Climb on board Boeing's new 737 Max 9

Alongside its bigger sibling, the 787-10, Boeing's next version of its popular 737 aircraft had its first public appearance at the Paris Air Show. The 737 Max 9 was rolled out of Boeing's factory in Renton, Washington in March and first flew in April.

The original version of the 737 made its first flight 50 years ago. The Max 9 should enter service in 2018.

In case you didn't know which plane it is, just look up.

The brightly painted fuselage will tell you, as well.

Climb the stairs to get onboard. 

The Max 9's nose points toward a few business jets parked across the airfield. It was a hot day in Paris, but that didn't stop the crowds from viewing the aircraft on display.

Inside the cockpit were two of the 737 Max 9's test pilots. 

No, he didn't pull back on the throttles. That came later when the aircraft made a flyby over the airfield. 

Inside the cabin are banks of equipment that monitor conditions during test flights.

The cabin walls and ceiling appear much as they would in a completed aircraft. Just don't look for a carpet on the floor.

The large wheel lets out a trailing cone on a nylon rope behind the 737 Max 9 when it is flying. The cone measures the airflow disruption behind the airliner.

Just don't use this door as an exit.

During flight, technicians sit at computers to monitor flying conditions. The Max 9 will eventually seat 180 to 200 passengers. 

One feature of the Max family is more efficient engines. As the nacelles are close to the ground, the bottom sides are flattened.

Like on the 787, the scalloped edges of the engine cowling help reduce noise.

As we exited out the rear door, we got a view along the full length of the aircraft.

Another 737 Max 9 improvement is the split-tip winglets, which help improve the wing's efficiency. 

The highly raked wings of the adjacent 787-10 stretch out to the 737 Max 9.