Boeing aircraft types

Boeing 717-200

Boeing 717

T-tail, two engines at the rear, short fuselage: the 717 is the last descendant of the DC-9 and really a McDonnell Douglas. It has vanished from Europe – here is how to recognize it and where it still flies.

Boeing 737 MAX 10

737-10

The longest 737 Boeing has ever built: the MAX 10 gets landing gear that extends on takeoff, has waited years for certification and takes on Airbus’s A321neo. Here is how to recognize it.

Boeing 737 MAX 7

737-7

The smallest and longest-range variant of the 737 MAX has been through one of the longest certification journeys in recent aviation. It has been FAA-certified since August 2026 – here is how to recognize it and where you will see it first.

Boeing 737 MAX 8

737-8

Large LEAP engines with serrated nacelle edges, forked wingtips and a newly shaped tail: the 737 MAX 8 is the fourth generation of Boeing’s bestseller. Here is how to reliably tell it from the 737-800.

Boeing 737 MAX 9

737-9

The stretched sister of the MAX 8: the 737 MAX 9 is longer, has an additional exit behind the wing and is a fairly rare visitor in Europe. Here is how to recognize it with confidence.

Boeing 737-200

737-200 Advanced

Slim cigar-shaped engines under the wing, a deflector behind the nose wheel and air nozzles ahead of the inlets: the 737-200 is the jet that lands on gravel. Here you will learn how the -200 and the -200 Advanced came about, how to recognize them and where they still fly today.

Boeing 737-300

737 Classic

Fat engines with flat bottoms, a stretched fuselage and a new cockpit: with the 737-300, Boeing got the 737 ready for a second career in the mid-1980s. Here you learn where it came from, who flew it in Germany and where you can still find it today.

Boeing 737-400

737 Classic

Three meters longer than the -300, two overwing exits and a tail skid under the rear fuselage: the 737-400 was Boeing’s answer to packed leisure flights. Here you read how it came about, who flew it in Europe and where you find it today as a freighter.

Boeing 737-500

737 Classic

Small, compact and with the typical flat engine inlets: the 737-500 was the shortest 737 Classic and the modern replacement for the 737-200. Here you read who flew it, where it is still out and about today and how to tell it from the -300 and -600.

Boeing 737-600

737 Next Generation

Only 69 built, no winglets, a fuselage as short as the old 737-500’s: the 737-600 is the rarest 737 of the Next Generation. Here is how to recognize it – and where it still flies.

Boeing 737-700

737 Next Generation

Short, stocky and airborne since 1997: the 737-700 is the compact Next Generation 737. It is getting rarer – here is how to recognize it and where you can still find it.

Boeing 737-8-200 (MAX 200)

737 MAX 200

A MAX 8 from the outside, with one small but crucial difference: an additional pair of emergency exit doors behind the wing. Here is how to recognize the 737-8-200 that Boeing developed for Ryanair.

Boeing 737-800

737 Next Generation

The workhorse of short and medium-haul routes: the 737-800 is the most-produced version of the 737 Next Generation and a regular guest at many European airports.

Boeing 737-900

737-900 (ohne ER)

The first stretched 737 of the Next Generation was long but held back by the exits of the 737-800. Only 52 were built – here is how to recognize the rare 737-900 and tell it from the 900ER.

Boeing 737-900ER

737-900 Extended Range

The longest Next Generation 737: the 737-900ER has an extra pair of exits behind the wing and mainly shapes US domestic traffic. In Europe it is a rare catch – here is how to recognize it.

Boeing 757-200

757

Long, slender, tall-legged and with engines that look almost too big: the 757-200 is a narrowbody with long-haul genes. It has been out of production since 2004, so spotters welcome every encounter.

Boeing 757-300

757

Over 54 meters long, but only one aisle in the cabin: the 757-300 is the longest twin-engine narrowbody ever built. Only 55 were made, Condor was the launch customer – today it flies almost only in the US.

Boeing 747-400

747-400F

The most-built jumbo: how to recognize the Boeing 747-400 and its freighters, tell it from the 747-8 and older 747s, and where you can still catch it as of October 2026.

Boeing 747-400M Combi

747-400 Combi

Passengers up front, pallets in the back: the Boeing 747-400M Combi was the last jumbo with a mixed main deck. How to recognize it, why KLM defined it and what became of the 61 aircraft.

Boeing 747-8

747-8 Intercontinental

The last jumbo: the 747-8 is the longest and most modern version of the Boeing 747. How to recognize the passenger version and the freighter and tell them from the 747-400.

