Boeing history. How it works. Boeing aircraft manufacturing

Boeing is not only the legendary “humpbacked” 747, the one that was blown up by Bruce Willis in the film “Die Hard 2” ...

... but also, in addition to civil aviation: military helicopters, fighters, cruise missiles, spacecraft, launch vehicles, satellite systems and many other high-tech developments, but ... first things first.

The Boeing Company today

Leadership: facts and figures

• presenter aerospace corporation in the world;
• The world's largest manufacturer of passenger aircraft;
• World leader in space launch, guided space flight and missile defense;
• One of the largest US exporters based on sales volumes;
• Customers and clients of the company are located in more than 145 countries of the world;
• The staff of all divisions of the Boeing Corporation is more than 170,000 employees in 70 countries of the world:
• Production facilities (factories) are located in 67 countries around the world;
• The Boeing Company cooperates with more than 5200 suppliers in 100 countries
• Market capitalization of the company - more than 60 billion dollars;
• The company's revenue according to the crisis year of 2008 is $60.9 billion, net profit is $2.7 billion.
• To date, over 12,000 civil aircraft manufactured by Boeing, which is about 75-80% of the entire world fleet.

Activity of the company

The company is headquartered in Chicago (Illinois, USA). President and Chairman of the Board of Directors - James McNerney.

The Boeing Company specializes in the production of a wide range of civil and military aviation, aerospace equipment: it develops and produces modern information systems, communication systems, electronic and defense systems, missiles, military helicopters, satellites, and provides a range of services in the field of support and after-sales service for aircraft. And yes, Boeing is cooperating with NASA, in particular, it is engaged in servicing the International Space Station (ISS).

The structure of the corporation consists of 2 main divisions:

• Boeing Commercial Airplanes - civil aviation;
• Integrated Defense Systems - military and space programs.

And 3 more child structures:

• Boeing Capital Corporation - financing;
• Shared Services Group - support, infrastructure, maintenance;
• Boeing Engineering, Operations & Technology - development and implementation of innovative technologies.

Boeing history

First steps towards the sky

Founding father - William Boeing

William Boeing was born in 1881 in the family of an American and a successful German mining engineer. William followed in his father's footsteps by enrolling at Yale University as an engineer but never graduated.

In 1903, his father died, leaving the logging business to the 22-year-old heir. The beginning of the 20th century - the United States is experiencing rapid growth, the timber trade is the most profitable business in the country, second only to gold mining (which confirms). Together with the country's economy, William's capital grew at a rapid pace, but ... let's go back to 1903 again.

Passion for aviation

In addition to the departure of William Boeing from the university, another equally significant event in the history of aviation took place. The Wright brothers, on the beach of North Carolina, made the first-ever controlled flight in their aircraft.

Not just an interest, but a real passion for aviation, Boeing woke up after an exhibition in Seattle in 1909, where he saw a small airship. A couple of months later, Charles Hamilton made a demonstration flight in a Curtiss Reims Racer in Georgetown. William could not miss this event, he was fired up with the desire to fly.

First flight

Sharing a passion for bridge, he meets Conrad Westervelt, Lieutenant navy, and at the same time an ardent admirer of airplanes. In 1915, he managed to fulfill his dream. Two friends tracked down the one who agreed to lift them into the air, Tyra Maroni became the pilot. Stepping on the ground after the flight, William was imbued with a firm intention: to learn to fly and become the owner of his own aircraft.

The teacher (Glenn Martin) found himself in Los Angeles, where the future aviator purposefully went, returned to Seattle Boeing on his own seaplane. Landing, William damaged the floats, and since the planes were very rare at that time, spare parts had to wait for several months.

Birth of Pacific Aero Club

Enthusiast friends decided to take matters into their own hands and start manufacturing aircraft parts on their own. At the same time, they converted an old boatyard located on the shore of the lake into a hangar, on its basis they created their own Pacific Aero Club - they offered everyone who wanted to travel by air on a commercial basis.

B&W - the first aircraft of its own production

Deficiencies in the design of their hydroplane prompted William Boeing and Kondrat Westervelt to create their own aircraft. The partners hired self-taught engineer Herb Munter. In the summer of 1916, 2 models of the B&W aircraft (named after the initials of the customers) were ready. Made from canvas, wood and wire, they were named Bluebill and Mallard. Engine power reached 125 horsepower, which made it possible to overcome up to 500 kilometers at a cruising speed of 109 km / h.

The day of the test flight came - the pilot is late, everyone is nervous, but most of all - William. Unable to stand it, he starts the engine, picks up speed and flies over the surface of the water of the lake ...

Boeing Airplane Company and World War I

A month later, Pacific Aero Products was registered to organize the mass production of aircraft. However, despite the enthusiasm of the creators, their offspring did not have commercial success - the company suffered losses, which were covered at personal expense.

