What is Boeing. Boeing history

Boeing factory Main building And adjoining territory

Boeing factory With airfield And infrastructure

Boeing plant in Seattle is in USA, in the city Everett, V 50 kilometers to North from the city Seattle, in state Washington. Boeing plant in Seattle is THE BIGGEST INDOOR placement in world And THE LARGEST BUILDING V World. Main area premises 60 hectares ! Quantity Boeing factory workers in Seattle – near 30 000 Human ! Factory running ROUND THE CLOCK And ALL YEAR ROUND. The performance of the Boeing plant in Seattle, 21 plane in MONTH, seven pieces of which , Boeing 747 is the most big plane from the Boeing family see article Boeing 747)! IN USA There is two aircraft factories the second is called "Magdonnel Douglas". Both of them are in sum produce about the same number of aircraft in MONTH, how much and European aviation concern Airbus - This 34-35 aircraft in MONTH!

Even input Boeing factory doors in Seattle astounding in scale. Their height 25 meters, width 15 meters. Every span comprises 6 sections. General length of the facade of the Boeing plant in Seattle, 4 kilometers ! Boeing plant in Seattle main quantity aircraft parts DOES NOT MANUFACTURE, A COLLECTS their TOGETHER into the finished product . Mounted first separate sections. Components aircraft arrive almost from all corners of the world and from all 50 states USA. For example, details supply countries like Japan, Italy, Uzbekistan, Türkiye And others In production Boeing 747 participate 670 SUPPLIERS. Boeing plant in Seattle available all types of transport. Boeing plant in Seattle purely ON ONE'S OWN manufactures , For example all WIRES, which the aircraft has. From days receipts first details this aircraft to the factory, to the day of delivery of the finished aircraft to the customer passes 4 months! Airbus Boeing 777 collected for 70 days!!!

Construction Boeing plant in Seattle started with site leveling. From the construction site of the plant was taken out 6 500 000 cubic meters soil. The construction site was plateau V 5 kilometers from railway And higher railroad and to connect them had to build a railway line with bias V 5,6 degrees . Another construction problem Boeing plant in Seattle became northwest weather coast USA. Since the railway line was under big slope, her eroded strong rain, and every time she had to pour again. A without this railway line NOT would Boeing plant in Seattle.

First the plane was released with more not completed factory ! First aircraft details arrived at the plant when it was built only on three quarters! Complete Boeing plant in Seattle was built in September 1968 year and left the gates of the factory first Boeing 747. IN Boeing 747, 5.5% details constitute non-metal products. They're in mostly go to stabilizer, 85% which consists of COMPOSITES. Composites much LIGHTER WEIGHT aircraft and accordingly increase efficiency aircraft. How less own weight aircraft, topics more he can carry payload! Aircraft wire length Boeing 747, 250 kilometers . Company Bila Boeing started working in 1916 year . She grew up mostly MILITARY account orders in the first And Second World war. IN 30s years Boeing FIRST started producing PASSENGER aircraft. IN 60s years began boom production REACTIVE liners.

In addition to the huge size Boeing plant in Seattle has other peculiarities in the building structure. For example, you can walk through the shops for a long time and not see no supporting columns. Roof spans make up dimensions 110 on 90 meters . Flights are made up of huge farms, and farms from high strength steel. Roof structure Boeing plant in Seattle must bear besides themselves, CRANES weighing in 40 tons , which in turn carry loads weighing before 40 tons , and also need take into account the weight of SNOW in winter. The number of such cranes on Boeing plant in Seattle - 18 pieces. Some components Boeing 747, such as central part fuselage, with wings transferred two cranes. Building Boeing plant in Seattle expanded when it appeared Boeing 767 V 1980 year . IN 1993 year added one more assembly line for Boeing 777. WITH 1968 year area main premises Boeing plant in Seattle increased by more than three - With 17 before 60 hectares .

Factory has a system underground tunnels. This is done in order to don't move by workshops multi-ton cargo And do not interfere with the production process. Width tunnels 6 meters, height 4.5 meters. Building The Boeing plant in Seattle is NOT HEATED. Some quantity heat the building receives from a huge amount lighting fixtures. A summer doors factory specially open For cooling workshops. Behind 2001 year Boeing plant in Seattle paid for electricity 22 000 000 dollars! Thanks to huge size on Boeing plant in Seattle new business type, about which in advance no one and didn't expect - TOURISM. Boeing plant in Seattle is one from most visited places in the state Washington. Summer every day factory visit before 12,000 tourists.