Boeing 767-200/-200ER

767-200

The very first 767: short, slender, twin-engine. The 767-200 and its long-range version, the -200ER, made ETOPS possible and wrote history with the Gimli Glider. Today you see it almost only as a freighter or in uniform.

Boeing 767-300ER

767-300ER

Slender fuselage, two big engines, often upswept winglets: the 767-300ER was the workhorse across the Atlantic for decades. Today it is getting rare – here is how to recognize and find it.

Boeing 767-400ER

767-400ER

The longest 767 of all: stretched fuselage, wingtips raked back and a cockpit in 777 style. Only 38 were built – here is how to recognize and find them.

Boeing 777-200

777-200 A-Market

The 777-200 is the original 777: designed entirely on computer, put into service with United in 1995 and approved for long overwater routes from day one. Here’s how to recognize it and tell it apart from the 777-200ER.

Boeing 777-200ER

777-200IGW

The 777-200ER is the long-haul 777 of the first generation: shorter than the 300ER, without swept wingtips and with three possible engines. Here’s how to identify it with confidence – even in Vienna.

Boeing 777-200LR

777 Worldliner

Short 777 fuselage, long swept wingtips, huge GE90 engines: the 777-200LR Worldliner is Boeing’s ultra-long-haul specialist and set a world record in 2005. Here’s how to recognize the rare variant.

Boeing 777-300

773

The 777-300 is the first stretched Triple Seven: put into service with Cathay Pacific in 1998, built only 60 times and today flying mostly in Asia. Here’s how to reliably tell it from the 777-300ER.

Boeing 777-300ER

77W

The best-selling 777 variant: the 777-300ER is longer than an A380, flies only with GE90 engines and has defined long-haul since 2004. Here’s how to identify the 77W with confidence.

Boeing 777-8 (777X)

777-8X

Shorter than the 777-9, but with the longest range of the entire 777 family: the 777-8 is Boeing’s ultra-long-haul variant of the 777X. Here you can read what it can do, why it’s taking so long and who has ordered it.

Boeing 777-9 (777X)

777X

Folding wingtips, the world’s largest jet engine and the longest passenger jet ever built: the 777-9 is Boeing’s new long-haul giant. Here’s how to recognize it – and where certification and first delivery stand.

Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner

787-10

The longest Dreamliner version: the 787-10 stretches the 787-9 by a good five meters, is built only in South Carolina and flies mainly on medium long-haul routes. Here’s how to identify the B78X with confidence.

Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner

787 Dreamliner

A smooth nose with just four cockpit windows, serrated engine trailing edges and wings that flex far upward in flight: the 787-8 is the shortest Dreamliner. Here’s how to identify it with confidence.

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

787-9

Serrated engine ends, wings that sweep back at the tips and a smooth, round nose: the 787-9 is the most widely flown Dreamliner version. Here’s how to recognize it and tell it from the 787-8 and 787-10.

Boeing 737-300SF/-400SF

737-300SF

No windows, a big door at the front left and the flattened engine inlets of the Classic generation: converted 737-300s and -400s carry parcels and mail across Europe at night. Here you learn how the conversion works, who flies the freighters and where you can still catch them.

Boeing 737-800BCF and 737-800SF

737-800BCF

Windowless fuselage, a big door at the front left, but winglets and modern engines: the converted 737-800 is the new standard freighter in the express night network. Here you learn who converts it, who flies it and how to recognize it.

Boeing 747-400F and 747-400ERF

747-400F

The factory-built freighter jumbo with the hinged nose: how to recognize the 747-400F and 400ERF, tell them from converted freighters and the 747-8F, and who still flies them as of October 2026.

Boeing 747-400LCF Dreamlifter

Dreamlifter

Four converted jumbos with a giant fuselage and a swing tail: how the Dreamlifter flies 787 components around the world, how to recognize it and where you are most likely to catch it as of October 2026.

Boeing 747-8F

747-8 Freighter

Short hump, long fuselage, no windows and wingtips without winglets: the 747-8F is the most modern freighter jumbo – and the very last 747 built was exactly this. How to recognize it and find it at the cargo hubs.

Boeing 757-200PF and 757-200SF/PCF

757-200PF

No windows, a big door at the front left and the typically tall 757 landing gear: The freighter versions of the 757-200 carry parcels through Europe and North America at night. Here you will learn how factory freighters and conversions differ, who flies them and where to catch them.