In 1917, the United States entered the First world war. Boeing's partner, Westervelt, being a military sailor, was seconded to the east of the country. As for William, he renames the firm to boeing air plane Company, invests in the enterprise a colossal amount for those times - $ 100 thousand, and begins to develop a new model "C".

Soon, a major client was found that brought in 116 thousand dollars in revenue - the US Navy and Army, which placed an order for 56 aircraft for the study and training of military pilots.

In order to fulfill the order, it was necessary to expand production: by the end of 1917, the number of employees increased to 337 people, 2/3 of them were seamstresses who cut and sewed canvas wings.

1918, the signing of peace with Germany, as a result - the termination of military contracts. The company is on the verge of bankruptcy, it is forced to change its profile: it produces boats, furniture, etc. But there were also pleasant moments: in 1919, the New Zealand Post bought B&W aircraft, paying $ 3,750 for each. Despite the difficulties, the engineers of the Boeing Airplane Company continued their work in the field of aviation.

The fuselage of the future aircraft is brought to the plant, and after nine days the finished winged machine leaves the workshop - right to picturesque lake Washington. We are at the Boeing plant in Renton, USA. These workshops are home to the 737 family, the world's most popular narrow-body aircraft. It was here that they did it for Belavia. TUT.BY report - from where airplanes are born.

Rooting for the Sea Hawks here

Around Seattle, which stands on the Pacific Bay, there are several factories of the Boeing Corporation at once. The largest of them is in the city of Everett, the smaller one is in Renton. We are in the second. It is from here that the Boeing 737-800 comes from, which are already flying in Belarus, and those that are still going to buy.

Representative of Boeing Adam Tischler meets at the entrance to the factory and explains: not everything can be filmed. Most of all, the Boeing 737-MAX is protected from prying eyes (or rather, lenses) - this modification of the 737 will be officially presented next year.

The plant has two huge final assembly shops. So far, one has been used under the MAX program, and the second was able to fit two aircraft production lines at once.

An airplane spreading its wings is depicted on the doors of a huge workshop.

“A competition is organized at the plant, and employees choose the picture that will be hung on the gate,” says Adam Tishler. “Almost always it’s a plane that we make, but sometimes we hang flags and emblems of the American football club here. If you suddenly see an emblem in the form of a hawk on people's clothes here, don't be surprised. We patronize the Seattle Seahawks team (English Seattle Seahawks translates as "Seattle Seahawks." - TUT.BY), here many are rooting for them.

But we get to the plant not through these huge gates, but through the main entrance and foyer. The tour begins already with photographs in the lobby: in one picture, a view of the Boeing workshops in the past, in the second - now. Since the late nineties, the plant has been operating a lean manufacturing system.

- This is how the 737th aircraft was produced before. Everything in the shop was mixed... When it was necessary to move the plane, it took a lot of time, and stopped production near it. Then we decided to radically change the production system. Now everything is different in the workshops: the planes are moving along the line, the logistics are very well thought out. This saves a lot of time.

Adam leads us to the second level of the workshop, the planes are shown from the balcony. At this time, he honestly instructs us, the guests, how to behave in the event of a natural disaster, if it suddenly finds itself right here.

From the balconies you can get into the offices of engineers, plant management. They were deliberately raised higher so that the entire first level could be used for actual production. Here the corridors to the offices diverge, signs with funny pointers are visible. If you believe them - somewhere around the corner of Cairo and Nairobi. They explain to us that there are a lot of rooms and, in order to make it easier to remember, they were given the names of cities, lakes, mountains ...

Every 1.7 seconds a Boeing 737 takes off or lands in the world

• All models of the 737 family together are the best-selling civil jet aircraft in history.
• Approximately 6,480 737s (early 737s, Classic and Next-Generation) are in service today, a quarter of the world's fleet of large civil aircraft.
• More than 480 airlines in 127 countries operate the Boeing 737.

On average, there are more than 2,400 Boeing 737s in the sky at any given time. Such an aircraft takes off or lands in the world every 1.7 seconds.

• The total flight time of the 737 family aircraft is more than 299 million hours. How many hours would one plane fly if it flew 34,202 years without stopping.

From wire installation to test flight

The Renton plant is a large assembly facility. Fuselages and winglets for future Boeings are being brought from other regions of the United States. Elevators and some other parts are made in China and Korea. Engines are in France.

Wings for 737 are produced here, right at this plant.

Adam Tischler explains in detail how the plane is built step by step. First, the fuselage of the aircraft is brought to the shop. By the way, they are working on several fuselages at once. The "body" of the future aircraft is being lifted - the work is going on at a height. So Boeing frees again useful place at the bottom for other features.

In the first three days, the fuselages are filled with complex wire systems - their total length is almost 70 kilometers.

