From: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM (Karl Swartz)
Subject: Re: Boeing aircraft suffixes (was:  El Al Disaster)
Organization: Chicago Software Works
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 09:46:37 GMT

In article <1992Oct8.225714.17450@cc.gatech.edu> pas@marietta.cc.gatech.edu (Paulo Santos) writes:
>In article <twilson.718465488@cunews>, twilson@alfred.carleton.ca (Tom Wilson) writes:
>|> The ones I flew in July were numbered 747-338s, HNL-SYD and back.
>                                             ^^^

>This brings up another topic.  All jet aircraft bought by Qantas directly from
>Boeing are designated 7x7-y38.  There were 707-338s, 747-238, -338, and now
>747-438.  No other airlines have Boeing aircraft ending in -.38 (unless they were
>bought from Qantas).

...

>The suffix stays with the aircraft even if it is sold.

Right, it's part of the model designation.  Apparently in a few cases
the code has been changed subsequent to an aircraft's test flight, but
never after delivery.  (This is somewhat like U.S. Social Security
Numbers, the first three digits of which encode where they were issued
but stay with you for life.  Mine is from Oklahoma, even though I only
lived there for a short time many years ago.  Gets some funny looks on
occasion.)

>I have always wanted to know the answers to some questions about these suffixes:

>1. Do they have a name, or are they just "suffixes"?

Boeing Customer Codes.

>2. What is the reason behind these different suffixes?  Is there anything
>   fundamentally different between a 747-221 and a 747-222?

Typically there are differences between aircraft ordered by different
airlines, ranging from MGTOW, galley location, and seating, on up to
number of pilots (some 767s have a flight engineer, for example) and
type of engine.

However, these differences sometimes occur between different orders by
the same airline.  For example, an early QANTAS 747-238B has Pratt and
Whitney JT9D-7F engines, while later ones have Rolls-Royce RB.211-524D4
engines.  Same model.

Airbus models actually have a long and intricate complete designation
which includes engine manufacturer and model, MGTOW, and various other
things.

Lockheed has a bewildering array of model designations for the L-1011
but actually encodes the customer as part of the *serial* number, e.g.
Delta has the only L-1011-385-1-15(200), serial number 193C-1151.  The
model is indecipherable :-), but the serial number says it was built
for Delta (193C) and was the 151st L-1011 (1151).

Which is better?  Hard to say.  I guess Boeing's way makes as much
sense as any of the others.

>3. Does anyone have a complete list of suffixes?  I can provide a start...

I have a list with 372 customer codes, assembled from various sources,
which I posted to rec.aviation a while ago.  I believe it is nearly
complete, the major omissions being ones which Boeing has maintained
as confidential.  I'll repost it here in the next message.  (Perhaps
this should be a FAQ?)

>4. Why did the numbering start with 21, went all the way to 99, then
>   back to 01 through 19?  Why weren't 20 and 00 ever used?

20 is Boeing itself, and 00 is used as a "generic" code and is what is
listed on the FAA Type Certificate.  Note, too, that after 19 Boeing
started using alpha-numeric codes, e.g. D7 for Thai or 4A for United
Parcel Service.  This makes the code context-sensitive since most (but
not quite all) 727-100s have -xx deisgnations instead of -1xx.  Thus a
727-22C would be a cargo 727-100 built for United, while a 757-22C
would be a 757-200 built for AirUK.

-- 
Karl Swartz	|INet	kls@ditka.chicago.com
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