Main law work Boeing plant in Seattle DO NOT STOP all day long ! IN early 2000s years in production Boeing 747 started using MOVING ASSEMBLY LINE. Aircraft during assembly moving co speed 30 centimeters per hour , until it rolls out of the shop. On semi Near front landing gear marked time of day and the worker immediately sees if the plane didn't fit V right time To desired mark, it means he got out from graphic arts. TARGET innovations Boeing Factory in Seattle – REDUCE ASSEMBLY TIME aircraft on 20 days. Performance production rises on 25%.

Slogan: One destination. A world of solutions.

Perhaps the world's most famous manufacturer of aviation, military and space technology. But the corporation started Boeing from a tiny factory where small planes collected entirely by hand.

The history of the company began back in 1916, when the company was founded on July 15 The Pacific Aero Products Company, a year later renamed to Boeing Airplane Company. It was founded by William Boeing, who built a seaplane with the help of George Conrad Westervelt B&W. It was a fabric-lined wooden structure that nevertheless flew well.

The company especially distinguished itself in 1933, when the Boeing 247 passenger aircraft was developed. The model turned out to be reliable, simple and safe, although not without a number of shortcomings. It was a ten-seat twin-engine all-metal aircraft with retractable landing gear. Aircraft of this model were destined to discover sad statistics - October 10, 1933 on board one of them ( regular flight Chicago-Cleveland) there was an explosion. This was the first terrorist act in the history of aeronautics.

In June 1938, the Boeing 314 Clipper was created, a seaplane designed specifically for transatlantic transportation. This plane could carry 90 passengers. It was developed by order of the company pan am (Pan American World Airways). The time is gradually approaching when aircraft will completely replace ships in the business of passenger transatlantic transportation. In the same year, the company's all-weather aircraft appeared - the Model 307 Stratoliner "truck".

Like many other companies, during the Second World War, Boeing not only did not reduce production, but on the contrary - expanded it. That's just, instead of civil aviation, military aircraft were assembled at the factories, up to 350 pieces per month. Basically, these were B-17 bombers (known as the "Flying Fortress" - they were actively used for patrolling, bombing, and also to fight German submarines) and B-29 (these aircraft were used in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki).

After the end of the war, production had to be drastically reduced by closing factories and laying off staff. On the basis of the same B-29, a passenger aircraft was hastily created. However, since then, military orders have become commonplace for Boeing.

The further history of the company is the history of many successful and not so successful developments. Both military and civilian. Light stripes replaced dark ones, but in general, things are Boeing formed well. The company's developments were actively used in space projects, such as Apollo And space shuttle. In the period from the 60s to the 90s, such legendary aircraft models as the Boeing 737, 747, 757 ...

In 1997 Boeing takes over another manufacturer aviation technology Douglas Aircraft Company- its sworn competitor. What was immediately displayed in the logo, in which a “piece” from a competitor appeared.

Despite the constant competition from another aircraft manufacturer - Airbus, aircraft sales Boeing impress. Orders run into hundreds or even thousands of pieces. For example, on April 10, 2009, a significant event took place: the air carrier Air France, longtime partner Boeing purchased the 777th Boeing 777 twin-engine aircraft.

To date, the corporation includes two divisions. This Boeing Commercial Airplanes engaged in civil aviation and Integrated Defense Systems in charge of the military and space sectors. In addition to these, there are organizations such as Boeing Capital Corporation- financing issues, Shared Services Group- infrastructure support, and Boeing Engineering, Operations & Technology engaged in research, technology and their implementation.

The company's headquarters is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA (Chicago, Illinois, USA). The company's factories are scattered all over the world. The number of employees has already exceeded 150 thousand people. Aircraft production Boeing can be found in any more or less major airport worldwide.

People have dreamed of conquering the sky since ancient times, and there have always been daredevils in history who sacrificed their whole lives for the sake of this dream. Some considered them insane, but in the end, it was precisely such people that heaven obeyed. Speaking about the discoveries and developments related to the celestial spaces, one cannot help but recall and say about the Boeing company with its creator - William Boeing. If not for him, who knows what path aviation would take and would exist now in the form in which we are all used to. Boeing aircraft and equipment are used all over the world, any major airline considers it his duty to buy at least one unit of transport.

