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The B&W was the very first Boeing aircraft, designed and built by William E. Boeing and Conrad Westervelt, hence the "B&W" initials. Boeing, then a prominent timber man, and Westervelt, a Navy engineer, first met at Seattle's University Club. They bonded over their shared interests and backgrounds; both men liked boating and playing bridge, both had studied engineering, and both had a fascination with the dawning field of aviation. Their initial flights in a Martin seaplane convinced the two men they could develop a better airplane. The result was the Model 1 or B&W, which had its first flight on June 15, 1916.
The B&W's basic design was derived from the Martin TA Trainer, which Boeing had purchased after taking flying lessons at Glenn Martin's school in Los Angeles. Boeing and Westervelt incorporated a number of improvements and innovations into their aircraft, including a lighter, improved aerodynamic wing section and twin float configuration that gave the B&W better handling on the water. Boeing showed the plane to the Navy in the hopes of a contract but was turned down. Both the first B&W, nicknamed the "Bluebill," and the second, called the "Mallard," which was built the following November, were eventually acquired by the government of New Zealand. Their ultimate fate is unknown.
As for the B&W's creators, Westervelt was soon transferred to the East Coast and went on to command the Naval Aircraft Factory in Pennsylvania. Boeing proceeded with his aeronautical efforts by incorporating the Pacific Aero Products Company in 1916. It would eventually become an aerospace giant.
The Museum's B&W is a 1966 replica built for The Boeing Company's 50th anniversary by the Jobmaster Company of Renton, Washington. Though externally similar to the original B&W, it incorporates a number of design changes for safety and ease of construction, such as revised tail surfaces, steel-tube fuselage, and a different engine. While the original B&W had one Hall-Scott A-5, 125-horsepower engine, the Museum's replica has a Lycoming GO-435 170-horsepower engine. With these changes, the aircraft was given the official designation Boeing Model 1A.
This aircraft is on loan from The Boeing Company.
The B&W was the very first Boeing aircraft, designed and built by William E. Boeing and Conrad Westervelt, hence the "B&W" initials. Boeing, then a prominent timber man, and Westervelt, a Navy engineer, first met at Seattle's University Club. They bonded over their shared interests and backgrounds; both men liked boating and playing bridge, both had studied engineering, and both had a fascination with the dawning field of aviation. Their initial flights in a Martin seaplane convinced the two men they could develop a better airplane. The result was the Model 1 or B&W, which had its first flight on June 15, 1916.
The B&W's basic design was derived from the Martin TA Trainer, which Boeing had purchased after taking flying lessons at Glenn Martin's school in Los Angeles. Boeing and Westervelt incorporated a number of improvements and innovations into their aircraft, including a lighter, improved aerodynamic wing section and twin float configuration that gave the B&W better handling on the water. Boeing showed the plane to the Navy in the hopes of a contract but was turned down. Both the first B&W, nicknamed the "Bluebill," and the second, called the "Mallard," which was built the following November, were eventually acquired by the government of New Zealand. Their ultimate fate is unknown.
As for the B&W's creators, Westervelt was soon transferred to the East Coast and went on to command the Naval Aircraft Factory in Pennsylvania. Boeing proceeded with his aeronautical efforts by incorporating the Pacific Aero Products Company in 1916. It would eventually become an aerospace giant.
The Museum's B&W is a 1966 replica built for The Boeing Company's 50th anniversary by the Jobmaster Company of Renton, Washington. Though externally similar to the original B&W, it incorporates a number of design changes for safety and ease of construction, such as revised tail surfaces, steel-tube fuselage, and a different engine. While the original B&W had one Hall-Scott A-5, 125-horsepower engine, the Museum's replica has a Lycoming GO-435 170-horsepower engine. With these changes, the aircraft was given the official designation Boeing Model 1A.
This aircraft is on loan from The Boeing Company.
Until the mid-1920s, American commercial airplanes were built for mail, not people. A passenger...
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