When you turn a bomber into the first jetliner - 707

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In 1955, Boeing invited airlines to witness, what they described, as history in the making. A new type of passenger plane, its like never seen before.

But instead of a simple tour and fly by, the test pilot did a series of impromptu maneuvers that left everyone watching on the ground gobsmacked. Twin barrel rolls at 490 miles per hr - proving not only the military performance of this new aircraft, but that the age of the jetliner had truly arrived.

This barrel roll would cement the story of the first boeing jetliner for generations, and herald in a new era for aviation transport. But the story of the dash 80 and its production model, is fraught with fear, cunning and possibly the biggest risk ever...

Boeing would bet the entire company by building a fully functioning prototype.

This is incredible story of miracle plane, the first Boeing 707

After the end of world war 2, the jet engine was seen as the next great leap in aircraft technology. Planes could fly further, faster and higher than ever before, and it would only be a matter of time before the technology made its way to the civil market.

The first on the scene was the United Kingdom with the De Havilland Comet. Unfortunately, there were well-publicized flaws with the design that lead to several crashes and loss of life - causing the public to reject the presses obsession with the technology.

But the barrier had been broken, and several firms were examining their own take on a new-fangled jetliner.

Boeing, with experience themselves building large jet aircraft like the B-47 only a few years before, realized they had the technology and the prime position to build the first American jetliner.

And this was a huge deal, while Boeing was successful in the military market, it struggled with the civil market for some time.

Its competitor, Douglas, had orders in spades for piston aircraft like the Douglas DC-4 and DC-6, which it had refined over many years, and airlines couldn't quite understand why they would need one powered by jet engines.

Boeing decided the best way would be to show, not tell, and build the aircraft of the future.

Building a new jetliner from scratch wouldn't be easy, and Boeing would need to take out multiple loans and favours to do so.

They set aside 16 million dollars (equivalent to $154 million today), with no commitment customers - just a handshake from panam.

The project would get the juicy name of Boeing 367-80, but would be called the dash 80 within the company.

And it would borrow heavily from other large aircraft designs such as the KC-97 Stratofreighter -

such as the pod engines on the wings, and the same swept wing -

a wing which by the way, would allow the plane to fly faster than any of the competition in development such as the DC-8.

Initially, the plane was going to be as wide as the KC-97 allowing five seats across the cabin,but the CEO of American Airlines C. R. Smith, said he wouldn't even consider buying it unless they could pack in six seats - making this already large aircraft even bigger.

To really punch out the cabin experience, Boeing would hire industrial designs from outside the company to create the new jet age interiors.

by early 1952, the board of directors was confident enough with the design to go public, and the production model was revealed as the Boeing 707.

While the name today is revered, back then it was a simple esclation of the next product line, the boeing 300 being passenger prop planes, 400-, 500- and 600-series were already used by missiles and other products, so Boeing decided that the jets would bear 700-series numbers. 707 was chosen over 700, simply because of the ring to it.

But building an aircraft is one thing, selling it is another.

[soulman]

You forgot the quote
Tex Johnston was asked “just what in the hell do you think you were doing?!?” By management, and his response “selling airplanes”
If that isn’t some thug life shit, I don’t know what is.

[AaronShenghao]

Consider at the time, Comet's flaw was not well understood and many consider it's design was weak. So the 707 marketing stunts is perfect.

[sir_dragonfly]

The most successful early jet airliner by far.

[jeremyortiz]

Which eventually evolved into the long lasting C, RC, KC, EC, WC, and OC-135s. From 1999-2001, I was a Guidance and Control technician in Omaha, NE and worked on nearly every operational 707 airframe remaining in the USAF. If I remember correctly, the "youngest" aircraft we had was built in 1964. Unfortunately, the turbojet engines damaged my hearing so badly, I was transferred into a 'desk' job (I wasn't happy about it at the time, but Intelligence was a much better career field overall. Thanks for the video. I'll definitely check out the KC-135 video next. Hopefully I'll see a few I worked on. ✌️✈️

[badguy]

The "story" I heard while working as a rep at Boeing: The 707 fuel tanks could not withstand inverted flight for very long. Reason: they either had no fuel pumps or the fuel pumps, inside the tanks, would gravitate and the engines would flame out. SO...as a result...the barrel roll had to be accomplished with a 1G constant pressure on the aircraft (and the tanks). As a result that's what Tex did. Not so easy a task to accomplish without a "dress rehearsal" and a very accomplished pilot.