In addition, the company actively sponsors and develops third-party research related to space exploration, solving various air transport tasks, and improving military aircraft and fighters. Now it is a multibillion-dollar tycoon who has offices in various countries on almost all continents. The company's income is constantly growing, it has repeatedly broken various world records. Boeing is an example of how the dream of the sky turned into an unprecedented commercial success and a recognizable brand. But first things first.

Initially, the plane in the form in which we are now accustomed to seeing it was invented by the Wright brothers. In 1903, they flew a very impressive distance in their first aircraft. These people were innovators, before them engineers struggled with different models of gliders, not really worrying about control and safety. But the inventors went the other way. They spent more than one year, but in the end their work was crowned with success. The newspapers trumpeted it, as it was world wide news.

It coincided with graduation from William Boeing University. He studied, it is worth saying, he was good, but had nothing to do with aviation. And after graduation, he actively began to conduct business related to the timber trade. It was here that he made great fortune, which later became the initial capital for his life's work. Boeing was a respected man, an active businessman, purposeful and serious. But when he first saw an airship at a trade show in 1909, he fell in love with aviation and the sky.

Further, Boeing for some time hatched a plan of its own offspring, along the way closing the gaps in education. He went to exhibitions and demonstration flights. On one of them, the pilot miraculously did not die, but even this did not frighten, but only interested the businessman. He realized that his business should offer not just flights to the sky, but safe flights. This is how Boeing was born.

Further development of the corporation

We can say that the company began its official existence in 1905.

At the same time, Boeing met and became friends with flight enthusiasts Westervelt and Maroni. In parallel, Boeing himself learned to pilot.

Initially, Boeing was a hangar with airplanes, on which everyone could travel short distances. But the planes existing at that time did not suit the businessman. Finding enthusiasts, he began his development. Here are just a few of the many facts that are known about the firm at the time:

1. Boeing invested $100,000 in its brainchild, an astronomical sum by those standards, and its entire fortune.
2. Initially, the company established itself as the world's first mail carrier.
3. Only after a while was the first St. Francisco-Chicago air route created.
4. The first model of a passenger aircraft (for 12 persons) appeared in 1929.
5. In 1930, a heavy cargo aircraft appeared, fully adapted for cargo transportation.

The firm grew and expanded. She had departments where they taught pilots, produced aircraft or parts for them (propellers, wings), designed equipment, trained engineers, and provided transport services. By 1929, the founder of the company became one of the richest businessmen in America. His contribution paid off in full.

Boeing 787 assembly line at Boeing Co. in Everett, Washington

Ups and downs

Unfortunately, not everything was so smooth in the aviation business. The American government was not too happy about unity in this area. As a result, a law was passed that forbade airline companies to simultaneously engage in both postal and passenger flights, as well as to create aircraft. Boeing broke up into three subsidiaries:

• Air Lines, which was engaged in the transportation of passengers;
• aircraft;
• Boeing Company (design and manufacture of aircraft).

For the owner of the company, this was a terrible blow. Everything that he created for so many years, partly collapsed, underwent changes. He retired, retired. He quenched his thirst for speed and adrenaline with a new passion - breeding horses. Various parts of the company passed to the very enthusiastic pilots who were with him at the very beginning of his career.

What is Boeing after the departure of its main mastermind? This is a company that was also not going to lose the palm. In 1930, the company produced a modified and modern fighter aircraft, on which the US military would train for a long time. Then in 1938, the company launched the 307 Stratoliner passenger aircraft, which for decades defined the ideal of a passenger aircraft. air transport. At the same time, Boeing did not forget about military equipment and created powerful and high-speed bombers.

War and post-war period

World War II destroyed many destinies and firms. But this does not apply to Boeing. Yes, the development of passenger aircraft practically ceased, they were simply not in demand and dangerous at such a time. However, the company has become the largest manufacturer of military aircraft. At the same time, a record was broken at the factories of the corporation, which still remains relevant - in emergency mode, the company produced 16 aircraft per day.

But after the war, the crisis reached this giant. In 1946, 7,000 people were fired. The company suffered losses, there was no great demand for flights. However, even here everything turned in its favor. Trying to find new facets of business, the company began to produce new, more advanced bombers, produced the world's first air refueling aircraft, introduced the first jet passenger aircraft - the Model 707. One of them was once bought for the US President.