Boeing 767-300F and 767-300BCF

767-300F

Windowless, slender widebody fuselage, big cargo door at the front left: the 767-300F is the workhorse of the express networks. Here is how to recognize new-build freighters and conversions and find them at the cargo hubs.

Boeing 777-300ERSF

777-300ER Special Freighter

A 74-meter 777 fuselage with no row of windows: the 777-300ERSF is the largest twin-engine freighter in existence today – created from used 777-300ERs. Here’s how to recognize it and tell it from the factory-built 777F.

Boeing 777-8F (777-8 Freighter)

777-8 Freighter

Folding wings, GE9X engines and 118 tonnes of payload: the 777-8F is Boeing’s new widebody freighter and takes over the role of the 747-8F. Here you can read what it can do, who has ordered it and when the first aircraft will arrive.

Boeing 777F

777 Freighter

A 777 fuselage with no row of windows, a huge door behind the wing and two GE90s under the wings: the 777F is the most important long-haul freighter of our time. Here’s how to recognize it and where to find it in Frankfurt and Leipzig.

Boeing Business Jet (BBJ, BBJ2, BBJ3)

BBJ

A 737 outside, lounge, bedroom and conference room inside: since 1998 the Boeing Business Jet has been the VIP spin-off of the 737 Next Generation. Here is how to recognize the BBJ, BBJ2 and BBJ3 and how to catch them at business aviation terminals.

Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey

V-22 Osprey

Takes off like a helicopter, flies like an airplane: the V-22 Osprey is the only tiltrotor aircraft in military service. Here is how to recognize it, tell the versions apart and know where to see it in Europe and Japan.

Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) F-15 Eagle

F-15

Two vertical stabilizers, big box-shaped air intakes, a broad back with an airbrake: for decades the F-15 Eagle was the US Air Force’s air superiority fighter. Here is how to recognize variants A to D and where you can still see them today.

Boeing (McDonnell Douglas)/BAE AV-8B Harrier II

Harrier II

A hovering fighter jet with four swiveling nozzles: for decades, the AV-8B Harrier II was the workhorse of the US Marine Corps. In 2026 that chapter ends – in Spain and Italy it keeps flying. Here’s how to recognize it and where you can still catch it.

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

B-52

Eight engines, a wing that droops on the ground and more than 70 years of service: the B-52 is the Methuselah of the US bomber fleet. Here is how to recognize the Stratofortress, understand the B-52J upgrade and catch it in Europe.

Boeing C-17 Globemaster III

C-17

Developed at McDonnell Douglas, grown up under Boeing: the C-17 Globemaster III flies with the US Air Force, the Royal Air Force and the multinational Heavy Airlift Wing in Hungary. Here you will read how the program went, who flies the aircraft today and how to get them in front of your lens in Europe.

Boeing C-32

C-32A

Slender fuselage, tall landing gear, light blue and white livery: the Boeing C-32A flies the US vice president as Air Force Two and even stands in for Air Force One. Here you will learn what is in the 757 variant, how to tell the C-32A from the C-32B and where to see them.

Boeing C-40 Clipper (C-40A, C-40B, C-40C)

C-40

A 737-700 in Navy colors with a huge cargo door behind the cockpit or a plain US Air Force VIP jet: the C-40 is the military 737 Next Generation. Here is how to tell the C-40A, C-40B and C-40C apart – and how to catch them in Europe.

Boeing E-3 Sentry

AWACS

Four engines, a slender 707 fuselage and a huge disc on its back: the E-3 Sentry is the classic AWACS aircraft. Here is who flies it, how to tell the versions apart and where to see it best in Europe.

Boeing E-4B Nightwatch

E-4B

Four jumbos built for the worst case: the Boeing E-4B Nightwatch is the flying command post of the US armed forces. Here is what is inside the “Doomsday Plane,” how to recognize it and where its successor, the E-4C, stands.

Boeing E-6 Mercury

E-6B Mercury

A 707 with Navy titles, CFM56 engines and thick pods at the wingtips: the Boeing E-6 Mercury keeps the link to America’s strategic submarines. Here is how to recognize it and where its successor, the E-130J, stands.

Boeing E-7 Wedgetail

E-7A

A 737 with a flat blade on its back and fins under the tail: the E-7 Wedgetail is the early warning aircraft meant to replace the AWACS generation – and its future in the US and at NATO hung in the balance for a long time. Here is how to recognize it and how to place the program.