- All the tools needed by mechanics are in special boxes. As in the operating room, when the doctor says “tampon, scalpel,” so here the mechanic says “screwdriver, wrench,” Adam Tischler describes the process. “They raise the necessary tools for him. It is important that the mechanic does not go to the warehouse for some tool, does not look for them. This approach greatly speeds up the production process, eliminating inefficient movements.

On the fourth day, the future plane is lowered "from heaven to earth." The most difficult operation begins - attaching the wing, then the landing gear. Then the Boeings line up, the one in front is more ready. Aircraft are transported to a new position at night. A line with the necessary devices and tools also moves along the line with aircraft.

- Here in this position the plane has already passed through five cycles. They are testing the chassis, electricity, - Adam Tishler points to one of the Boeings.

We walk along the balcony just along the production line. On each important segment of the path that the plane passes, there are lights. In some places the lights are red, in some places they are green.

- If the flashlight turns purple, it means that the help of a specialist is needed. The yellow light is on - the problem is not very serious, which can be solved by the supervisor, the green color means everything is fine, - explains the Boeing representative.

- What about red?

Red calls for caution. This is a message that there is electricity on the plane and in general you are near the area where it is carried out.

It takes 9-10 days to assemble the plane. There are two production lines in this workshop, now Boeing makes 42 aircraft a month on them. In 2018, they plan to increase the volumes - due to the work of the third line, the place for which has been vacated. They plan to first make 47 aircraft in a month, and 57 in 2019.

About 12,000 people work in Renton, including office workers, builders and engineers. By the way, the delivery of the aircraft for the Belavia airline was filmed by representatives of the Boeing television - colleagues said that their audience was 80 thousand employees of the plant.

- And how many people are working on the construction of one aircraft?

“We don't disclose that figure,” Adam replies. — The fact is that in our production system we have an advantage over competitors.

“This is such an “old school” production against the backdrop of high technology,” Adam Tishler laughs, looking down.

We also lower our eyes. Directly in front of the balcony we are walking on, there is a table with a sewing machine. A woman sews airplane mats.

TO When the plane is ready, it is tested. The first B1 test is a flight performed by Boeing pilots. Specialists check how the systems work, whether everything is debugged. After the first test flight, the aircraft is sent for painting. They either paint here (there are two paint hangars in Renton) or at a plant in Seattle (there are four special hangars). They say it takes 189 liters of paint to paint one 737. After drying, the weight of the paint on one plane is about 113 kilograms.

- After painting - C1 flight, when the customer flies himself and checks if everything is in order with the plane. Southwest Airlines (the largest American low-cost airline. - TUT.BY) is a customer with whom relations have been developed so much that they themselves do not come here for the last test. Boeing does the test itself and releases the aircraft,” says Adam.

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Assemble the plane in two minutes.

The Boeing video shows the entire construction process in a very accelerated mode.

Customer Service Center. Choose seats for the aircraft and land on the Boeing-787 runway

In order for your aircraft to one day leave the factory floor ready for, say, picturesque Lake Washington, there is a lot of preliminary work with customers. At the customer service center located near Seattle, you can select and order a specific aircraft.

“Compared to relationships, this is the part when certainty sets in and you not only fall in love, but also enter into a legal marriage,” a Boeing representative explains working moments using metaphors. Jim Pru. - These relations are extended for 10, 20, 30 years.

Boeing experts say that often, after a long operation and numerous improvements, airlines are re-equipped passenger aircraft into trucks.

“There are planes that we stopped making thirty years ago, and they still fly,” says Jim.

Because of a large number Boeing aircraft service centers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in many parts of the world.

“The life cycle of an aircraft is not easy - they came and bought a plane,” says Jim.

The Boeing Customer Service Center has huge rooms that seem almost empty. But everything is not so simple. Behind walls with similar inscriptions, as in this photo, are mock-ups of aircraft cabins. The customer can walk through the salon, which is "exactly the same", as in the present aircraft, and choose the desired interior, up to the upholstery of the chairs.
The representative of "Boeing" conducts a tour of the interior layout.
This is the standard equipment for the Boeing 737-800 cabin, which was ordered by the Belavia airline.
Business class is like that. An offer for customers on the business class of the Boeing 747 aircraft, which has a two-story cabin.
On the second floor of the business class of the Boeing 747 aircraft.

- Prepare aircraft for regular transportation means to train all your crews, including pilots and personnel who serve passengers in the cabin. Get all the operating instructions, all the necessary spare parts that you will need in the first phase of operating the aircraft, Jim explains. — And when you start to operate the aircraft, you should not just follow the instructions. It is necessary to analyze, constantly analyze the situation, use different computer programs to improve flight efficiency.

Here they remind: the industry itself is changing.