And in the 60s, the sky was not enough for Boeing - the company began to explore space. Engineers created sometimes quite fantastic projects - for example, a huge orbital station of a new type. But it was the creation of the company - the Apollo 11 spacecraft that flew to the moon and successfully allowed the astronauts to set foot on this soil.

Boeing airliners and bombers

Boeing aircraft and modern times

Since the 70s, the company has been producing aircraft that are still used by all companies in the world and fly to various destinations. In this time frame, the world saw the Boeing 737 - the best-selling airliner of all time (the record has not yet been broken). After that, the 747 was released - which was the biggest creation in the line.

Of course, it cannot be said that the company's business has always been going uphill. The oil crisis led to total cuts, the workers were indignant, the management was spinning and trying to take new orders. But in the end, another crisis subsided and left the corporation in the black. Until now, it remains one of the largest and most successful aviation firms. This is the largest aircraft manufacturer, the US contractor for the construction of the space station. In addition, Boeing is America's leader in exports. Just think, the volume of revenue for the year is about 60 billion a year.

The throne was shaken only at the beginning of the 2000s. Then the palm in terms of income passed to another giant of the sky - Airbus. However, this colossus stayed afloat. Some critics say Boeing engineers have run out of ideas. This, of course, is not true. The project includes a passenger supersonic aircraft, as well as a new airliner that will make a breakthrough in terms of ergonomics and comfort for passengers. Boeing attracts more and more new engineers, buys interesting, but small companies, and along with them - their ideas.

For example, not so long ago the world saw the Boeing 787 - it was released in 2011. This is very modern liner, which can accommodate up to 330 passengers. The speed reached is 903 kilometers per hour. At the same time, the most modern systems and computer devices are installed in the cockpit for successful control even in critical situations. It remains only to wait what else Boeing will surprise the whole world in the near future, because there is no doubt that it will be something new.

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Boeing history. Part 1 – “Golden Age of Aviation” July 18th, 2016

July 15, 2016 was the 100 years since the founding of one of the largest aircraft manufacturing companies in the world, the American Corporation BOEING. For a century now, this company has been working on the creation of aviation and space technology. During this time, Boeing experienced ups and downs, was on the verge of ruin and miraculously rose back to its feet. I bring to your attention the history of development Boeing Corporation. The story consists of 4 parts. In this we will talk about propeller-driven aircraft of the company. Links to other parts are below:



1.

Company founder William Edward Boeing was born on October 1, 1881 in Detroit, Michigan. He was 28 years old when he first saw an airplane fly. It happened in January 1910 when Bill Boeing went to an air show in Los Angeles. He fell in love with airplanes at first sight. He had other hobbies, and he made a living in another area. He was a timber merchant in the Pacific Northwest and was already a wealthy man. But that moment changed his whole life. The miracle of flight attracted him. And he understood that this construction of wood, wire and fabric would one day become an integral part of Everyday life, How Railway and cars.
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His parents are Wilhelm (Wilhelm) and Maria (Marie) Bőing. In 1888, my father changed his surname when he became director of the Peoples Savings Bank in Detroit. He changed the German “ő” in his surname to the American “oe”. His wife Maria was the daughter of his business partner.
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After his first flight in an airplane, William Boeing began to look for ways to improve aircraft technology. He has always strived for innovation. In 1916, Boeing and his friend, naval engineer Conrad Westervelt, designed and built their first B&W aircraft, named after the first letters of their last names. It was a light floatplane of a canvas and wood biplane design with wings of different spans and ailerons on the upper wing. Biplane box consisted of a large number of racks and wire braces. The lower wing was attached directly to the fuselage, which housed two open cockpits in tandem. The tail unit had a strut-braced scheme typical of that time. The Hall-Scott A-5 engine, mounted in the forward fuselage, drove the tractor air propeller. The chassis included two single-row floats, which were attached to the lower part of the fuselage with the help of a truss structure and braces, as well as a small float under the tail section.
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On June 15, 1916, William Boeing first took this plane into the air. Hoping to get a contract with the military, Boeing showed this aircraft to the US Navy. However, they were not interested in him. But William still sold the first two aircraft to New Zealand. The first was named "Bluebill" and the second "Mallard". They were used for mail delivery and military flights. In 1924 they were destroyed. The Museum of Flight in Seattle has a replica B&W aircraft built in 1966 for Boeing's 50th anniversary.
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July 15, 1916 William Boeing and his friend Conrad Westervelt founded the Pacific Aero Products Company to manufacture their own aircraft. May 9, 1917 the company was renamed Boeing Airplane Company. There were dozens of workshops similar to this company in the USA and Europe. Most often, they took the plane of the Wright brothers as a basis and finalized it.

