Boeing struck gold with the 727. Just 250 were planned, but demand was so high a total of 1,832 were built by the time production ceased in 1984. The most distinctive of Boeing&amp;#39;s early jets, with a T-shaped tail and a trio of rear-mounted engines, the noisy 727 took its first flight in 1963. It was designed to use smaller, less developed runways, making it amenable to a host of out of the way airports.