Boeing E-767

E-767 AWACS

A gray twinjet with a huge radar dome on its back: the E-767 is the AWACS aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Only four exist – here is how to recognize them and where you have a chance of seeing one.

Boeing EA-18G Growler

Growler

Almost an F/A-18F from the outside, a flying electronics lab on the inside: the EA-18G Growler jams the enemy’s radar and radio. Here is how to recognize it, how to tell it from the Super Hornet, and why it does not fly with the Luftwaffe.

Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle

McDonnell Douglas F-15E

Two seats, two vertical stabilizers and thick tanks along the fuselage sides: the F-15E is the strike fighter of the Eagle family. Here is how to tell the Strike Eagle, the F-15EX and the export versions apart – and where to see them at Lakenheath.

Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

Super Hornet

Boxy air intakes, broad wing roots, two vertical stabilizers: the Super Hornet is the backbone of US carrier aviation. Here is how to tell it from the older Hornet and where you can see it.

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker

KC-135R

Narrow fuselage, four fat engines, a long boom under the tail: the KC-135 Stratotanker has been refueling US Air Force aircraft since 1957 – and is still the most common tanker in the world. Here is how to tell the variants apart and where to catch them in Europe.

Boeing KC-46 Pegasus

KC-46A

A gray 767 with a refueling boom under the tail and hose pods under the wings: the KC-46 Pegasus is the new standard tanker of the US Air Force – and one of the most controversial defense programs of recent years. Here is how to identify it and put its history in context.

Boeing KC-767

KC-767A

A gray 767 with a refueling boom under the tail: the KC-767 is Boeing’s first 767-based tanker. Only nine are flying – in Italy, Japan and Colombia. Here is how to identify it and tell it from the KC-46.

Boeing P-8 Poseidon

P-8A Poseidon

A gray Boeing 737, but hardly any windows, no winglets and a weapons bay in its belly: that is the P-8 Poseidon. Here is how to identify the submarine hunter and where to see it in Germany – since late 2025 with the German Navy at Nordholz, too.

Boeing RC-135

RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

Four engines, a KC-135 airframe and a fuselage full of antennas: the RC-135 has been the flying ear of the US Air Force for decades – and of the Royal Air Force since 2014. Here is how to tell Rivet Joint, Cobra Ball, Combat Sent and the related WC-135 and OC-135 apart.

Boeing T-7A Red Hawk

Boeing-Saab T-7 Red Hawk

One engine, two vertical tails, a raised rear seat: Boeing and Saab’s T-7A Red Hawk replaces the aging T-38 as the US Air Force’s advanced trainer. Here is how to recognize it – and where the program stands.

Boeing VC-137 (Air Force One)

VC-137C

Blue, silver and white, with “United States of America” in big letters above: the Boeing VC-137 was the first jet generation of Air Force One. Here is the story of SAM 970, SAM 26000 and SAM 27000 – and where you can tour them today.

Boeing VC-25A

Air Force One

Two jumbos, one callsign: the Boeing VC-25A with tail numbers 28000 and 29000 has flown US presidents since 1990. Here is what is inside, how to recognize it and how to get it in front of your lens during state visits in Europe.

Boeing VC-25B

Air Force One

Two jumbos originally built for Russia, a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract and years of delay: the Boeing VC-25B is meant to replace the old Air Force One. Here is where the program stands in October 2026, which livery is coming and how to recognize the new presidential aircraft.

Boeing AH-64 Apache

Hughes AH-64

Two crew members in tandem, stub wings with missiles, a canted tail rotor and often a radar dome above the rotor: the AH-64 Apache is the world’s best-known attack helicopter. Here’s how to recognize it, its versions and where it flies in Europe.

Boeing CH-47 Chinook

Chinook

Two huge rotors, a long boxy fuselage and the unmistakable wokka-wokka: the Chinook is the workhorse of military helicopters. Here is how to recognize it, where to find it in Europe – and what Germany’s CH-47F means for spotters.

Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight

Sea Knight

Two rotors one behind the other, a hull like a boat, landing gear in side stubs: the CH-46 Sea Knight was the workhorse of the US Marines for half a century. Here is how to recognize it and its relatives.

Boeing 247

Boeing Model 247

All-metal, cantilever wing, retractable landing gear: the Boeing 247 is regarded as the first modern airliner – and still lost out to the DC-2. Here is how to recognize the 1933 pioneer and where to see it today.