Boeing's first office was located in a former boatyard on the banks of the Duwamish River and was named Red Barn for its color. Aircraft production and accounting were on the first floor.
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Engineers are second.
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The building was used by the company from its founding in 1916 until 1970.
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On December 16, 1975, the building was moved down the Duwamish River to Boeing Field and became part of the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
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William Boeing knew how to find both good managers and talented designers. In May 1916, the company hired its first aircraft designer, Wong Tsu.
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Boeing's first customer was the US Army. Designer Wong Tsu took part in the development of the Model C aircraft. It was similar to the first B&W aircraft, but the upper wing with an enlarged transverse "V" was moved forward, and the internal struts were changed. In addition, the tail was redesigned: the rear float and the fixed part of the stabilizer were removed, and a fixed keel was added in front of the rudder. The Navy ordered 50 trainers. But the end of World War I in 1918 demonstrated the fickleness of the aviation business. The military purchased only two aircraft. Orders dried up, and two-thirds of the workers had to be dismissed. The company itself temporarily took up the production of furniture.

After the First World War, there was a need for rapid mail delivery throughout America. Contracts for the carriage of postal mail led to the emergence of domestic airlines. At that time, there was no federal freeway network. Therefore, the aircraft were in great demand. Even though the aviation of that time was very unreliable, and weather made flying more difficult, airmail promised to be a lucrative business. In 1919, Boeing personally flew from Seattle to Canada's Vancouver, establishing the first international air route. In the 1920s, mail contracts were the sole engine of the aviation industry. Due to them, aircraft manufacturers survived.

To carry mail, Boeing created the Model 40. It was the first civilian aircraft, embodying William's idea of ​​achieving a competitive advantage by building the most advanced models of its time. The prototype of this aircraft first flew on July 7, 1925.
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The steel tube frame and air-cooled engine made the aircraft almost 100 kg lighter than its competitors. With the Model 40, Boeing won a government contract to carry mail between San Francisco and Chicago, giving his company the number one spot in the business. Other routes soon began to appear.
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In addition to the pilot, two people could fit in the fuselage of the 40th Boeing model. But over time, wealthy people began to consider air travel seriously. Just 14 months after the Model 40, Boeing introduced the Model 80. It was Boeing's first aircraft designed specifically for passengers. 12 people could sit on leather seats in a warm comfortable cabin, where there were individual reading lights, as well as hot and cold water. The cockpit was for the first time made closed and separated from passenger cabin. In the 80th model, flight attendants first appeared. They were nurses who looked after passengers and calmed those who were afraid to fly. Wealthy people began to travel by air. In the new modification of the Model 80A, the number of passengers increased to 18. A total of 12 aircraft of various modifications were built.
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William Boeing decided to merge several companies into one. Why build airplanes if you don't have an airline to fly them? It was the prototype of modern corporations. Boeing first acquired Pratt & Whitney's engine business. Then founded by him new company United Aircraft & Transport Corporation began buying up smaller aviation businesses, becoming in just a few years an incredibly successful airline company that flourished even during times of general crisis in the country. Boeing bought other carriers and combined their routes into a national network, which soon performed 50% of all mail and passenger traffic in the United States, forming United Airlines. Now it is strange to imagine that an aircraft manufacturer also owned an airline. But then it was natural.

