Boeing 707: The Jet clipper that dwarfed the Globe

Part 1 of 6 of this series on legendry jetliner

Rafiq Jan

Boeing 707 was a true marvel of the 50s that set the stage for future generations of sleek, perfectly aerodynamic, and artistically aerofoiled passenger jet. Its Higher sub-sonic and trans-sonic speed was the forte that made this wonderful flying machine a real game-changer for a fast-trans-oceanic traveling.

Author’s note

   At the twilight of my career, it is time to sit back and reminisce the sweet memories of the world’s most advanced jetliner of its time. It was the airplane that I rode for my first air journey, and the first type rating of my career in Aviation industry.

From horses’ back, to the ocean liners capable of carrying thousands of passengers onboard, it must have been an epic journey. But those gigantic sea cruisers took months to reach the others end of their journey leg. Flying those days was a dream for even the wealthy businessmen and state diplomates. The skies were sparse with few commercial planes flying. Planes were less reliable in terms of punctuality, the seating capacity and most importantly the standards of flight safety.

Although not the first commercial planes in service but Boeing 707 proved to be widespread and by far a pioneer of ushering into the jet era of commercial aviation. It   became the first jetliner to gain a worldwide popularity by leaps and bounds.

The advent of B707 that made flying affordable and enjoyable for people from all walks of life. It transformed the dreams of travelers into reality; the dream of having breakfast in New York and the lunch in London was made possible with the entry of B707s in passenger transport.

It was the jet clipper the Boeing 707 of Pan-American airline, to make the history on this day of 0ctober 1958;

The maiden flight (1958)

First Boeing 707-120 owned by Pan-American airline (PAA) was nick-named as Jet Clipper.

On 26th October 1958, first passengers flight of Boeing 707 took off from New York’s Idlewood airport (later named as JFK Airport).

Aircraft registration N711PA, Jet Clipper, captained by Sam Miller, Co-pilot Waldo Lynch, Flight engineer James Atchison and Navigator Captain A.O Powell. Onboard with 12 cabin crew members and 111 passengers, including some VIPs this first ever landmark flight bound for cross-Atlantic took off as flight number 114 at 7 PM, reached Paris Le Bourget at 10 AM after a technical stopover in Gander, Canada.

It took the jet clipper only 8 hours and 41 minutes to reach Paris. A dream of Boeing engineers to cross the Atlantic in a single hop became a reality. From this day of October 1958 Boeing 707 changed the way the world would travel.

Approval of royals, a guaranteed success

Infatuating president Eisenhauer

Dec 1959, the U.S president Eisenhauer visited 11 countries in 19 days, a journey that could have otherwise taken over a month.

Upon his arrival back in Washington, he pompously exclaimed it was because of Boeing 707 the fantastic jetliner, he had literally covered the entire empire of Alexander the great in just one day.

That visit of U.S president was not in effect for the diplomatic reasons. He was rather pitching the successful jetliner of his country to the world in a unique diplomatic style. 

It was because of his epoch-making speech at the end of his journey in Washington that propelled the flight of Boeing’s future into the international skies forever. Orders started pouring in and Boing 707 stormed the aviation world with its exponential fame, drowning the hopes of its rival, the Douglas DC-8. It was sheer performance of this beautiful flying machine that conquered the world with its formidable wings.

Challenge, concept, and a hallmark product

They took this challenge, burned the midnight oil, and came up with a product that proved to be a hallmark of Boeing Airplane Company. An airplane every airline was proud to own.

During and soon after the WW2, the British and American plane manufacturers kept their eyes on design of next generation of high speed, high altitude jetliners that would be used by their armed forces for troops and cargo lift purposes.  B-47 and B-52 were the models the American scientists and designers started working on. They worked under the stringent demands and ambitions of U.S air force, navy, and the U.S government. They worked against the time to take the lead in making a jet powered, multi-engine and long-range plane, to ensure the supremacy of America and its intrepid plane maker the Boeing Airplane company.

