The most famous American company - a manufacturer of aircraft, and now also of space technology - Boeing (Chicago). Largest exporter and employer in the United States. Profits last year amounted to more than $93 billion. Boeing imports more than a third of titanium for its production from Russia. Boeing's factories operate in 1/3 of the world's countries, and it supplies its products to 145 countries, that is, ¾. Thousands of airliners are sold every year.

Interesting fact: in 2009, Air France purchased the 777th Boeing 777 model from Boeing.

Three years before the end of the 20th century, Boeing absorbed its longtime competitor Douglas Aircraft Company, and now its main global competitor is Airbus. Currently sold on the market latest developments these companies - Boeing 787 (2011) and A350 (2013).

Company history

It all began during the First World War, when in 1916 William Edward Boeing founded the company, which a year later became known as the Boeing Airplane Company. A large aircraft workshop or a small factory - that’s what this company was like back then. The planes were assembled by hand. A piece of canvas and wood with a motor, Boeing's first child, the B&W seaplane, was not bad at all. But the company became first-class only by releasing its reliable and safe ten-seat 247 model of passenger aircraft in 1933.

Interesting fact: it was on this model, which proved to be safe in operation, that the world’s first aviation terrorist attack was carried out: 1933, Chicago-Cleveland flight, seven died, including three crew members.

The Boeing 314 was developed in 1938 for transatlantic flights. This seaplane could already carry 90 passengers. During World War II, the company produced the B-17 Flying Fortress and B29 Super Fortress heavy bombers, the first US strategic bombers, which made its name famous. Since then, the US military department has become a regular customer of Boeing.

Having taken off in 1954, the Boeing 707 became the first mass-produced airliner for almost a quarter of a century (some of its copies are still flying). And the most popular was the Boeing 737 jet. In total, about eight thousand devices were produced, and currently an airliner of this model lands or takes off every five seconds.

The Boeing 747 was criticized in so many ways at the design and test flight stages. It is large, uneconomical, and there are no appropriate premises for its assembly. Yes, the Boeing company almost went bankrupt on the construction of a special plant, but the profit they provided more than covered all the funds spent, and the plane itself became popular and in demand. The flight range of a Boeing 777 at one refueling exceeds twenty thousand kilometers! When designing it in the early nineties of the last century, paper drawings were no longer used, and all work was done on a PC.

Strategic Project Yellowstone

The Yellowstone program is an ambitious project to replace the entire line of civilian airliners with high-tech and economical models. The main directions of the Yellowstone project in the field of technology:

• Widespread use of composite materials, including carbon fiber.
• Replacing hydraulic systems with electric ones.
• Use of the most economical turbo engines.

This project has three directions:

• Replacing the Boeing 737 model with a model with a relatively small (100-200 people) number of passengers. In 2011, it was announced that this project would be implemented in 2020. However, a competing project, the 737 MAX, appeared, and nothing is clear yet.
• Replacement of the Boeing 767 model. The project is completed. The real dream of aircraft manufacturers - the Boeing 787 Dreamliner - was put into operation.
• Replacing the Boeing 777 and 777-300 models with an airliner designed for a large number of passengers - six hundred plus. The project is in progress.

"Dreamliner"

At the end of the last century, sales of the Boeing 767 began to fall, and the company decided to create an aircraft whose speed would be almost close to the sound barrier. Thus was born the futuristic Boeing Sonic Cruiser project. The emphasis was on composite materials. Half the weight of the liner is aluminum and titanium. But the oil crisis at the beginning of the first decade of the 21st century cast doubt on the economic feasibility of the project, and just before Christmas 2002 it was closed.