Boeing produced the most advanced aircraft of its time. In the 1930s, the company set about developing a revolutionary aircraft design. The Boeing 247 was the first modern passenger airliner. It has passed a full cycle of static tests. It had variable pitch propellers, a heated interior, retractable landing gear, anti-icing devices on the wing and tail, trim tabs and an autopilot. The salon was equipped with sound and heat insulation. It was the first twin-engine aircraft that could continue flying if one engine failed, and the landing speed of 100 km / h made it possible to abandon the mechanization of the wing.
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The forward-sloping cab windshield was an attempt to get rid of the glare on it from the instrument panel lighting. However, this solution caused glare from the landing lights on the runway. Therefore, on later models, the cab glazing acquired a traditional shape, and the problem of glare from the dashboard was solved by using the now traditional visors on the dashboard.
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It was a huge leap forward. For United Airlines, 60 of these aircraft were built.
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Other airlines had to queue up until United Airlines received their planes. This forced them to turn to other manufacturers with the challenge of building an aircraft better than this one. TWA (Trans World Airlines), American Airlines and KLM turned to Boeing's competitor Douglas Aircraft and its founder Donald Douglas. The fight between Boeing and Douglas was the greatest confrontation in the American aircraft industry. However, Boeing fell behind in this race. After all, some advanced ideas were no longer enough. Douglas took all the advanced design ideas of the 247 and developed them substantially. Improved the design, conducted more thorough tests in the wind tunnel. This is how the DC-1 was born. Then new modifications DC-2 and DC-3 came out. They were a huge success and came to dominate the industry. Airlines bought hundreds of these models, and the 247 was forgotten. In the photo DC-3.
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However, William Boeing still had contracts for mail transportation, as well as an airline that transported every year all more passengers. But it was they who eventually turned against William. During the Depression, success was suspect. "United Aircraft & Transport Corporation" prospered and controlled 50% of the market. So people assumed it was all about corruption. In 1933, Senator Hugo Black took over the overthrow of the giant, who accused Boeing of colluding with post offices in order to obtain contracts. The senator accused them of profiting at the expense of taxpayers. He demanded that the contracts be canceled and the United Aircraft & Transport Corporation disbanded.

William Boeing was called to testify in court. He was interrogated for almost 6 hours. And then they accused him of illegally profiting from postal contracts. The decision of Congress was ruthless. The holdings were ordered to be broken up. Because the merger of aircraft manufacturers and airlines gave their owners too much power. The new rules stated that an aircraft manufacturer could not be an air carrier at the same time. This led to the collapse of the Boeing holding, which was created with great difficulty. However, President Franklin Roosevelt went even further. He ordered the Minister of Communications to cancel all contracts with airlines to carry mail. It was planned that henceforth the mail would be delivered by the armed forces. 83 companies lost contracts. But the army aviation had neither experience nor suitable aircraft. And soon there were 12 accidents and more than 60 accidents during the transportation of mail by the military. The well-established air transport system of the country has practically collapsed. But when, a few months later, Roosevelt realized the mistake of his decision and reversed it, Boeing was destroyed. William Boeing himself retired. He left the aviation business, sold his stake and started breeding horses. At the end of his life, he retired on his own yacht off the coast of Canada, where he died on September 28, 1956, just three days before his 75th birthday.

Douglas aircraft were the first to make money on the transportation of passengers, not mail. Air travel has reached a certain level of safety, comfort and sophistication that has changed the way people think about this mode of transportation. Flying became not a test, but a pleasure. But they still remained the privileges of the rich. Airline owners quickly realized that in order to attract passengers, they had to outperform their competitors. Luxurious interior elements have come into fashion.

In 1936, Pan American World Airways, determined to make the first transatlantic flights, turned to all the leading aircraft manufacturers in America with the task of designing an aircraft that would satisfy the following parameters: it had to be able to carry 4.5 tons of cargo and 70 passengers, reach a speed of 240 km / h with a headwind of 50 km / h and have a non-stop flight range of 3100 km. The requirements were so ambitious that some companies simply didn't take on the development. But Boeing engineers took an unusual approach to building the new aircraft. They presented it in the form of a boat. Below deck, the designers placed 11 watertight compartments located between the two hulls. Even if the outer hull leaks, water will not enter the inner hull and sink the boat. The aircraft was equipped with an anchor and life rafts. The project was named the Boeing 314 Clipper. After Boeing sent sketches to Pan American, on July 21, 1936, they signed a contract to build 6 aircraft that enabled Pan American to open the first cargo and passenger line across the Atlantic. First flight new car took place on June 7, 1938. This aircraft has become a symbol of luxury in air travel. Its salon was equipped with air conditioning and a separate bar. Passenger seats could be folded out and used as sleeping shelves. On board there was a lounge and a restaurant served by stewards. Food was served on chinaware with silver cutlery. However, only 12 aircraft were built in total. Each of them had their own name. Unfortunately, none have survived to this day. Therefore, I took a photo of this car from the Internet.
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In the 1930s, Boeing experienced a severe crisis. The number of employees was reduced from 1700 to 700 people. During the golden age of aviation, Douglas Aircraft dominated the market.