- Traditionally, if something happens on the plane, some kind of breakdown - the pilot makes a note, after landing he passes his note to the technical staff, who understands what happened to the plane. The technical staff is already deciding: to fix it right away, or it can wait until the evening, or even until the next big technical repair. Are the right parts available, are there the right personnel? In this case, the passenger suffers, there is a delay in flights.

Today, says Jim Proulx, there is a very different system at work.

- When there is some kind of error on the plane, the computer transmits to the ground what is happening, and already on the ground people decide what to do with this problem. Even before the plane has landed, the necessary spare parts are ordered, people are found who can install them. At the same time, the plane does not get out of the schedule. Now the planes are so "smart" that the pilots and technical staff are not included in the process - the problems that have arisen are solved by computers and ground services.

But to think that because of this technical progress the pilots on board have nothing to do - a big mistake. As if trying to show us this in action, Jim Prow ends his tour near the flight simulator.

- There are volunteers ready to land on runway 787th?

The American Boeing Corporation is a world leader aviation industry, the largest aircraft manufacturer, the main contractor in the construction of the International Space Station. Most of of the world fleet is made by Boeing.

The Boeing Corporation has long established itself as the world leader in the aviation industry, the largest manufacturer of civil and military aircraft, and the main American contractor in the construction of the international space station.

More than 12,000 civil Boeing aircraft are operated in the world, or approximately 75% of the world's aircraft fleet.

Dreams of the sky

William Edward Boeing was born in 1881 in Detroit (Michigan). His father was a successful timber trader and made a fortune in this business. The boy grew up in prosperity, and after graduating from school in Switzerland, he went to study as an engineer at the prestigious Yale University.

After the death of his father, William left a considerable legacy, he dropped out of university and opened his own sawmill in the town of Grace Harbor (Washington). Things were going well at the sawmill, and in 1908 Boeing finally settled in the city of Seattle on pacific coast USA.

From a young age, William was fond of racing boats and playing bridge. At the gaming table, he met Lieutenant of the Navy Conrad Westervelt, an ardent admirer of the recently appeared airplanes (in 1903, the world's first flight of the Wright brothers took place).

On the advice of Westervelt, Boeing went to see the then-famous pilot Charles Hamilton fly. Seeing an airplane in the air, William had a burning desire to fly himself.

But another five years passed before the friends managed to find a pilot who agreed to take them into the air. The long-awaited flight took place on July 4, 1915. The pilot's name was Tira Maroni, and a passenger seat on his small biplane could only be found on the wing. On a two-seat Maroni airplane, Boeing took to the air for the first time, and upon landing, he already knew for sure that he needed his own plane.

Boeing went to Los Angeles to study aircraft piloting with Glenn Martin, the unsurpassed authority of those years. From Los Angeles, he returned on his own seaplane, bought from his mentor. His first flight almost ended tragically - he made a mistake during landing and badly damaged the pontoons. If his plane had not been a hydroplane, this mistake could have cost William his life.

Do-it-yourself airplane

Planes were a rarity then, and the delivery of new floats from Los Angeles had to wait several months. Therefore, Boeing, together with Westervelt, began to manufacture spare parts for their aircraft on their own. It was then that the friends decided to build their own plane.

On the shores of Lake Union, Boeing converted an old boatyard into an aircraft hangar. The shipyard was called simply - "Red Barn" and William renamed it the Pacific Aero Club (Pacific Aero Club) and began to lift everyone into the sky for a fee.

The design of the seaplane did not suit Boeing, and William decided to improve it. Together with Westervelt, they found a self-taught engineer experimenting with airplanes in his barn near Seattle, on the island of Duhemish.

He helped develop the design of the new aircraft (named B&W after the first letters of the names of the customers) and built the first two aircraft, which were named Bluebill and Mallard. The 125-horsepower Hall-Scott A5 engine allowed the aircraft to fly at a cruising speed of 109 km/h for a range of up to 500 km.

Boeing and Westervelt were delighted with their aircraft and, specifically for their release on July 15, 1916, they founded Pacific Aero Products. But hydroplanes were not commercially successful. It wasn't until 1919 that the New Zealand Postal Service bought them for $3,750 for each B&W. Boeing covered the company's losses out of his own pocket and began work on an aircraft called the Model C.

Just at this time, in 1917, the United States entered the First World War. The Westervelt sailor was seconded far to the east of the country, and in May 1917 Boeing renamed the company the Boeing Airplane Company. Boeing invested almost $100,000 in this company, a huge amount of money at the time.

William's efforts were not in vain, and Boeing received an order for 53 Model C aircraft for the navy and three for the army. No important missions were carried out on the Model C, the military used them as training aircraft. But this contract brought Boeing $116,000.

To build these 53 aircraft, Boeing had to urgently expand production. By the end of the year, the company employed 337 people, two-thirds of whom were seamstresses cutting and sewing canvas wings.