Immediately in January 2003, development of the Boeing 787 model began. Developments made in the Boeing Sonic Cruiser project were used. The code name of the 7E7 project was changed to Boeing 787 in 2005, and a subsequent survey put a firm end to the name issue. More than half a million respondents called this model the “Dream Liner.” A new generation of long-range, jet, wide-body aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner began its commercial operation in 2011. The first copy was sold to All Nippon Airways, which ordered fifty aircraft back in 2004. By the way, from Boeing, in connection with With the constant shift in delivery dates for hundreds of aircraft to customers, big financial problems were brewing, which were nevertheless managed to be resolved.

Interesting fact: tickets for the first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Tokyo to Hong Kong were sold at an online auction and were immediately sold out, and the cost of one seat more than once “overcame” the mark of thirty thousand US dollars. Surveys among passengers revealed that at least 9/10 had a desire to repeat the flight.

Peculiarities

The Boeing 787 is truly economical (and this despite the fact that initially there were serious problems with increasing the weight of the aircraft), since it uses 1/5 less fuel, is more efficient, including due to the flat bottom, almost The luggage compartment is increased by half and is innovative in comparison with the Boeing 767 it replaced. At altitude and flight safety. As tests have shown, it is not afraid of even lightning strikes to the body. What's it worth? new complex avionics that allows you to see through clouds. Instead of traditionally concentrating the entire production cycle at its main plant, Boeing entrusted reliable subcontractors to produce those components and parts that they make better and cheaper. International system division of labor in action:

• Japan makes composite and wings.
• Italy - fuselage, stabilizer, fin.
• France - electrical wiring and doors (passenger).
• India - beams and software.
• Sweden - doors (cargo) and hatches.
• South Korea- wing elements, spars and landing gear.
• England - the chassis itself.

Cost of the plane and flights on it

When talking about the cost of something, or rather, the selling price, we must keep in mind many factors that influence this figure “here and now.” The ability to bargain, the surrounding circumstances, including additional terms of the contract, the period and place of its conclusion, the choice of an economical or exclusive option, discounts, and so on and so forth. Therefore, we have to talk about approximate figures. Thus, the company’s catalog prices for Boeing 787 models 800, 900 and 1000 range from 225 to 306 million US dollars, and a ticket for one person for a flight from Russia to the USA and back is around five hundred dollars. As of the beginning of 2018, more than 1,300 aircraft of the above models have been ordered, half of which have already been shipped to customers. What does a Boeing 787 look like? Photos of this aircraft can be seen in our article.

Model 787-8

She didn't appear right away. Initially, it was planned to make the Boeing 787-3 a basic modification, and it was intended for operation on Japanese airlines for flights over short distances, up to six thousand kilometers. However, due to the increase in orders for the 800 model, the 787 project was closed. The base model was the Boeing 787-8 (a photo of this aircraft is in our article). And larger models have already been developed on its basis. These are Boeing 787-9 and 787-10.

On all aircraft the crew consists of two people (commander and co-pilot.)

Here are the characteristics of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

• Length - 56.7 m.
• Height - 17.0 m.
• Wing span - 60.2 m.
• The weight of the aircraft without load is 118 tons.
• Weight Limit permissible during takeoff - 228 tons.
• Maximum landing weight is 172 tons.
• The capacity of the fuel tanks is 126 tons.
• Maximum flight distance: 13.6 thousand km.
• The number of seats (total) in three classes is 210 or 250.
• Cabin width - 5.49 m.
• Cargo capacity - 138.2 cubic meters.

Below is a photo of the Boeing 787 interior.

As you can see, it is quite roomy.

Boeing 787 - the best seats

Naturally, the best (they are also the most expensive) seats are located in the front of the cabin, closer to the cockpit. Business class occupies the first six rows (36 passengers with a 2+2+2 seating arrangement). However, it must be kept in mind that most comfortable places are in the second and fifth rows, since the first is located next to the door to the cockpit, the third is with the toilets, the fourth is with the approach to the toilets, and the sixth is near the partition separating business class from economy class.