But on August 22, 1934, the company received an official circular from the US Army. Boeing, along with Douglas Aircraft and Lockheed Corporation, was invited to take part in a competition to create a new bomber. The army needed a multi-engine vehicle capable of carrying a ton of bombs and covering a distance of up to 3,500 km at a speed of over 320 km/h. The winner of the competition received an order for 200 aircraft. For Boeing, this was the last chance. The prototype B-17 was designed and built in just 11 months. It was a new plane. One of the journalists called it “Flying Fortress” (“Flying Fortress”) and the nickname stuck.
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During the tests, it was obvious that the aircraft met all the requirements of the military. However, on the penultimate day of testing, disaster struck. The plane took off from the ground, and after some time crashed to the ground and caught fire. Two pilots were killed. The investigation showed that there were no mechanical problems in the B-17. The crash happened because of a mistake. The prototype was equipped with an elevator lock on the ground. And the test pilot took off without releasing the lock. Boeing lost. The competition was won by Douglas Aircraft. But the company created a plane so superior to the competition that the Army Air Corps persuaded the command to buy a squadron of B-17s. The Air Force ordered 13 bombers. This order kept Boeing afloat.
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Simultaneously with the B-17, the company developed a passenger version of the aircraft, called the Boeing 307 "Stratoliner". For the first time in the history of civil aviation, a pressurized fuselage was made on an aircraft, which made it possible to fly at an altitude of 7500 - 7800 meters, above thunderclouds. Bad weather was then the main hindrance to passenger traffic. The height at which the 307th was supposed to fly was enormous at that time. Boeing 307 became the first passenger aircraft in the world with a pressurized cabin. The wing, tail, engines and landing gear were taken entirely from the B-17. The fuselage was completely new. It had a circular cross section so that the air pressure on high altitude distributed evenly. The plane was designed for 33 passengers. The pressurized fuselage pressurization system from two compressors driven by internal engines through power take-offs and intermediate shafts provided at an altitude of 7000 meters a pressure in the cabin equal to atmospheric pressure at an altitude of 3600 meters.
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On December 31, 1938, the aircraft took to the air for the first time. However, it did not arouse much interest among airlines. They were cautious, not knowing how the new pressurized fuselage would behave.
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On March 18, 1939, the Stratoliner prototype crashed. All on board perished. According to eyewitnesses of the tragedy, the plane fell apart in the air. Analysis of the readings of the control and recording equipment made it possible to find out what happened. The ill-fated flight was intended to test the directional stability of the aircraft in case of failure of one engine. After turning off one of the external engines, the aircraft lost speed and fell into a tailspin, and when trying to get out of it, the wing could not withstand the overload and collapsed. It turned out that the ailerons and rudder were too small and practically useless when recovering from a spin. The keel, borrowed from the B-17, was also small. Remodeling was urgently needed. An enlarged keel with a powerful forkeel was urgently installed on the remaining cars, the ailerons were finalized, and slats were installed on the outer wing consoles.
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The aircraft's reputation was further damaged after one of the aircraft on an acceptance flight for the airline was caught in a severe thunderstorm at an altitude of 6,000 meters. All four engines stalled due to carburetor icing. This shortcoming was later also eliminated. However, these two cases did their job: there were no more new orders for the Boeing 307.
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A total of 10 aircraft were built. To date, only one has survived. Liner with tail number NC-19903 and the name "Clipper Flying Cloud" flew until the 70s. Now it is installed in the US National Aviation Museum.
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Boeing was in a difficult position. For almost 10 years, her planes did not make a profit. But the war changed everything. The ongoing war in Europe demanded that you prepare to defend your country and help protect your allies. President Roosevelt demanded that 50,000 aircraft be built. At that moment all military aviation USA consisted of 1200 aircraft. This forced rival companies Boeing, Douglas Aircraft and Lockheed Corporation to merge. The B-17s alone were ordered 12,000 units. It changed the entire American aircraft industry. Aircraft were produced from the assembly line at 12-15 pieces per day.
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Japan's standoff in the Pacific called for a bomber with a range greater than that of the B-17. And during the war, Boeing developed a new B-29 bomber known as the "Superfortress". In terms of flight range and bomb load, it surpassed any aircraft of that time. The command ordered to establish the production of 25 aircraft per month within 2 years. In just 18 months, a huge plant was built in Wichita, Kansas. The B-29 was very different from the B-17. His cabin was airtight. It was equipped with the most advanced avionics, radar systems and remote controlled guns. By the summer of 1944, the factories were producing over 50 B-29s per month. They played a big role in the war with Japan. 33.

