TAIL SKID DRAG ON TKOF.

Narrative

FLT WAS LOADED TO 163600 LBS TKOF WT. SINCE ACFT HAD 'INTERMIX' JT80-7 ENGS WITH LESS PERFORMANCE; CAPT REVIEWED TKOF DATA SELECTING FLAPS 5 DEGS RATHER THAN FLAPS 15 DEGS FOR DEP SINCE FLAP 15 DEG CLB LIMITED WT WAS ROUGHLY THE SAME AS FLAP 5 'NORMAL' WT MEANING BETTER SECOND SEGMENT CLB AVAILABLE AT FLAP 5 DEGS. CAPT ALSO REQUESTED RWY 21R (LONGEST AVAILABLE) AND PERFORMED TKOF BRIEFING TO CREW EMPHASIZING ABORT AND ENG FAILURE CONSIDERATIONS. ALL NORMAL PROCS FOLLOWED AND UPON CLRNC; TKOF ROLL WAS COMMENCED. ACCELERATION WAS TYPICALLY 'SLUGGISH' GIVEN -7 ENGS BUT ACCEPTABLE. WIND EFFECT WAS SLIGHTLY NOTICEABLE AND SEEMED SOMEWHAT GUSTY; THOUGH ATIS RPT WAS 220 DEGS/15 KTS STEADY STATE. CAPT BEGAN ROTATION AT VR CALL (144 KTS) AND PURPOSEFULLY RESTR ROTATION RATE TO 2-2.5 DEGS PER SECOND TOWARDS TARGET 16 DEG PITCH. MANEUVER SEEMED SMOOTH AND NORMAL THOUGH PERFORMANCE STILL SEEMED SLUGGISH THROUGH UNSTICK AND INITIAL LIFTOFF. AT THAT POINT; AIRSPD SEEMED MOMENTARILY STAGNANT THEN BOUNCED PLUS/MINUS 5 KTS FROM V2 (157 KIAS). ALL OTHER INDICATIONS NORMAL AND CLB THEREAFTER NORMAL AS WELL. FLT ATTENDANT IN AFT CABIN; HOWEVER; RPTED NOISE IN AFT BODY AT LIFT-OFF. CAPT CONTACTED COMPANY DISPATCH/MAINT CTL RPTING POSSIBLE TAIL STRIKE AND MADE LOGBOOK ENTRY. WITH ALL INDICATIONS NORMAL; COMPANY OKAYED CONTINUING TO DEST AND CAPT CONCURRED; THOUGH REQUESTED LOAD TO BE RAMP CHKED AT DEST AND RECONCILED WITH DTW BACK CHK AS WELL. FLT PROCEEDED AND LANDED NORMALLY AT DEST. ON GND INSPECTION REVEALED NO ACFT DAMAGE THOUGH TAILSKID DID SHOW EVIDENCE OF SLIGHT GND CONTACT; BUT TAILSKID PIN WAS INTACT INDICATING NO SIGNIFICANT FORCE ENCOUNTERED. LOAD CHK SHOWED ACCURATE COUNT OF BAGS AND CARGO. SINCE ALL COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS AGREED THAT ROTATION PROC AND RATE WERE PROPER; CAPT CAN ONLY CONCLUDE THAT A) COMPANY 'AVERAGE BAG WT' AS OPTIMISTIC; B) GUSTY CONDITIONS COMBINED WITH OLDER -7 ENGS DECREASED TKOF PERFORMANCE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM CALCULATED DATA. WHILE EVENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN 'INCIDENT' CAPT FEELS IT ILLUSTRATES A CHRONIC AND POTENTIAL DANGER AREA SINCE TKOF MANEUVERS ARE STILL VERY MUCH A 'FEEL' OP AND COMPANY ENFORCES A DUAL QUALIFICATION POLICY. CAPT HAD JUST SPENT THE PREVIOUS MONTH FLYING THE A320; A FLY-BY-WIRE ACFT WITH COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PROCS; TKOF PERFORMANCE; AND FEEL AND RECEIVED ONLY 2 LEGS WITH A SAFETY PLT IN TRANSITION BACK TO THE B727. THIS WOULD NORMALLY BE MINIMALLY ACCEPTABLE; BUT COMPANY'S B727 FLEET INCLUDES A MULTITUDE OF VARIANTS WITH JUST A FEW -7 ENG INSTALLATIONS. DESPITE CAPT'S PLANNING; EVENT OCCURRED AND WHILE NOT SERIOUS; IT WAS DISTURBING AND NON-CONFIDENCE INSPIRING. CAPT HAD REQUESTED A SIMULATOR PERIOD AT BEGINNING OF MONTH AND COMPANY DEMURRED; PROVIDING SAFETY PLT INSTEAD FOR FIRST 2 LEGS (EVEN THOUGH POLICY FOR A320 ALWAYS REQUIRES SIMULATOR RIDE INTO LINE OPS; RETURN TO B727 DOES NOT). CAPT STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT STANDARDIZATION OF TRAINING POLICY; ELIMINATION OR MORE RESTRICTIVE DUAL QUALIFICATION POLICY; AND RE-EXAMINATION OF AGING -7 ENG PERFORMANCE AND AVERAGE BAG WTS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.