The peace with Germany concluded in November 1918 and the resulting termination of military contracts almost led the Boeing Airplane Company to bankruptcy. For three years, the company's bills were paid out of the pocket of Boeing itself, as well as through the production of furniture and the construction of speed boats.

Despite all the difficulties, the engineers of the Boeing Airplane Company continued to develop aircraft, for which a wind tunnel was built at the University of Seattle in 1920. In the early 1920s, military orders resumed, and five years later, Boeing built more than 200 aircraft for the American army and navy.

heavenly mail

In March 1919, William Boeing, together with the famous pilot Eddie Hubbard, transported the first air mail in US history from Vancouver to Seattle - 60 letters. Two months later, the U.S. Post Office officially announced the provision of a new type of service and began delivering airmail between major cities in the United States.

In 1927, Boeing released a new Model 40A utility aircraft specifically for the US Post Office's competition to service the San Francisco-Chicago line. This biplane developed cruising speed 170 km / h and could carry two passengers and 500 kg of cargo for a distance of up to 1050 km.

William Boeing won the tender by offering the lowest price, $1.50 per 450g of mail. To serve this line, he created a subsidiary of the Boeing Air Transport Corporation (BATC).

The airline opened by William Boeing was very popular, although to fly 3000 km between Chicago and San Francisco, passengers of the Model 40A biplane spent 20 hours in a cabin the size of a refrigerator. And this space was designed for two people. It was possible to stretch the legs only on a few intermediate landings.

Nevertheless, aircraft Boeing interested in Canada and Peru. The company began to receive international orders. During the first year of its existence, BATS transported about 75 tons of mail and 2,000 passengers.

Air cabs

The successful experience of air transportation led Boeing to the idea that the future of aviation lies precisely in passenger aircraft. The very next year, his company released the "Model 80", capable of carrying 12 passengers. The plane had a luxurious interior and, by analogy with a railway car, was nicknamed "air pullman". To attract more more passengers, Boeing for the first time introduced flight attendants into the crew.

In 1927, William Boeing made its first major corporate takeover by purchasing Gorst's Pacific Air Transport, its main competitor.

In 1929, Boeing signed an agreement with aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney to form the United Aircraft and Transport Corporation. The secret of the power of this monopoly was simple: it was the first and received very cheap Boeing aircraft. A year later, United Aircraft and Transport took over all mail traffic in the northern part of the United States.

In the meantime, using the financial power of United Aircraft and Transport, Boeing in a short time added to its empire the air transport companies Hamilton and Standard, Chance-Vought and the Sikorsky helicopter company.

The company assembled aircraft, built airfields, produced engines and propellers, trained pilots and aircraft technicians, and provided air transport services. The Boeing Corporation has become a powerful aircraft and transport empire, and its head is one of the richest businessmen in America.

The collapse of the monopoly

Nothing foreshadowed problems, but in 1932 Franklin Roosevelt became president, who won the election under the slogan of fighting monopolies. In order to prevent autocracy in the air transport sector, the US Parliament passed a law in 1934 that destroyed the Boeing empire. new document forbade aircraft manufacturing firms to simultaneously be owners of both transport and postal companies.

William Boeing was accused in Senate hearings of "using monopoly business practices." His empire was divided into several independent firms, the largest of which were the aircraft manufacturer Boeing and United Air Lines.

Now aviation has become as boring for William Boeing as the timber trade he abandoned earlier. Boeing could not recover from the blow for a long time - everything that was created with such difficulty was destroyed with one stroke of the pen.

He handed over the reins of government to friends and colleagues - Philip Johnson and Claremont Egtvedt. Not at all caring about financial gain, he sold his stake in Boeing in the same 1934, but still the company retained his name.

Having parted ways with aviation, the 54-year-old Boeing plunged headlong into breeding thoroughbred horses, his newest of invariably successful adventures. Having become one of the largest horse breeders in America, he returned to aviation only in his memoirs, published shortly before his death in 1956.

Life without Boeing

After the change of ownership, Boeing directed all its efforts to the development of new aircraft models. A year later, the Kaydet fighter was born, which became the main training aircraft for US aviation. More than 10,000 of these machines were built.

In 1936, Boeing entered into a contract with Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) and became its main partner for many years. In June 1938, the Boeing 314 Clipper was created, a seaplane designed specifically for transatlantic transportation. This aircraft could carry 90 passengers.

In 1938, the 307 Stratoliner passenger model appeared, which became the model aircraft for passenger lines for the next decade. At the same time, the B-17 and B-29 bombers were developed, as well as the XPBB-1 Sea Ranger naval bomber.

