Hangar Flying - HL 339 (1)

From: Steve
Date: 5/13/2022 7:52:22 AM
Subject: 5/14/1954 : The 367-80 (wr)

Happy Birthday To The Boeing Dash 80

This Jet Takes Credit For Revolutionizing The Airline Business⁽¹⁾

May 14th marks the anniversary of the rollout of Boeing’s airliner research airplane often referred to as the “Dash 80.” This airplane can take credit for revolutionizing the airline business and providing the military with a workhorse that continues in service today; that is the KC-135 refueling airplane. While the Dash 80 has a resemblance to the Boeing 707 airliner, they are not entirely the same. Often referred to as the prototype for the 707; it was more of a research vehicle used for the development of the airliner.

Followers of aviation history notice that this famous airplane is referred to as the Dash 80, and not the 707. This was intentional on Boeing’s part to mislead the competition. Boeing’s airliner in production at the time of the Dash 80 development was the piston engine powered model 377 Stratocruiser. The Stratocruiser was actually an offshoot of Boeing’s model 367 which was the military transport designated the C-97. The actual designation of the airplane that became the 707 was the Boeing model 367-80 to disguise the fact it was a jet. This resulted in two names being applied simultaneously to the same airplane. Boeing technicians referred to their future airliner as the Dash 80, and the marketing side of Boeing referred to it as the 707.

Boeing invested $16 million of its own funds to build this prototype/research airplane and it was a gamble that paid off. Aerodynamically, it was based on Boeing’s B-47 jet bomber. It was equipped with the civilian version of the military Pratt and Whitney J57 engine which in its civilian life was called the JT3. Later versions of the 707 airliner models used the Pratt and Whitney JT3-D turbofan engines.

The British DeHavilland Comet had preceded Boeing’s entry into the jet airliner market but had encountered problems early on when structural weakness in the fuselage caused the loss of three Comets while operating in commercial service. The Comet had its engines buried in the wing root of the airplane; Boeing saw this as a potential problem because a failure of one engine could affect the adjacent engine. That’s why the Boeing design separated the engines into pods hanging beneath the wing.

The Dash 80 matured into numerous 707 model variations that include the VC-137 which was the first jet powered Air Force One. It continues in operation today as the KC-135 with twice upgraded engines and numerous improvements. The Dash 80 itself continued with Boeing as a flying test bed until 1969. It is now featured at the National Air and Space Museum at Washington Dulles International Airport where it is listed as being one of the 12 most significant aircraft of all time.

Some of us were privileged to fly this jet! Steve

(1) -----------------------------------------Tex Johnston------------------------

Yes, that is Seattle down there.

Boeing Dash 80 barrel roll above Seattle Seafair, August, 1955.

“In August, 1955, Boeing test pilot Tex Johnston performed a now legendary barrel roll of the Model 367-80 as part of that year’s Seafair festival on Lake Washington. This photo was taken by co-pilot Jim Gannett.

Known as the Dash 80, this airplane was the prototype for the 707 commercial plane and KC-135 military refueling jet.

The 707 helped move commercial aviation into the jet age and was the first to carry the now iconic “7 series” Boeing model designation.

The Dash 80 today is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center outside Washington, D.C.”

This is the first Boeing 367-80 (Dash 80) was the prototype for what became the KC-135 and the Boeing 707. Photo by Boeing.

The punch-line is that Boeing did not know that Tex was going to do the barrel roll. The idea was to show the public and potential airline customers that the 707 was safe. From a previous interview with Boeing Historian Michael Lombardi, he explained, “Then you have Tex Johnson who did the barrel roll, doing his part to get people feeling that jets were safe… that was the whole idea. Before that the British had come out with the Comet and it had a few problems. Because of the comets problems, coming apart at altitude, the public view of jets was that they were just not safe.”

Yes, management had a few choice words to Tex the next day.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Full post disclaimer in left column. PCN Home Page is located at: http://pcn.homestead.com/home01.html