most are your colorful, humorous back-stories.  Very entertaining and guaranteed to put a smile on my face every time.  Keep going!  There are countless jet-powered dirigibles, sail-powered aircraft, helicopter-biplanes, and flying submarines made ut of bread-bag ties yet to be revealed to an unsuspecting public!
Saving the globe from plastic pollution one kitbashed model at a time.

Offline apophenia

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Re: The Bad Boeing - One Jet Budget Airlines 7one7
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2019, 03:59:50 AM »
BdB: Excellent build and brilliant backstory as always!  :smiley:

"KRYTEN: I think I feel a Jackson Pollock coming on."

... Turn a perfectly good T-Tail (as God intended ALL aircraft to be) into another letter entirely!  How DARE you?! ...

Infidel ... the Deity clearly meant personkind to build biplane tails! (Without Her benevolence, how could airborne Handley-Page biplane bombers possibly be explained?)
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: The Bad Boeing - One Jet Budget Airlines 7one7
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2019, 08:29:37 AM »
One-derful build and back story.

Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: The Bad Boeing - One Jet Budget Airlines 7one7
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2019, 08:45:40 AM »
You have been awarded for this build Brian the Ichi Ban medal of honor.

Work in progress ::

I am giving up listing them. They all end up on the shelf of procrastination anyways.

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Offline Antonio Sobral

  • Building and painting tiny little things!
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Re: The Bad Boeing - One Jet Budget Airlines 7one7
« Reply #8 on: July 18, 2019, 08:13:16 PM »
Clean and beautiful build!
Back-story, as usual, "off-the-charts" funny and amusing!

Thanks for sharing!