During World War II, Boeing became the largest manufacturer of military aircraft in the world. At its facilities, not only B-17 and B-29 were assembled, but also aircraft developed by competitors - Douglas DC-7B attack aircraft. Air Fleet Allies, which dropped thousands of tons of bombs on Germany at the end of the war, was almost completely assembled at Boeing factories.

And 1944 entered the history of the company under the name "Battle of Kansas". This year, the Wichita assembly plant broke every conceivable performance record. Working in emergency mode, the plant produced up to 16 aircraft per day - a record that has not been surpassed so far.

Falls and ups

With the end of the war, orders also stopped, and hard times began again for Boeing. In 1946, the company had to lay off 70,000 people. William Allen, who took over as CEO, was forced to urgently look for ways out of the crisis.

The company began work on new passenger aircraft, presented models of new bombers to the US government, and for the first time engaged in the production of ballistic missiles and surface-to-air interceptor missiles.

Under Allen's leadership, the company began to produce the legendary "flying fortress" B-52, aerial tankers KS-135 and the first American jet passenger aircraft model 707.

In 1954, Boeing launched its most famous series of aircraft, the so-called "sevens", which determined the face of modern aviation. In 1958, Boeing delivered three Boeing 707s to the President of the United States, which received their callsign Air force one(Board number one). Since then, all over the world, aircraft of the first persons of states have been flying under this name.

Most current airlines are equipped with Boeing 737 models, humpback Boeing 747s or long haul Boeing 767s. The Boeing 737 is the most popular jet airliner in the world. The most massive aircraft in the history of aviation has come off so far in terms of performance that no one can catch up with it: about 7,500 pieces of this reliable “middle peasant” have been produced for the entire time, and another 2,500 orders are in progress.

The humpbacked Boeing-747 held the palm in terms of dimensions for almost 35 years, only recently the giant A-380 managed to overtake it. Pilots around the world respectfully refer to the 747 as Queen of the Sky, and it's an unspoken international name justified, because 6 million parts (!) that make up the "Queen of Heaven" are produced in 33 countries around the world.

In 1960, the Boeing Corporation began to develop the space industry. The first designs for the Dyna-Soar manned orbital station and the Saturn V launch vehicle for the Apollo program have emerged.

In 1963, NASA chose Boeing to fly into lunar orbit and photograph the lunar surface from close range. This project was implemented in 1966, and in 1969 the Apollo 11 spacecraft, launched into orbit using the Saturn carrier, delivered astronauts to the moon.

In the 1990s Boeing has made two grandiose corporate acquisitions. In 1996, Rockwell, the developer of the famous "space shuttles", was bought, and in 1997 - McDonnell Douglas, the only American manufacturer of civil aircraft that competed with Boeing for many years. After this transaction, Boeing's leadership was strengthened by replenishing the model range with Douglas aircraft.

Now the staff of the Boeing Corporation has approximately 170 thousand people. They operate in 67 countries and 48 US states. The company serves customers in 145 countries around the world. In the second quarter of 2013, Boeing delivered 169 aircraft to its customers, and in the first half of the year - 306 aircraft, or an average of 51 aircraft per month.

The corporation's revenue amounted to $24.3 billion, excluding military and space revenues, which brought in another $16.3 billion. The net profit of the American manufacturer in the first half of 2013 amounted to $2.2 billion.

The largest plant in the world is located near the city of Seattle, Washington, in the northwestern United States. This Boeing Everett Factory, assembly shop worldwide famous company for the production of aircraft. Boeing EverettFactory is known not only for being the largest factory on the planet - at the same time it is the building with the largest amount of usable space in the world.

This ratio is achieved by the fact that the racks in the warehouse of the plant were installed in a special way throughout the entire workshop. Due to their ergonomic location, they do not interfere with aircraft assembly. According to 2010 data, more than 72 thousand employees are involved in the work of the enterprise.

The total volume of the building exceeds 13,385,378 cubic meters, but, despite this impressive figure, the area of ​​​​the territory occupied by the construction is slightly larger than the average area of ​​the world's largest shopping centers.

The plant did not immediately reach such an impressive size. Since the construction in 1968, the plant has been significantly expanded twice - in 1980 and 1993. Even before the end of construction, tours began to be held at the plant. At first, visits to the plant took place unofficially, but, convinced of the success of the undertaking, since 1968, the company's management set excursion tours on a commercial basis.

During the first six months, 13,000 people visited the plant. The plant has not lost popularity among tourists even during the years of the economic crisis of the seventies and to this day is one of the main attractions of the state of Washington. In the 80s, a tourist center, a theater and a museum were created on the territory of the plant. The tourist center was radically rebuilt in 2005.

It is in this workshop that the most popular models of Boeing 747, 767, 777 passenger aircraft are assembled, as well as the latest development of the company - the Dreamliner aircraft, also known under the number 787. In the period from 1967 to 2009, more than 1,400 famous Boeing 747 liners left the factory gates. .Veterans Issue passenger aviation continues to this day.

