JC Wings XX20413

JC Wings XX20413 is a 1/200 scale diecast model of the B727-63 UDF (-63 is Boeing’s customer code for Faucett Perú, UPD: Unducted Fan) registration N210413 in Boeing house colours, circa 1986.

UDF Testbed

In 1986, General Electric significantly modified a 727-63 registration N32720 to test the innovative General Electric GE36, a hybrid engine combining turbofan and turboprop technology. This project involved replacing the starboard turbofan engine with the GE36, which featured two counter-rotating, eight-bladed fans. The UDF Testbed completed its first flight in August 1986.

The GE36 was anticipated to achieve a remarkable 30 percent reduction in fuel consumption compared to existing engines while maintaining cruise speed. Unfortunately, the program was cancelled in 1989 due to shifting economic circumstances.

Boeing 727

The B727 is an American mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine jet airliner. It first flew (727-100) in February 1963 and entered service with Eastern Air Lines in February 1964. The USAF designated it as the C-22. Production ended in 1984, with 1,830 airframes built.

The main variants of the aircraft are the 727-100 and the stretched 727-200. An improved version, the 727-200 Advanced, was introduced in 1970 and featured more powerful engines, increased fuel capacity, and a higher maximum takeoff weight (MTOW).

The 727 was designed to service smaller airports unsuitable for the Boeing 707. It was Boeing’s first jetliner to include fully powered flight controls, triple-slotted flaps, and an auxiliary power unit (APU). Additionally, it became the first commercial aircraft to achieve over 1,000 sales.

The cockpit crew consists of two pilots and a flight engineer, while the passenger cabin can accommodate up to 125 passengers in the 727-100 variant and 134 passengers in the 727-200 variant.

The aircraft is powered by three Pratt & Whitney JT8D low-bypass turbofan engines mounted at the rear of the fuselage. Two engines are located externally on each side, and a third engine is mounted internally, fed through a dorsal air intake via an “S-duct.”