The Boeing 757 is a highly successful and versatile mid-size, narrow-body airliner known for its exceptional performance, particularly its powerful engines and impressive range for a single-aisle aircraft. It was originally designed to replace the aging 727 and serve the short-to-medium-haul market, but it quickly proved capable of much more, including transatlantic flights.
Here are some key characteristics:
- Configuration: It's a single-aisle, twin-engine aircraft, larger than the 737 but still a narrow-body.
- Capacity: Typically seats between 186 and 228 passengers in a two-class configuration, but can accommodate up to 295 in a high-density single-class layout.
- Range: Its range is impressive, varying from around 3,100 nautical miles (5,700 km) for the 757-200 to over 4,100 nautical miles (7,600 km) for the extended-range variants.
- Engines: Powered by two powerful turbofan engines (Rolls-Royce RB211 or Pratt & Whitney PW2000 series), which gave it excellent climb performance and shorter takeoff runs.
- Speed: Cruising speed is around Mach 0.80 (about 530 mph or 850 km/h).
- Variants: The most common passenger version is the 757-200. A stretched version, the 757-300, is the longest single-aisle twinjet ever built. Many passenger 757s have also been converted into freighters.
- Key Features: Its unique combination of range, power, and narrow-body economics made it popular for routes that were too long for other narrow-bodies but didn't require a wide-body. It shares a common cockpit with the 767, allowing for common pilot type ratings.
Although production ended in 2004, the 757 remains a workhorse for many airlines, particularly in North America, often flying transcontinental U.S. routes, transatlantic flights, and cargo operations. Its capabilities mean there isn't a direct replacement in Boeing's current lineup, leaving a unique niche.