A highly secret research and development continued tirelessly in Boeing’s laboratories to showcase their first dream aircraft that would look as big as B-52 Bomber in size, fitted with podded engines and fly above the weather to give extra luxury and safety to passengers.

They unveiled Dash-80, their dream plane that ultimately conquered the globe with all the beauties it came with to enthrall the riders.

This first ever highly sophisticated and state-of-the-art jetliner was named as “707/720”. A plane that will rule the skies for many decades to come.

The first and only prototype Dash-80 successfully completed all the testing phases and proved to the world this aircraft is going to outclass all its rivals like, convair-880 by American manufacturer General Dynamics, Comet by British company de Havilland, and T.U 104 by Russian plane maker.

The popularity of Boeing 707 was so pervasive that it became the victim of its own success in few years’ time since the inception. Air travel exponentially increased, that made B707 look too small to meet the travelers’ demands. The trust of people to fly safely has indeed been the credit of B707 which literally made the globe look small with its tremendous speed, comfort, safety, and reliability. The success of B707 started the much-coveted journey of success for Boeing Airplane Company’s timeless achievements and a sheer pride for United States of America.

Dash 80, a prelude to 707 (1954-1969)

The design of 707 was based on 367-80, “Dash 80” the all-time winning creation of Boeing engineers. The concepts that were so innovative they have become the requirement of commercial plane design for the rest of aviation history.

Boeing 367-80 (DASH 80), a prototype first rolled out on 15^th July 1954 for a successful maiden test flight. Boeing used JT-3C engines, each producing 10,000 Lbf of thrust. It could fly a range of 3070 Nautical miles or 5680 Km.  it was close to the speed of Mach 0.8 with the important feature of being able to fly at an altitude of 35000 ft, that meant flying well above the weather for a much comfortable ride than its market rivals.

It continued many display flights to impress the world with Boeing company’s prowess in future flying other than its secret plans of pitching the next higher model, which would later be named as seven o seven.

A true gambit of Boeing in terms of colossal research and construction costs that later paid off.

Only one (prototype) unit was built for testing, development, and publicity purpose. It was part of a secret plan to test Boeing’s mettle in producing future’s wide-body commercial planes. It was later preserved for public display outside Dules airport in Virginia.

Boeing used Pratt & Whitney Jt-3D turbo fan engines on later production types; they were more fuel efficient and quieter, each having 11000 pounds thrust.

It bequeathed its most innovative and top-notch design features to coming generations including KC-135 supertankers, KC-137 Stratoliner  and legendry Boing 707.

Its wingspan was as big as the expanse of the whole flight of Wright Brothers. Four powerful turbojet P&W JT-3D engines were magically too quieter than one would have thought of as compared to B-47, B-52 bombers, and de Havilland Comet.

Stunning Barrel roll that mesmerized the buyers

Captain Tex Johnston, the daredevil Ex-Air force pilot had something unique in his mind. He flew the Dash-80 test version model for a test and display purpose but did the most unbelievable roll that airliner of this size could ever be expected to do. And to everyone’s surprise it did well and recovered remarkably like a fighter plane. His sharp reply to his Boss, Boeing president Bill Allen on next day was what present-day leaders with titles need to emulate:

               Bill: Why did you do that dangerous maneuver with this huge plane?

                          “I was selling your planes”. Tex Johnston replied

Plane lovers and all those passionate pilots out there who fly a Boeing plane of any type, will always endorse this statement of Captain Tex Johnston that it was probably that stunning aerobatics which stamped an eternal success on Boeing Airplane company’s future. For, there will never be another Tex Johnston to risk his own life while having unwavering trust on the huge plane he was flying on that day in the history of Civil Aviation.

When Dash-80, painted in chocolate and yellow took to the air for its test/display flight it was a sheer beauty of a beast to watch while airborne. Its wingspan was literally as big as the whole flight of Wright Brothers.

End of part 1……

The author Rafiq Jan is Aircraft engineer, an experienced Aviation analyst, planes enthusiast current affairs blogger and a  freelance writer.