The 717’s History
Initially, the Boeing 712 was developed by McDonnell-Douglas as the MD-95. It was a modernised version of the MD-80 (aka Maddog) for shorter regional routes. To do so, they changed the engines with less powerful engines, a shorter range and less seats.
Boeing bought McDonnell-Douglas in August of 1997 so, naturally, the current MD-95 program was shifted to Boeing and it’s name was changed. The first 712 to be commercially used rolled out the the assembly lines in 1999 and started its operations with the now defunct AirTran Airways.
Photo is my own.
Aircraft Specifications
Seats: ~115 pax
Range: 2,060 NM
Engines: Rolls Royce BR715-C1-30 (each capable of providing 95,3Kn of thrust) listen here
Service ceiling: 37,000ft
Cruise speed: Mach 0.77 (444kts)
Length: 37.81m — Wingspan : 28.45m — Height : 8.92m
156 B712’s were built and 133 are still in use.
Current Operators
| Airline | Fleet size | Available in IF | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | 91 (64 active) | Yes | Retirement in 2025. |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 22 (19 active) | Yes | Newer livery available. |
| Qantas | 20 (14 active) | Yes | Newer livery available, Retirement in 2023 |
Former Operators
| Airline | Ended service | Available in IF |
|---|---|---|
| Aerolíneas Baleares | 2009 | No |
| AirTran Airways | 2013 | Yes |
| American Airlines | 2003 | No |
| Bangkok Airlines | 2011 | Yes |
| Blue1 | 2016 | Yes |
| Impulse Airlines | 2004 | No |
| Jetstar Airways | 2007 | No |
| MexicanaClick | 2010 | Yes |
| Midwest Airlines | 2009 | No |
| Olympic Airlines | 2003 | No |
| Quantum Air | 2010 | Yes |
| Spanair | 2012 | Yes |
| Trans World Airlines | 2001 | No |
| Turkmenistan Airlines | 2018 | No |
| Volotea | 2021 | No |
Why should this aircraft be added to Infinite Flight?
The Boeing 717-200 is a regional airliner that is slowly being phased out and its sight is getting less and less common. Being the smallest Boeing commercial aircraft, it also has a very different design that it has inherited from McDonnell-Douglas.
From a technical point of view, the aircraft available in IF is in very dire conditions: its Autopilot is faulty, its engines are way overpowered, its modelisation lacks details (side landing lights are missing for example). The cockpit is also in very bad shape. Nonetheless, it was IF’s first aircraft featuring a fully modeled cabin.
[Revised by @Cdt_Aupetit]