Boeing 307 Stratoliner

Boeing 307

A bulbous fuselage on B-17 wings: in 1940, the Boeing 307 Stratoliner became the first airliner to bring a pressurized cabin into scheduled service. Only ten were built, and one complete example survives.

Boeing 314 Clipper

Clipper

Four radial engines, three vertical tails and a hull like a ship: in 1939 the Boeing 314 Clipper brought the first scheduled passenger service across the Atlantic. Here is its history and where you can still encounter it today.

Boeing 377 Stratocruiser

Boeing 377

Two decks, a bar in the belly and four huge radial engines: the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was the luxury liner of the postwar era. Only 56 were built – and the Guppy freighters grew out of what was left of them.

Boeing 707-120

707

Four engines on slim pylons, a heavily swept wing and a short, early vertical stabilizer: the 707-120 was the first production version of the Boeing 707 and brought the jet airliner into everyday life from 1958. Here is how to recognize it and tell it from the 707-320.

Boeing 707-320 Intercontinental

707 Intercontinental

Four engines under swept wings, a pointed antenna spike on the vertical stabilizer and the range for the North Atlantic: the 707-320 Intercontinental was the first true long-haul 707. As an airliner it is history – as an AWACS, tanker and museum piece it lives on.

Boeing 720

720B

A bit shorter, lighter and with a reworked wing: the Boeing 720 was the medium-haul derivative of the 707. United, Western and Lufthansa flew it, and Pratt & Whitney Canada used one to test engines until 2010. Here is how to recognize the rare four-engine jet and where it stands today.

Boeing 727-100

727

The first 727 was short, stocky and a child of the early jet age: three engines at the rear, a T-tail, a staircase in the tail cone. Here is how to recognize the 727-100, how to tell it from the -200 – and where the last examples stand.

Boeing 727-200

727

Three engines at the rear, a T-tail and a staircase in the tail cone: the 727-200 was one of the most-produced jets of its time. Today it is a true rarity – here is how to recognize it and what your chances are.

Boeing 737-100

737-130

Short fuselage, slim engines tucked close under the wing and a German launch customer: the 737-100 was the very first version of the Boeing 737. Only 30 were built, and just one survives today. Here is how to recognize it and place it.

Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA)

SCA

A jumbo with a space shuttle on its back: NASA’s two Shuttle Carrier Aircraft are among the most spectacular aircraft ever. Here you will learn how they came about, what they flew and where you can see them today.

Boeing 747-100

747-100B

It started the age of widebody jets: the Boeing 747-100 first flew in 1969 and entered service with Pan Am in 1970. Here is how to recognize the original jumbo and where to find the preserved examples.

Boeing 747-200

747-200B

More thrust, more takeoff weight, more range: from 1971, the Boeing 747-200 made the jumbo a long-haul workhorse – as a passenger jet, combi and freighter. Here is how to recognize it and where you can still meet it today.

Boeing 747-300

747-300M

The first 747 with a stretched upper deck: how the Boeing 747-300 came about, who flew it, how to tell it from the 747-200 and 747-400, and where the rare jumbo can still be seen today.

Boeing 747SP

747SP

Short fuselage, huge tail, enormous range: the Boeing 747SP was the ultra-long-range jumbo of the 1970s. Here you will learn how to spot it, which records it flew and where you can still see it today.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

B-17

Four radial engines, a huge vertical stabilizer and machine-gun positions all around: the B-17 is the best-known bomber of World War II. Here’s how to recognize it – and where you can still see one today.

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

B-29

Four radial engines, a long, slender wing and an all-glass nose with no stepped cockpit: the B-29 was the Allies’ first production bomber with a pressurized cabin, and with the Enola Gay it made world history. Today only FIFI and Doc still fly.

Boeing B-47 Stratojet

B-47

Swept wing, engines in pods under the wings, bicycle landing gear: the B-47 Stratojet anticipated the layout of almost every later jet airliner. Here you will read how it came about, how to recognize it and which museums have one today.

Boeing C-97/KC-97 Stratofreighter

C-97 Stratofreighter

A bulbous double-deck fuselage on B-29 wings, four radial engines and a refueling boom under the tail: the KC-97 was the tanker of the early jet era. Here is how to identify the C-97 and KC-97 – and where you can still see them today.

Boeing-Stearman Model 75 Kaydet

Stearman

A sturdy biplane with a round radial engine, yellow wings and two open cockpits: tens of thousands of US pilots learned to fly in the Stearman. Today it roars over airshows, carries wingwalkers and flies sightseeing rides – in Europe too.