Newsgroups: sci.aeronautics.airliners Path: news From: palmer@icat.larc.nasa.gov (Michael T. Palmer) Subject: Re: Safety and design rankings (was Re: Flight controls) X-Submission-Date: 17 Dec 92 18:47:22 GMT References: Message-ID: Approved: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM Organization: NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA USA X-Submission-Message-Id: Sender: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM Date: 17 Dec 92 13:27:35 PST In a previous post, somebody wrote: >>Every first-generation 737 I've seen has a third seat for the flight >>engineer. Then, somebody else wrote: >Hmm. I have some vague recollection of a three-man 737, but I think I'm >thinking of that 767. The 737 was designed for a two-man crew. If three- >man ships were produced, there are precious few of them. I wasn't able >to find any explicit references to three-man variants in my notes. Well, NASA Langley operates Boeing B-737-100 Hull Number 1. That's right, Number 1. I can tell you for a fact that it was designed for two pilots. >Be careful to distinguish between a "flight engineer" and someone occupying >the jump seat. Quite a few airlines will run a "third man" due to either >union pressures, or to provide training experience for new-hires; one often >sees "transients" (instructors, check pilots, deadheading pilots) in >the jump seat. Correct. However, putting a third pilot on that tiny, flip/fold-down seat would require hazardous duty pay. I have ridden in that seat for quite a few hours, and it is NOT repeat NOT like riding in a 767 cockpit!! Still, there is no rear "engineer's station" for a third crewmember anyway. And the seat blocks access to the cabin door! It was never designed for constant use. -- Michael T. Palmer, M/S 152, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681 Voice: 804-864-2044, FAX: 804-864-7793, Email: m.t.palmer@larc.nasa.gov RIPEM Public Key available soon --- Consider it an envelope for your e-mail