Interior features

The Boeing 787-8 passenger cabin is unique in that:

• Wider by almost four tens of centimeters than its competitors Airbus A330 and A340.
• Has the largest self-dimming windows (no curtains and electronics work).
• Inside the cabin, the pressure is the same as at an altitude of 1.8 km (usually as at an altitude of 2.4 kilometers).
• Equipped with an innovative “smooth flight” system that improves comfort during turbulence.
• The new supercharging system takes air directly from the outside space, rather than cooling it passing through the engines. This air is more humid and “alive”.
• The seats are more comfortable than those of the “predecessor”, and you can move a wheelchair along the aisle, including to the toilet.
• The luggage racks have become more spacious (you can fit four standard-sized suitcases with wheels).
• Free WI-FI, broadband Internet (250 kb/s).
• LED interior lighting.
• Engine noise is significantly reduced by mixing the jet stream with air.
• The comfort of passengers in seats not only in business class, but also in economy class has been increased.

What does the inside of a Boeing 787-8 look like? His photo can be seen below.

Model "787-9"

This is a modification of the previous Boeing, which, by increasing the length of the aircraft by more than 10%, allows it to carry significantly more passengers (up to 290 people) and luggage. In addition, the flight range has increased by 0.5 thousand km (15,700 kilometers), and among this family it is the farthest flying one. Passenger transportation began in 2014.

Characteristics

Here are the features of the model:

• Length - 62.8 m.
• Height - 17.0 m.
• Wing span - 60.1 m.
• The weight of the aircraft without load is 128.8 tons.
• The maximum weight allowed during takeoff is 254 tons.
• Maximum landing weight - 192.8 tons.
• The capacity of the fuel tanks is 126.4 tons.
• Cruising speed - 913 km/h.
• Maximum speed- 954 km/h.
• Flight altitude (maximum) - 13.1 km.
• Maximum flight distance: 15.7 thousand km.
• Engines - two Rolls Royce Trent - 1000 or General Electric GEnx-1B turbojet engines.
• The number of seats (total), in 3 classes - 280 pieces.
• Cabin width - 5.49 m.

What does a Boeing 787 Dreamliner look like? The reader can see a photo of the airliner in this article. The appearance of this technology is truly impressive.

What are the characteristics of the Boeing 787-10:

• Length - 63.8 m.
• Height - 17.0 m.
• Wing span - 60.2 m.
• The weight of the aircraft without load is 138 tons.
• Maximum weight allowed during takeoff - no data available.
• Maximum landing weight - 202 tons.
• Fuel tank capacity - no data.
• Cruising speed - 903 km/h.
• Maximum speed - 956 km/h.
• Flight altitude (maximum) - 13.1 km.
• Maximum flight distance: 11.9 thousand km.
• Engines - two Rolls-Royce Trent - 1000 or General Electric GEnx-1B turbojet engines.
• The number of seats (total) in three classes is 330.
• Cabin width - 5.49 m.
• Cargo capacity - 192.6 cubic meters.

Capacity

Even more elongated (plus 5 meters), comfortable and spacious, the Boeing 787 of this modification can take on board up to 330 passengers and significantly more luggage. Deliveries of this modification began in March of this year. The first Boeing 787-10 airliners entered service on the routes Singapore - Osaka (Japan) and Singapore - Perth (Australia). The starting buyer was Singapore Airlines.

Airplane in FSX

The Boeing 787 is so popular that it is included in Microsoft's global massively multiplayer online game - Flight Simulator X. A flight simulator with dozens of missions to transport passengers and cargo between almost fifty airports. In it you can either pilot a plane alone or with a group of players, or manage ground services airport. The world in it is quite realistic and huge (exceeds half a billion square kilometers).

Conclusion

The ambitious plan adopted by Boeing in 2011 provided for the sale of 3.3 thousand 787 aircraft in twenty years (until 2030). Currently, the company has ordered an average of 136 aircraft of this model per year (Emirates ordered 210 Boeing 787 Dreamline in 2017), which, subject to a constant increase in orders and their implementation, will ensure the implementation of the approved plan.

