The number "7" on board Boeings: accident or intentionality

There are many curious things in the world of aviation. It turns out that the conquerors of the sky, heroes by definition, have many signs and superstitions. No, in terms of suspiciousness, sailors hold the flag. We will not take away their palm of primacy. And in terms of the number of rituals and traditions before the launch, cosmonauts are in the lead. We say this without condemnation, because we bow before the courage of astronauts, the bravery of those who fly, walk on the waves, turn the steering wheel.


But we are talking about pilots, more specifically, about the American corporation The Boeing Company. Take away the number "7" from the board of the world's most popular passenger airliners, and not a single pilot will take the control stick in his hands. At least, out of pride in flying the famous by air, there will be no trace left. The aircraft will become anything but a Boeing. It seems that even people far from aviation have noticed: the treasured number is at the beginning and end of the three-digit brand index. Why?

Hypotheses

Both ordinary people and smart guys from the public research University of Houston, Texas, tried to answer the agonizing question. They came up with better answers than the poorly and moderately educated people.


They adjusted the scientific platform, tried on the technical approach, and dragged in trigonometry. The Houstonians decided that the seven is the sine of the 45° angle. This, they say, is the deviation of the wing from the liner's axis of symmetry. There was a mistake: the angle of our hero is 35°.

Maybe the number of seats is encrypted in the digital code of Boeings? Like, say, Airbus. But no: the cabin of the 707 seats 219 passengers, and the 747 carries 600 people at a time. And a reputable manufacturer will not steal ideas from a direct competitor.


Often (third guess) the first digit of the index indicates the generation of the vehicle. However, no one will remember the previous 6 generations of the passenger Boeing. So where did the sevens on board the aircraft come from?

"The box was easy to open"

The first time seven played a successful role was in 1940, when Boeing released the 307 Stratoliner. The airliner brought great commercial success to the company. The initial understanding came that a memorable number is important in terms of marketing.


The revolutionary wide-body jet aircraft with the index 707 became the confirmation of the idea that had been born. Sounds good! By this time, passenger Boeings had formed their own signature style. The sharp nose and gracefully curved tail unit are the external, eye-catching features. And the "invisible" part, but understandable to specialists, was the location of the power units and the chassis design.

Simple, easy to remember designation of models, illuminated the company, carries a positive charge. The number "7" in many cultures has a symbolic meaning, associated with luck and harmony.


Count the colors of the rainbow or the wonders of the world, you will come across seven. The same number of kind gnomes and naive goats. And where do you end up when you are happy? In seventh heaven. Measure seven times... Seven troubles, one... And so on.

Which plane to trust yourself, your beloved, to soar to the clouds? Of course, with the identification number 717, 727, 737…777, 787. The manufacturer deliberately made the numbering uniform. The brand won – it became recognizable and unique.

What's next

As we understand, there are no technical aspects to the magic number. It is purely a marketing component. It is clear that the middle figure in the three-digit code means the next, more advanced category of liners.


But the corporation did not notice how it had painted itself into a corner. After all, the series is limited to number 797. We will see what the company will do. But there are already modifications of the 777th Boeing containing numbers and letter symbols: 200, ER, LR, 300. Maybe they will introduce a new series 818? They will come up with something.

Be that as it may, our task is not to be late for Boeing flight seven hundred and seventy-seven. Or any other. After all, seven don't wait for one, do they?..