[jamesm.ledford]

On October 13, 1968, my 22nd birthday, I was waiting to board a Continental 707 for my flight home from Danang, South Vietnam. I just finished my 13 months on the DMZ with A Co. 3rd Tank Bn. 3rd Marines. As we waited on the tarmac, 122 rockets started impacting around us. The pilot had the engines running and was reading out the manifest to board. He threw his papers up into the air and yelled, "get on board if you are coming!". We piled on board. They shut the boarding door and he took off. It was monsoon and heavily over-clouded. As I tried to fasten my seatbelt, I was upside down, and a stewardess went flying by me. After we settled down out over the South China Sea, the pilot got on the intercom and told us that we had just been in a barrel roll to avoid an incoming Vietnamese transport plane. Of course, we took off without clearance. The stewardess broke her arm but everyone else was okay. He commented that the 707 could do almost anything a fighter plane could do. I believed him!

[ingvarhallstrom]

One of the ballsiest moves in aviation history. He risked, if not his life so his entire career within the company. He was lucky they didn't sack him on the spot. Balls, I say...

[dillongamer]

One of the best airliners of its time
Only like 5 secs in and the animation already looks

[commerce-usa]

The Comet was an amazing aircraft. Boeing was wise to learn from it and wait to build a better and safer aircraft. Sometimes being first to market isn't going to Guarantee success.

[jcole]

They literally teach us about this guy in the US airforce. Cautionary tale or role model... I'll never know.

[muhazreen]

0:44 **does perfecc barrelroll**
Boeing CEO : You could've done that sooner
707 Pilot : I want to understand the customer **vocal singer start yelling

[SomeRandomYouTuber_]

If the 707 was a fighter jet it would be pretty good at flying

[darrenwalters]

The comet was way ahead of its time and was pushing the limits of 1940s technology on its own. Sadly that came at a cost so others could catch up and learn from its mistakes. Was the first passenger jet liner to cross the Atlantic from London to jfk to
Funny how you pronounced de Havilland 😂

[serge]

I've flown B707 back in 1972 until 1978. Thanks for sharing mate. Excellent work mate. Keep it up :)

[keithammleter]

I went to an airshow over 50 years ago, organised by a glider club. There were lots of gliders, Cessnas, and other small single prop aircraft on display, a helicopter giving rides etc. The local airline based at the capital city 150 km away sent over a Fokker F28 (mid sized T-jet airliner) - a brand new one they had recently purchased. It amazed the crowd - pilot threw it around the sky like a dog-fighting fighter jet, though he didn't quite get it upside down. I remember the commentator saying something like "Captain so and so and his co are enjoying themselves with this one-time opportunity - they can't do this with passengers on board - the passengers would vomit and/or black out."

[vustvaleo]

Kenny Loggins's Danger Zone can be heard playing from beyond the heavens when he pulled the stunts. ✈

[Dan.d]

When Tex got called into Bill Allen's office on a Monday morning, he knew he was to go head to head with his big boss that particular moment. The chance he took to barrel roll that airplane left Bill Allen furious at first. It was not that he was going to be fired, but it did create a stir to begin with. After he was told what he thought he was doing, Tex simply answered back, "I was selling airplanes", and then Bill's response was, "You know that and we know that, but just don't do it anymore" was just a little something that Tex Johnston had up his sleeve, and to keep selling airplanes to customers. He was one of the best pilots around and he did take some hell from Bill Allen. The menuver was concidered to be the "highlight" for the Boeing company in a positive way. Believe it or not.

[alkatiawri]

this airplane i think has to be the biggest gamble ever taken by any aviation company in history!!!!

[curbowman]

Don't miss the 1965 movie "Boeing Boeing" with Tony Curtis and Jerry Lewis. Curtis plays a man who has three women, all of them flight attendants on piston airliners. Since those flights are slow, he can manage to sleep with one while the rest are travelling overseas. But then they get assigned to the new jets, and suddenly the girls can do their trips in hours instead of days! The result is hilarious!!

[BGTech]

The plane that brought us into the jet age