In general, the number of orders (both completed and not yet) is confidently approaching 6,000 pieces. For the sixth year in a row, the company has outpaced its competitor in the supply of flight equipment to customers. Last year alone, orders were received for 912 aircraft worth a total of $134 billion. The record holders for orders are Boeing 737 and 787.

And the forecasts for the aircraft industry are more than good. Various analysts give approximately the same demand figures (within the natural margin of error) that by 2036 more than forty thousand civil airliners will be sold at a cost of about 6 trillion US dollars. True, in this huge barrel of honey for the company there is still a fly in the ointment. It is predicted that the main demand will be for narrow-body aircraft, and the Boeing 787 Dreamline series is wide-body.

The 737 is one of the most successful models of the American aircraft manufacturer The Boeing Company, as well as the most widely used airliner in the world. Since 1967, over seven thousand cars of this modification have been produced. And even today, the Boeing 737 continues to be produced and is in great demand among air carriers around the world. Its main competitor in the air transportation market, among narrow-body aircraft passenger aircraft, is an Airbus A320.

Boeing 737 photo

The Boeing company, in production today, has nine variations of the 737 model, these are different modifications 737-600, 737-700, 737-800 and 737-900. The Boeing 737 version can be chronologically divided into three groups - Original (first generation), Classic (second generation) and Next-Generation (third generation).

Generation Original (models -100, -200)

The plane was first presented to the public in 1964, and in February 1968 it took to the skies for the first time. After this, the airliner entered service with the airline. This was a version of the 737-100, which was later modified into a more successful version of the 737-200. The Boeing 737-200 was released in 1988. A total of more than 900 aircraft of this type were sold to air carriers. Boeing initially planned for 60 to 85 passenger seats on its aircraft, but after consultation with its first customer, the number of seats was increased to one hundred. By increasing the number of seats in each row, Boeing beat its rival DC-9

Classic generation (models -300, -400, -500)

In the early eighties, the Boeing 737 underwent significant modernization. The Boeing company has increased the number of passenger seats in the new model range. These modifications allow you to carry up to 150 passengers. Aircraft power has increased. New engines and the latest avionics were installed on the aircraft. The flight range has been increased. There are fewer harmful emissions. They began to meet new standards. Boeing used a completely new CFM56 engine, which had lower fuel consumption and also met strict noise limits. The aircraft's wings were also modified. Aerodynamics have become better. This is how successful models emerged, 737-300, -400, -500, which can satisfy most airports in the world. The Boeing 737-300 first flew in 1984 and ceased production in December 1999.

Boeing 737 interior photo

In 1986, the company began developing an expanded version designated as the Boeing 737-400 with more powerful engines and with a capacity of 170 passengers. It has become three meters longer than its predecessor. Production of this model ended in 2000. The smallest and youngest member of the second generation, the 737-500, capable of carrying up to 132 passengers, entered service in February 1990. Before production of the 737-500 ended in 1999, more than 350 units were delivered to the airline.

Next-Generation (models -600, -700, -800, -900)

In the mid-nineties, the creation of the third generation of Boeing 737 began. This generation includes modifications -600, -700, -800 and -900. Unlike previous versions, the -800 and -900 models have undergone significant technological improvements.

One of the most important improvements is the presence of a Head-Up Display (HUD), which is used in military aircraft. The HUD is a transparent display that is located between the pilot and cockpit window. All important data such as altitude, speed, location and much more are projected onto it. During takeoff and landing, it displays a schematic image of the runway, allowing the 737 to fly even in very poor visibility.

Boeing 737 interior diagram

These versions were equipped with the new CFM 56-7B powerplant. The number of seats on the Boeing 737-700 is identical to the 737-300 version. The first 737-700 aircraft was delivered to Southwest Airlines in 1997. The later version of the 737-800 is a modern variant with a longer range of up to 5,765 km and with 189 passenger seats. The 737-800 is the successful third generation of 737s with over 900 units sold.

