Physical Differences: 737C v 737NG

This is all a family history, starting with the 737-100. Next came the -200 with a longer fuselage and bigger engines. Next in line is the 300/400/500. It had the same wing as the -200 but with a new fuselage, new engines and upgrated cocpit. The wing on the 300-500 was never really satisfactory, it was too small for the weights of the newer models, particulary the -400 which is a real sled at all up weight. It is really hard pressed to make FL300 fully loaded.

The NG series have the same basic fuselage as the 300-500 but with upgrated systems, new cocpit and a new wing. Also included in the upgrate is a longer landing gear and new engines.

There is nothing left of the old 737-100/200 anymore. It is a completely new aircraft, but still flying on the old type certificate. Saves a lot of money on the certification program.

Hope this clarifies a bit 😀 😀

The small engine exhaust pipe is long and pointy in a NG.

I just look at the engine pylons. On the classics, the pylons go onto the top of the wings. On the NG’s, they do not.

And B735 ahs the smalles fuselauge.

Engineering wise they are massively different but from the perspective of visual differences the only way I can differentiate is by looking head on at the engine nacelles. If they are much more rounded it is a NG. The reason the classics had odd shaped nacelles was to incorporate the gearbox that drives ancillary equipment. It also had to be flattened at the bottom to ensure ground clearance.

Perhaps someone more clever than me can post pictures of a classic 737 and a NG 737 head on so we can see.

for starters B736 has a larger tail.