In 1903, an important event in the history of world aviation took place in the United States: on Kitty Hawk Beach in North Carolina, an airplane Wright brothers committed first ever flight. Meanwhile in New Haven, Connecticut, the 22-year-old the future founder of the corporation, left the walls of Yale University and decided to take up business.

From the university, William Boeing headed "into the thicket of the forest." At the beginning of the 20th century, the timber trade was the second most profitable business in the United States after gold mining. Timber trade allowed William Boeing to quickly make a decent fortune, and in 1909 he was already one of the most respected citizens of Seattle. At the end of 1909, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific trade show was held in Seattle, during which the inhabitants of the west coast saw for the first time a flying machine - a small airship.
It was then that William Boeing realized that his heart belonged to aviation. When a few months later, in the nearby town of Georgetown, demonstration flights took place on the new Curtiss Reims Racer airplane of the famous American aviation pioneer Charles Hamilton, Boeing specially went to see him perform. Hamilton's flights ended in an accident - on March 13, 1910, Hamilton's airplane crashed into a pond. The pilot did not die only by a miracle. What he saw did not cool the ardor of William Boeing, and he spent the next few years persuading one of the aviators to take him on a flight.

The dream remained unfulfilled until 1915, when fate brought Boeing with kindred spirits - enthusiasts air flights Fleet Lieutenant Konrad Westervelt and Pilot Tyra Maroni. On a two-seat Maroni airplane, Boeing took to the air for the first time, and upon landing, he already knew for sure that he needed his own plane.
Boeing went to Los Angeles to study aircraft piloting with Glenn Martin, the unsurpassed authority of those years. He returned from Los Angeles in his own seaplane.

On the shores of Lake Union, Boeing rebuilt an old boathouse for aircraft and organized pacific Aero Club, which gave everyone the opportunity to take a ride on an airplane for little money. The design of Martin's hydroplane did not suit Boeing, and William decided to create his own aircraft. Together with Westervelt, they found the self-taught engineer Herb Munter, who was experimenting with airplanes in his barn near Seattle, on the island of Duhemish. He helped design new seaplane (named B&W after the first letters of the names of customers) and built the first two aircraft. On July 15, 1916, William Boeing took to the air for the first time in his plane, and just a month later he registered a corporation. Pacific Aero Products Co.(later the company was renamed Boeing Airplane), which was supposed to build seaplanes for the US Navy. Boeing invested almost $ 100,000 in this company - gigantic money at that time.

Thanks to the strategy of diversification of production Boeing Airplane mastered postage market. And in 1927, having won the contract of the US Federal Post Office (the model 40-A aircraft won), he became the world's first air mail carrier. To implement the project of postal and other transportation, the head of the company created the first service division - Boeing Air Transport. The first San Francisco-Chicago air transport route also began to function. But even this was not enough for the innovator. In 1929, a new three-engine aircraft took to the skies models 80As for 12 passengers. Flight attendants boarded the plane for the first time. In 1930, William Boeing presented a utility vehicle to the public. Monomail(the streamlining of its forms resembles modern "Boeings").

Soon Boeing Airplane Company evolved into Boeing Airplane & Transport Corporation. New divisions also appeared: Boeing School of Aeronautics in Oakland, Boeing Aircraft of Canada, etc. The company assembled aircraft, built airfields, produced engines and propellers, trained pilots and aircraft technicians, and provided air transport services. And on February 1, 1929, a real colossus was born - United Aircraft & Transport Corporation. The Boeing Corporation has become a powerful aircraft and transport empire, and its head is one of the richest and most successful businessmen in America.
In order to prevent autocracy in the air transport sector, the US Parliament passed a law in 1934 that destroyed the Boeing empire. The new document forbade aircraft manufacturing firms to simultaneously be owners of both transport and postal companies. The huge holding broke up into:

• United Air Lines (air transportation)
• United Aircraft;
• Boeing Aircraft Company (construction of aircraft in the eastern and west coast America).

William Boeing for a long time could not recover from the blow: everything that was created with such difficulty was destroyed with one stroke of the pen. Broken and tired, the tycoon retired, deciding to watch his aviation offspring from the sidelines. The reins of government were handed over to friends and colleagues - Philip Johnson and Claremont Egtvedt. However, the life of a rentier did not correspond to the restless nature of Boeing. At the age of 53, he opened a new business. Thoroughbred breeding horses became his new passion.

After 1934, the company directed all its efforts to the development of new aircraft models. In 1935, a fighter was born kaidet, became the main training aircraft of the US aviation. More than 10,000 of these machines were built. In 1936, she entered into a contract with the PanAmerican airline and for many years became its main partner. In 1938, the passenger model saw the light 307 Stratoliner, which became a model aircraft for passenger lines for the next 10 years. At the same time, the B-17 and B-29 bombers were developed, as well as the XPBB-1 Sea Ranger naval bomber.

