The Boeing Model 367-80, known as the “Dash 80”, was the precursor to the Boeing 707, the first commercially successful jet airliner. The 707, and by extension the “Dash 80”, thrusted Boeing into the upper echelon of commercial airline manufacturers, where it remains to this day. In addition, it is responsible for shifting commercial aviation from a propeller focused industry to the jet engine industry. This shift enabled the airline industry to exponentially grow by increasing passenger numbers and flight range while decreasing flight time. Flying as we know it would not be the same if it weren’t for the path forged by the “Dash 80”.
Of course, the 707 would have never come into existence without the invention of the jet engine. Both Great …show more content…
These aircraft were used as prototypes for the “Dash 80” which was in turn the prototype of the commercial 707. The B-47 Stratojet was a turbojet engine strategic bomber aircraft that first flew in 1947. Many elements of its design formed the foundation for a large scale jet transport aircraft (Boeing 367-80 Jet Transport). While most planes at the time were straight wing, both of these military aircraft had a swept wing and tail angle design of 35 degrees to reduce high speed drag which is critical to a jetliner. However, there was a downside to this design. It resulted in a movement called the “Dutch Roll”. But since Boeing observed this in the B-47, by the time the 707 came into production, they had already been working on the design of a yaw damper system to correct this. Another important design aspect was the use of podded engines that were suspended from pylons on the wings. This had numerous benefits. In addition, the B-52’s “185ft wingspan and 159ft length” (Boeing, B-52) had accustomed Boeing to the manufacture of large aircraft. In fact, the original 707 would be smaller than the …show more content…
However, all of the major issues, such as swept wing, had been resolved almost before the project’s inception. This enabled the “Dash 80” to be ready for its formal first flight a little less than two years after the start of the project. That flight, which took place in 1954, was an instant success and the Air Force ordered a large number of planes to be used as refueling tankers. This model, the KC-135, is still in use in the Air Force.
Boeing was already a favorite of the armed forces. Winning over the skeptics in the commercial realm was truly the challenge. Until the “Dash 80”, airlines had viewed jet engines as uneconomical “because of high fuel and maintenance costs and low passenger payload” (Grant, 2007, p.338). A key moment in helping the company alter public opinion was when the chief test pilot “Tex” Johnston completed 2 barrel rolls in the “Dash 80” during the popular Gold Cup hydroplane
Of course, the 707 would have never come into existence without the invention of the jet engine. Both Great …show more content…
These aircraft were used as prototypes for the “Dash 80” which was in turn the prototype of the commercial 707. The B-47 Stratojet was a turbojet engine strategic bomber aircraft that first flew in 1947. Many elements of its design formed the foundation for a large scale jet transport aircraft (Boeing 367-80 Jet Transport). While most planes at the time were straight wing, both of these military aircraft had a swept wing and tail angle design of 35 degrees to reduce high speed drag which is critical to a jetliner. However, there was a downside to this design. It resulted in a movement called the “Dutch Roll”. But since Boeing observed this in the B-47, by the time the 707 came into production, they had already been working on the design of a yaw damper system to correct this. Another important design aspect was the use of podded engines that were suspended from pylons on the wings. This had numerous benefits. In addition, the B-52’s “185ft wingspan and 159ft length” (Boeing, B-52) had accustomed Boeing to the manufacture of large aircraft. In fact, the original 707 would be smaller than the …show more content…
However, all of the major issues, such as swept wing, had been resolved almost before the project’s inception. This enabled the “Dash 80” to be ready for its formal first flight a little less than two years after the start of the project. That flight, which took place in 1954, was an instant success and the Air Force ordered a large number of planes to be used as refueling tankers. This model, the KC-135, is still in use in the Air Force.
Boeing was already a favorite of the armed forces. Winning over the skeptics in the commercial realm was truly the challenge. Until the “Dash 80”, airlines had viewed jet engines as uneconomical “because of high fuel and maintenance costs and low passenger payload” (Grant, 2007, p.338). A key moment in helping the company alter public opinion was when the chief test pilot “Tex” Johnston completed 2 barrel rolls in the “Dash 80” during the popular Gold Cup hydroplane