The early history of Boeing: From World War I to World War II

With all the interesting aspects that Boeing possesses as a corporation, one of the things Alexis Fecteau is most fascinated by is the history of the company. After all, a business that is over a century old that is also the greatest aircraft manufacturer and a leading force in technology is bound to have some of the greatest stories ever.
Image source: aerotime.aero

Image source: aerotime.aero

When William Edward Boeing established the company on July 15, 1916, in Seattle, it was named Pacific Aero Products Co. That name would be changed a year later to Boeing. During World War I, the U.S. Navy bought over 50 of the seaplanes built to help in winning the war.

While the 1920s were good years for Boeing, the decade after was a different matter. The Great Depression had a disastrous effect on the aviation industry. However, Boeing managed to come up with some of its most iconic planes yet, including the 314 Clipper.

Fast forward to World War II. During this time, Boeing mostly manufactured military aircraft such as the Flying Fortress or B-17 and the Superfortress or B-29. Both planes were the most famous of the Boeing WWII contributions, with the former utilized for high-altitude missions at the European front and the latter being extremely effective in the Pacific.

What part of Boeing’s history would you love to read about? Let Alexis Fecteau know in the comments below.

Alexis Fecteau is the Director of Marketing for Boeing Business Jets, a division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. He is also a professional pilot and engineer. For more Boeing updates, click here.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Aviation anniversary: A lookback at the first BBJ MAX delivery

Image
It’s been more or less a year since the first Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) MAX was delivered. By all accounts, this is considered a milestone for the aviation giant, and Alexis Fecteau, the Director of Marketing for Boeing Business Jets, a division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, takes a fond look at the progress that has happened since then. Image source: privatefly.com Image source: privatefly.com The BBJ MAX is one of the undeniable symbols of Boeing’s commitment to bring only the best products to its global market. As Greg Laxton, head of Boeing Business Jets, puts it, the BBJ MAX will help Boeing customers “see the new standard in business travel." Since the first delivery, customers everywhere have already ordered 20 BBJ MAX airplanes. As a tribute to that first BBJ MAX delivery, Boeing Business Jets revealed an immaculate interior design by the firm SkyStyle. This design concept, dubbed “Genesis,” is a sign of the comfort and luxury customers of Boeing...
Read more

A look at Boeing’s Composite Wing Center and the largest Boeing wing ever

Image
A few months back, Alexis Fecteau started a series of blogs to share some of the exciting news about Boeing and Boeing Business Jets. This blog will tackle Boeing’s 1.3 million-square-foot Composite Wing Center, and the largest airplane wing the company has ever produced. Image source: aerospacemanufacturinganddesign.com Image source: ainonline.com Even before the Composite Wing Center was completed, preproduction parts came in along with the tools and equipment for the 777X. Around 130 mechanics were also present to test everything from the equipment to the prototype parts. Rounding up the manpower was the 170-person-strong office workforce. The Composite Wing Center is a designer, mechanic, and engineer’s dream with state-of-the-art tools and equipment all at the ready. This was, of course, all in place to create the 777X and the model’s wing, which is by all accounts, the longest wing Boeing has ever built. As such, the Composite Wing Center houses a lot of m...
Read more

Ascension revisited: Remembering the 777 program

Image
Alexis Fecteau, the Director of Marketing for Boeing Business Jets, has huge respect for the storied history of Boeing, and believes that everyone in the aviation industry can pick up many valuable lessons from the different eras of the company. Image source: boeing.com Image source: privatefly.com In today’s blog, we look at one of the most successful jets Boeing created in the past 30 years, the 777. When the 777 program began in 1990, it had massive potential. It was United Airlines that first ordered the jet. Five years later, in June 1995, United’s first 777 took off in revenue service. That same month, Boeing started on the 777-300. In June 1998, Cathay Pacific was the first recipient of the jet. Smaller than the Jumbo Jet but larger than twin- and tri-jet airplanes, the 777 was an engineering feat on its own. It improved on things such as flight deck design, airfoil technology, as well as passenger experience. By 2014, nearly 25 years after the progr...
Read more