During the Second World War, the company became the largest manufacturer of military aircraft in the world. At its facilities, not only B-17 and B-29 were assembled, but also aircraft developed by competitors - Douglas DC-7B attack aircraft. The Allied air fleet, which dropped thousands of tons of bombs on Germany at the end of the war, was almost completely assembled at the factories. The bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima is also the brainchild of 1944 entered the history of the company under the name "Battle of Kansas". This year, the Wichita assembly plant broke every conceivable performance record. Working in emergency mode, the plant produced up to 16 aircraft per day - a record that has not been broken so far.

After the war, orders dried up, and hard times began again. In 1946, the company had to lay off 70,000 people. William Allen, who took over as CEO, had to urgently look for ways out of the crisis. The company began work on new passenger aircraft, presented models of new bombers to the US government, and for the first time engaged in the production of ballistic missiles and surface-to-air interceptor missiles. Under Allen's leadership, the company began to produce the legendary "flying fortresses" B-52, air tankers KS-135 and the first American jet passenger aircraft models 707.

In 1958, three 707-120 aircraft were purchased by the US Air Force for the President of the country and his inner circle. This convoy has been assigned callsigns air force one. Since then, in most countries of the world, the plane of the president of the country is called "flight number one."

In 1960, the corporation began to develop space direction. The first projects of a habitable orbital station appeared Dyna Soar and launch vehicles Saturn V, for the Apollo program. In 1963, NASA chose to fly into lunar orbit and photograph the lunar surface at close range. This project was implemented in 1966, and in 1969 the Apollo 11 spacecraft, launched into orbit using the Saturn carrier, delivered astronauts to the moon.

In 1967, the liner went on its first flight 737, which was destined to become the best-selling aircraft of all time. Total number cars sold exceeded 2000 pieces. A year later, the world's largest passenger liner appeared on the scene. 747: its wingspan was greater than the extent of the first flight of the Wright brothers.

The streak of success was interrupted in 1970-1972, when, due to the curtailment of the state program for the development supersonic aircraft SST, the termination of the Apollo program and the beginning of the oil crisis. had to cut more than half of the jobs. Exactly then local authorities felt what it means for the economy of Seattle and the entire state of Washington. Thousands of unemployed people left the city, and the famous poster appeared on the highway leading to the center of the country: « If you're the last one to leave Seattle, - put out your light!» The new CEO, Thornton Wilson, had to lead the company out of another crisis.
As the oil crisis was overcome, the portfolio of orders was replenished, and the company's business went uphill again. Wilson coped with the task of restoring the company and handed it over to his successor, Frank Schronz, from whom the post of CEO passed to Philip Condit.
Under Condit, the corporation finally established itself as the world leader in the aviation industry, the largest manufacturer of civil and military aircraft, the main American contractor in the construction of the international space station, the number one company in the United States in terms of exports, a giant with annual sales reaching $ 60 billion. Under Condit, it made two grandiose corporate acquisitions: in 1996, Rockwell, the developer of the famous "space shuttles", was bought, and in 1997, McDonnell Douglas, the only American manufacturer of civilian aircraft, which for many years competed

At the turn of the millennium, the corporation again fell into the "zone of turbulence". In 2003, for the first time in history, it gave the first place among civil aircraft suppliers to the European concern Airbus. In the first half of 2003, a "spy" scandal broke out, during which she was accused of using the secrets of Locheed Martin; in addition, the company had to hear accusations of unethical lobbying of its interests in the US government. These scandals forced Phil Condit to first fire several members of the company's senior management, including CFO Mike Sears, whom many called the future CEO company, and then resign himself.
The company will now be run by a group of former McDonnell Douglas executives, with Harry Stonecifer, the former CEO of the acquired company, taking over as general manager. There's a joke in Seattle that " McDonnell Douglas buys Boeing with Boeing money».

Competitors claim that the leader of the world aviation industry has no new ideas. This is not entirely true: the company was preparing for a technological breakthrough by developing a model of the high-speed superliner Sonic Cruiser, but decided not to take risks with the withdrawal of a revolutionary aircraft and froze this project. The 7J7 liner, which was launched urgently into production, is by and large revolutionary only in terms of cabin ergonomics and external design, and as a response to the Airbus A380 superliner coming out in 2006, Superjumbo can only offer a modified version of the 747 model, which is on the verge of its fortieth anniversary.
The military division lost to Locheed Martin a tender for the development of a fifth-generation fighter, which is estimated at $ 200 billion. If the leadership does not urgently find a way out of the crisis, then the company, whose name has become a symbol of the success of world aviation, will have an unenviable future.