The B-29 aircraft became a participant in events that have no analogues in world history. August 6, 1945 bomber with the nickname " Enola Gay ”, overcoming 2500 km, dropped the first atomic bomb “Kid” (“Little Boy”) on the city of Hiroshima. A few days later, on August 9, a second "Fat Man" bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Now B-29" Enola Gay ” is located in the US National Aviation Museum.
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During the Second World War, priority was given to combat aircraft, and transport aviation was financed on a residual basis. However, Boeing's management feared that after the war they might lose the civil aircraft market. By July 20, 1942, the company completed preliminary work on the project of the C-97 “Stratofreighter” military transport aircraft, which differed from the base B -29 mainly fuselage design. The car was created two-deck. The lower part of the fuselage B -29 has been retained. Instead of bomb bays, cargo decks were equipped. From above, another fuselage with a circumference of 3.35 meters in diameter was “attached” to the fuselage section. As a result, the aircraft turned from a medium-wing aircraft into a low-wing aircraft, and the new fuselage acquired a characteristic section in the form of a figure-eight or “ D ouble-bubble” (“Double bubble”). Characteristic deep folds appeared along the sides.
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The first prototype of the Stratofreighter took to the skies on November 9, 1944. And the first production aircraft was put into operation in 1947. The transporter could take up to 18.5 tons of cargo, which was loaded through the rear cargo hatch, and with the help of an electric winch, the cargo moved along the stretched guides through the entire 24-meter cabin. Cars or light armored vehicles drove onto the cargo deck on their own. The aircraft could take on board at least 134 military personnel, and in the medical evacuation version - 83 wounded on stretchers and four paramedics.

In the 1950s, the US Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) was in dire need of a large number of tankers to refuel strategic bombers in flight. Therefore, Boeing conducted a test cycle, installing its own Flying Boom in-flight refueling system on three C-97 aircraft, and then proceeded to produce serial KS-97 tanker aircraft. In 1964, part of the aircraft was re-equipped with two General Electric J47-GE-25A turbojet engines. As a result, the air tanker had 4 main piston engines and 2 auxiliary turbojet engines. The aircraft received the designation KC-97L. It was adopted by the US Air National Guard. It was this aircraft that I met at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California.
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On the basis of the C-97 Stratofreighter military transport aircraft, its passenger version, the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, was created. It was designed for 55-100 people, depending on the layout of the cabin. On the “lower deck” behind the wing there was an additional salon with 14 seats, where you could go down spiral staircase. This saloon was used as a bar, not to accommodate extra passengers. Women's and men's toilets were provided, and the kitchen block, located in the tail section of the cabin, was the most perfect at that time. The first order for 20 aircraft came from Pan American World Airways.
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The Stratocruiser has been supplied to six airlines. Northwest Orient Airlines ordered ten Boeing 377 aircraft. Their feature was not round, but square passenger cabin windows. The airline management believed that round windows looked very much like ship portholes and did not give passengers sufficient visibility. The Boeing 377 was perhaps the only passenger aircraft in the world where the shape of the windows was determined by the buyer.
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A total of 55 Boeing 377 Stratocruiser aircraft were built. Passenger version turned out to be less popular than transport, and even more so than air refueling aircraft. C -97 "Stratofrighter" was built in the amount of 77 copies, and the KC-97 refueling tanker in the amount of 811 copies. I have yet to meet a single Boeing 377 Stratocruiser in my life.

An interesting fact is that based on passenger Boeing 377 in the early 60s Aero Spacelines has created a transport aircraft for transportation oversized cargo Pregnant Guppy. It made its first flight on September 19, 1962. And in 1965, his enlarged version of the “Super Guppy” rose into the sky. In 1967, the French firm Aerospatiale purchased two aircraft to transport parts of aircraft under construction. Airbus later acquired a production license and two more Super Guppys were built in the early 1980s. They were used to deliver large parts to the final assembly plant in Toulouse. In the 90s they were replaced by specially designed Airbus A300-600ST "Beluga" aircraft.
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The fuselage of the future aircraft is brought to the plant, and after nine days the finished winged machine leaves the workshop - directly to the 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 workshop. 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 again frees up useful space at the bottom for other functions.

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 convert passenger aircraft into cargo ones.

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

Due to the large number of Boeing aircraft service centers 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.

- To prepare an aircraft for regular flights 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. We need to analyze, constantly analyze the situation, use different computer programs to improve the efficiency of flights.

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?