The Boeing 707 made its first flight in 1957

On December 20, 1957, the Boeing 707 made its first flight. Discover the story of a legendary aircraft that marked civil aviation and the beginnings of Boeing commercial aircraft.

The first Boeing 707 flight (Source:space.com)

A manufacturer of military aircraft 

Before becoming the current aircraft manufacturer, Boeing builds military aircraft. In the early 1950s, he designed the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-29 Superfortress, which were among the most famous bombers of the Second World War. It also produces the B-47 Stratojet, a bomber that was commissioned in 1947 and powered by six turbojet engines. The civil aviation market at that time was dominated by the American Douglas, with his famous DC-3, which sold more than 10,000 units. Boeing, for its part, has developed a twin-engine aircraft, the 247, a seaplane, the 314 Clipper, and a four-engine aircraft, the 307 Stratoliner, derived from the B-17. The construction of a commercial jet was announced by Boeing on August 30, 1952, observing the incredible expansion of a new means of transport: the airplane.

A B-29 Superfortress (source:luckypuppy)

In 1954, Boeing 367-80 or Dash-80 took off. It is a prototype jet plane built in a single unit and worth $16 million. Boeing teams decided to use this prototype as a model for a new jet aircraft capable of trans-continental flight. To name it, they choose the number 7, in order to differentiate it from the other propeller aircraft, named 300, and various other aircraft produced by the company, the 400, 500 and 600 series.

The Dash-80 (source:Wikipedia)

The commercial beginnings 

The Boeing 707-120 therefore took off on December 20, 1957 from Renton Airport, Washington. He made a 71-minute flight before landing. The N708PA is then delivered to the aircraft's launch company, Pan American World Airways. The Boeing 707-120 is 44.22 metres long and has a wingspan of 39.88 metres. It is operated by a minimum of 3 people. As an anecdote, the 707 is the first civil airliner equipped with thrust reversers on all 4 engines. With a range of 4,000 to 10,650 kilometres and a capacity of 140 to 219 passengers, the aircraft is a great success on long-haul routes. In 1955, it cost $39.3 million.

Pan Am aircraft waiting for delivery (Source:Wikipedia)

An Air France 707, called Château de Chambord (source:Wikipedia)

An aircraft produced in different versions 

A total of 1,010 Boeing 707s were produced until 1979. The aircraft is available in different versions: -120, -220, -320, -320 and -420 (with greater range), -700 (built in a single unit), -720 (shortened version) and military versions, such as the C-137 used by the US President and the Boeing E-3 Sentry, better known as AWACS. As of August 2015, there are no Boeing 707s left in service with airlines. Only a few Boeing 707s are still used in military versions, such as the Royal Air Force or NATO for example.

A Boeing 707 used as Air Force One (source:Wikipedia )

An AWACS flying for the US Air Force (source:Wikipedia)

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