SEATTLE, July 15, 2004 — Fifty years ago today, Boeing [NYSE:BA] pilots Tex Johnston and Richard L. Loesch helped propel commercial aviation into the jet age by completing the first flight of the Boeing 367-80, the precursor for all jet-powered commercial airplanes developed since.
Known as the “Dash 80,” the airplane demonstrated the advantages jet engines offered over the propeller-driven engines that were then the standard. It’s considered one of history’s most important airplanes.
With no orders or customer commitments, Boeing had spent the equivalent of all its post-World War II profit on the Dash 80. Explaining that decision in 1954, then company President Bill Allen simply said it was time somebody “got jet transport off of paper and into the air.”
“Bill Allen’s pursuit of aviation’s frontiers drove us to change the world with the Dash 80 and each of all our commercial airplanes since then,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally. “We’re doing it once about to do so again with the 7E7 Dreamliner, which will provide a significant improvement in flying an airplane and make Mr. Allen and the many Boeing visionaries after him extremely proud. We truly stand on the shoulders of aviation giants.”
After the first flight, Johnston and the Dash 80 toured the U.S. demonstrating what flying a jet transport was like. In August 1954, the U.S. Air Force ordered the Dash 80’s first descendent — the KC-135 refueling airplane. Boeing delivered more than 800 KC-135s between 1957 and 1965.
For airlines, the Dash 80 spawned the Boeing 707. Pan Am World Airways was that airplane’s first customer, signing up for 20 in October 1955. Boeing ultimately delivered more than 1,000 707s between 1958 and 1994. Boeing to date has delivered more than 15,000 jetliners, making it the world’s premier commercial airplane company.
The Dash 80 is displayed at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum ‘s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., near Washington-Dulles International Airport. It’s near the Boeing 307 Stratoliner, the first pressurized commercial airplane. Boeing employees and retirees restored both airplanes for the museum.
By: Bmused55 - 16th July 2004 at 15:52
An excellent article about Convair’s attempt to break into the PAX jet market.
http://www.airliners.net/articles/read.main?id=67
Article also contains a few interesting links.
By: Sonnenflieger - 16th July 2004 at 14:02
Here’s a site about the first manufactured Boeing 707 flight simulator with lots of interesting 707 trivia and stories:
http://www.707sim.com/index.html
By: Comet - 16th July 2004 at 12:28
The commercial jet age began in July 1949 when John Cunningham made the first flight of the prototype Comet 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The first commercial passenger carrying jet service took place on 2nd May 1952 when the BOAC Comet 1 G-ALYP took off from Heathrow bound for Johannesburg.
That was more than two years before the prototype 707 took to the skies! And the 707 wasn’t even the first turbine-powered passenger aircraft to operate services across the Atlantic – that honour goes to the Bristol Britannia, and the first turbojet aircraft to operate trans Atlantic services was the Comet 4! So the only first the Boeing 707 achieved was that it was the first Boeing jet transport, not the first jet transport full stop!
By: Sonnenflieger - 16th July 2004 at 11:04
I didn’t see the one at Linköping on our recent visit, Sonnenflieger, where are they hiding it? Must find it on the next trip!
Last time I saw it, in 2001 though, it was parked on the apron quite close to the museum. The aircraft is donated to the museum but according to Flygvapenmuseum’s site it is not on public display. Might be hiding in a hangar somewhere…
By: dodrums - 16th July 2004 at 10:23
Did someone mention a Dan-Air Comet? (East Fortune last week)
What PL didn’t say about hte Comet at East Fortune is:
‘G-BDIX’ was initially built for RAF Transport Command as Comet C.4 XR399. Retired from RAF service as their last passenger-carrying Comet in 1975, the aircraft was sold on to Dan Air London who retired the aircraft in 1980. It was the last Comet to fly in commercial colours when it flew from Lasham, Hampshire to East Fortune in September 1981.
from the Museum of Flight website
By: Papa Lima - 16th July 2004 at 09:47
Pablo, no offence meant, but any mention of the 707 in this context is bound to bring out the Comet apologists (myself included) in force! Sorry if we overreacted!
By: Pablo - 16th July 2004 at 09:40
The Comet was before the 707 yes.
But the 707 didn’t have a habit of tearing itself apart in cruise. The comet didn’t do nearly as much for the aviation world as the 707 did, sadly.
My only reason for posting this, which is clearly a Boeing press release, was to indicate the contribution which the company has made to the development of commercial aviation notwithstanding the Comet’s place in history.
By: Papa Lima - 16th July 2004 at 08:51
I didn’t see the one at Linköping on our recent visit, Sonnenflieger, where are they hiding it? Must find it on the next trip!
