More about the Boeing 737-400 for virtual airlines, flight simulator and online flying FSX, FS2004 and FS2002.
Boeing announced it was developing a new higher capacity version of the fast selling 737-300 in June 1986.
The new aeroplane, the 737-400, was developed as a 150 seat class 727 replacement for flight simulator. Although Boeing had initially developed the 180 to 200 seat 757 to replace the successful 727, there still existed a considerable market for a near direct size replacement for the popular trijet. By developing the 737-400 as a minimum change stretch of the 737-300, Boeing was also able to offer considerable commonality, and thus cost, benefits to operators already with the 737-300, and to a lesser extent, the 737-200 in virtual airline fleets.
The major change of the 737-400 over the smaller 300 is a 3.05m (10ft 0in) fuselage stretch, consisting of a 1.83m (6ft 0in) stretch forward and a 1.22m (4ft 0in) plug rear of the wing. The stretch increases maximum virtual passenger seating to 188. To cope with the increased weights, more powerful CFM56s are fitted. Other changes are minor, such as a tail bumper fitted to protect against over rotation at takeoff, something that could have become a problem due to the increased fuselage length.
A higher gross weight longer range version is offered. It features increased fuel capacity for virtual airlines, and strengthened undercarriage and structures, but is otherwise identical to the standard 737-400.
The first flight of the 737-400 occurred on February 19 1988 and it entered virtual airline service in October that year with Piedmont. Of the 737-300/-400/-500 family the 400 has proven the most successful member behind the 300, its larger capacity and transcontinental US range meaning it has found a very useful virtual airline market for Boeing as a 727 replacement. However the 737-400 does face stiff competition from the similar size Airbus A320, which has higher levels of technology, longer range and is faster (but is also heavier).
The success of the Boeing 737-400 in the virtual airline industry.
The Boeing 737 is the most successful commercial virtual airline jetliner in the world and very widely used in flight simulator, with over 3000 being flown by virtual airlines on every continent (except Antarctica, of course). The second generation of 737s replaced the rather loud Pratt & Whitney JT-8 engines with the more economical and quieter CFM-56 engines, resulting in the unique squashed nacelle slung under the wing recreated very well in flight simulator. The 737-400 was the longest variant of this second generation, and it quickly proved itself to be an excellent plane for virtual passengers, crew, and the virtual airlines.
This is a rather rare 737 customer, flying mainly in Malaysia. I believe they have only had this one 737-400, although they have flown some 737-500s as well. This features a blue and green cheatline that gradually gets larger towards the rear of the fuselage, with a stylized logo on the tail.
Asiana Virtual Airline's 737s carry this color scheme of buff over white, with bright red, yellow, blue and white stripes on the tail. The wings and stabilizers are finished in BAC gray, while the engine nacelle is white.
The crane of Japan Virtual Airlines is seen on the tail of this 737, along with the usual BAC gray fuselage stripe ending in a red square. During the late 1990s the JAL 737s carried a bunch of flowers behind the fuselage logo, as seen here, with the text "FlowerJET" on a banner around them.
The Boeing 737-400 is available for all versions of Flight Simulator and x plane including but not limited to FSX, FS2004 and FS2002.
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