So powerful was the influence of Southwest on Boeing. The LCD screens draw analogue instruments like on the 737 Classics. The 737NG, which first flew three years after the Boeing 777, still had the cluttered, and aesthetically unappealing overhead and throttle quadrant. And so, the autothrottles and associated primary functions, and the VNAV remained out of bounds for the flight deck crew. Yet, Southwest needed the commonality, now between the old 737 Originals, the mid aged 737 Classics ,and the brand new “Next Generation” airplanes. For an aircraft that first flew in 1997, the 737NG’s cockpit hadn’t changed much, save the larger LCD screens that replaced all analogue instrumentation. The efficiency surely did matter, but the flight deck advancements meant little to Southwest. Initially, Southwest was then interested in only one type: the Boeing 737-700, as an efficient and advanced replacement for the 737-300s. The story hardly changed when the Boeing 737 “Next Generation” was launched. And the overhead remained just as cluttered.Ģ 8" displays drawing analog instruments on a 737 NG Thrust and speed could not be automatically maintained as well. Auto throttle was disabled, and the good then new and promising FMS that was in the cockpit could not support automated vertical navigation thanks to an “inoperative” VNAV button on the glare shield mode control panel. Infact, Southwest had gone a bit too far in ensuring the commonality between the 737 Originals (-200) and the Classics (-300,-500) that it operated. The first 737 with electronic displays (EFIS) was MSN 23477, which first flew in 1986 (two years later), and served as VH-TAF with Australian Airlines. And yet, none of these betterments were passed on to the 737s. The overhead and pedestal of the 757 and 767 are aesthetically better, support automatic electric bus transfers, elevator trim without the noisy spinning trim wheel: just to name a few. Southwest wanted the 737-300 NON-EFIS version to satisfy the commonality with the 64 737-200s that it had operated. A NON-EFIS cockpit of one of SW's 737-300s.
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