By: Sonnenflieger - 16th July 2004 at 08:41
Ah yes, the Caravelle was much loved by Swedes, as she was able to take you all away to sunnier climes (and cheaper booze!)
Skol och glad sommar, Sonnenflieger!
Indeed she was. The Caravelle was a familiar sight up here, originally operated by SAS and Finnair but also by Sterling, and in the 80s, Transwede. Sterling operated a total of over 30 Caravelle IV, 10B and Super 12 and didn’t stop until 1993. SAS only had Caravelle I/III’s (1959-1974), whereas Finnair started with Caravelle I/III and went on to Caravelle 10B, which they had until 1983. Transwede, the Swedish charter airline, began operations in 1985 with a 10B and kept operating several of them until 1991 or so.
Since then, Scandinavia is littered with Caravelles. Only here at Stockholm-Arlanda there are four of them – two ex-SAS, one ex-Air Force and one ex-Transwede. In Malmö, there is one ex-SAS, in Denmark there are several – one ex-SAS in a museum in Elsinore and several ex-Sterling in the dump at Copenhagen. Norway has the first Caravelle ever flown in passenger service, LN-KLH, at the Technical Museum in Oslo. There is also a former Swedish Air Force III (ex-SAS) at Linköping, belonging to the Swedish Air Force Museum.
Here are some links to La Belle Caravelle:
http://members.aol.com/fressech/plane/
http://www.applicsoft.net/se210/
http://www.airlinepostcard.com/caravelle.html
Enjoy! Now, I’ll get back to the world of 707s… and skål to you too, Papa Lima!
By: Bmused55 - 16th July 2004 at 07:45
I wasn’t having a dig at you, sorry if you took it the wrong way
well ok.
I still pretty fired up because of wys.
Lets move on 🙂
By: Grey Area - 16th July 2004 at 07:45
With all due respect, shut up!
Come on now – there’s no need to be rude to folk is there?
Perhaps this is what’s upsetting people rather than the content of your postings, hmm?
By: steve rowell - 16th July 2004 at 07:35
I wasn’t having a dig at you, sorry if you took it the wrong way
By: Bmused55 - 16th July 2004 at 07:31
frankly I’m getting a little angry with everyone taking a dig at me. My Original reply to this thread is historically accurate. Yet you redicule it.
Don’t like it? Ignore it!
By: steve rowell - 16th July 2004 at 07:29
Thanks for the straight forward reply, i didn’t think you were that shallow
By: Bmused55 - 16th July 2004 at 07:25
With all due respect Sandy, what a silly statement to make
In any new field of human endeavor, it is often those who blaze a trail into previously unknown realms who suffer the consequences of their pioneering efforts. Nowhere was this more true than with the development of the world’s first jetliner, the de Havilland Comet, the Comet was the foreunner of jet transports and no doubt Boeing and Douglas benefited from the Comets flaws when designing their own jet transports
With all due respect, shut up!
If you would bother to read my other replies, you’ll see what I’m getting at.
By: steve rowell - 16th July 2004 at 05:53
The Comet was before the 707 yes.
But the 707 didn’t have a habit of tearing itself apart in cruise. The comet didn’t do nearly as much for the aviation world as the 707 did, sadly.
With all due respect Sandy, what a silly statement to make
In any new field of human endeavor, it is often those who blaze a trail into previously unknown realms who suffer the consequences of their pioneering efforts. Nowhere was this more true than with the development of the world’s first jetliner, the de Havilland Comet, the Comet was the foreunner of jet transports and no doubt Boeing and Douglas benefited from the Comets flaws when designing their own jet transports
By: John Boyle - 15th July 2004 at 21:00
No, not the B747 – the B47 Stratojet.
Mentioning the B-47….and the rare aircrafts “firsts” that became successful, one of my favorite writers, Bill Gunston, praised the B-47 for being not only the first operational US (and perhaps the world’s) swept wing jet bomber, but also being very successful operationally and commercially (for Boeing…and Lockheed and Douglas).
And another “First” that became a production and operational success…the Bell 47, The world’s first certified helicopter. Thousands produced in 4 countries until 1973.
By: Papa Lima - 15th July 2004 at 20:28
Ah yes, the Caravelle was much loved by Swedes, as she was able to take you all away to sunnier climes (and cheaper booze!)
Skol och glad sommar, Sonnenflieger!
By: Sonnenflieger - 15th July 2004 at 20:16
Great thread, people! 🙂
By: Papa Lima - 15th July 2004 at 20:09
This is a much shorter version of the text I use for reference and printed out in 1999 – the website I used then is defunct now, more’s the pity.
http://aatlse.free.fr/us/collection/caravelle/caravelle_us.htm
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July 15, 2004 at 3:05 pm