Demand for a variant similar to the 727-500 but with greater range led to the development of the 737-600 version. The first flight of the Boeing 737-600 took place in 1998. The Boeing 737-900ER is the largest in the 737 family with a flight range of up to 6,045 km. This model entered flight service in 2007.

The Boeing 777-200 is the first airliner in the Boeing 777 or Triple Seven (T7) family of wide-body, twin-engine aircraft. The aircraft is designed for medium-long-haul airlines.

At the end of 1989, Boeing Commercial Airplanes began designing a stretched version of the Boeing 767 aircraft with a wingspan increased to 63.73 meters. When designing, the new aircraft received advanced technologies at that time, as well as a new design. In mid-October 1990, the project received the designation Boeing 777, which indicated the emergence of a new family. And the first modification was designated as 777-200.

During the construction of the Boeing 777-200, to lighten the airframe structure, the use of composite materials was widely used, which occupy about 10 percent of the weight of the entire structure.

Boeing 777-200 photo

The new airliner was equipped with powerful turbojet engines with a high bypass ratio, Pratt & Whitney PW4074 with a thrust of 329 kN each. Subsequently, Boeing 777-200 aircraft used General Electric GE90-75Bs engines with a thrust of 334 kN and Rolls-Royce Trent 875s engines with a similar thrust.

The Boeing 777-200 was Boeing's first passenger aircraft to feature a fly-by-wire (FBW) control system. The aircraft used avionics manufactured by Honeywell, which complies with the improved computer data bus standard used in ARINC 629 avionics. Six multifunctional TFT displays are used to display all the necessary flight information and the status of on-board systems. The Boeing 777-200 was equipped with a mid-air collision warning system - TCAS (Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System). Today, according to ICAO standards, TCAS equipment must be installed on all aircraft designed to carry more than 19 passengers.

The first flight of the Boeing 777-200 took place on June 12, 1994. The airliner received FAA and JAA certificates on April 19, 1995. The aircraft's first operator was United Airlines, which received its first Triple Seven on May 15, 1995.

The aircraft cabin in a three-class configuration has 305 passenger seats. With a two-class cabin layout, 400 passengers can be accommodated. With an economical interior layout, the number of passenger seats is 440 seats.

February 6, 1997, to the airline British Airways Boeing 777-200ER was transferred. This modification has a longer flight range compared to the Boeing 777-200, which is 14,305 kilometers, versus 9,700 kilometers of the base model.

Also, the Boeing 777-200ER has become one of the best-selling twin-engine passenger aircraft in the world. As of 2010, 415 units of this modification were delivered to more than thirty airlines.

The main routes of the Boeing 777-200 today are London - New York, Denver - Honolulu, Tokyo - San Francisco. And the main directions of the Boeing 777-200ER are London - Los Angeles, Tokyo - Sydney, Chicago - Seoul.

The main competitor for the Boeing 777-200 is the European airliner Airbus A330-300.

The best seats on the Boeing 777-200 - Vietnam Airlines

Technical characteristics of the Boeing 777-200 aircraft:

• Boeing 777-200 first flight: June 12, 1994
• Years of production: since 1994
• Length: 63.73 m.
• Height: 18.52 m.
• Wingspan: 60.93 m.
• Empty weight: 135880 kg.
• Maximum take-off weight: 262480 kg.
• Wing area: 427.80 sq.m.
• Cruising speed: 905 km/h.
• Maximum speed: 945 km/h.
• Ceiling: 13100 m.
• Flight range: 9700 km.
• Takeoff length: 3000 m.
• Run length: 1700 m.
• Engines: 2 x turbofans Pratt & Whitney PW4074 (329 kN), PW4077s (345 kN), General Electric GE90-75Bs (334 kN), GE90-76Bs (338 kN), Rolls-Royce Trent 875s (334 kN), Trent 877s (345 kN)
• Crew: 2 people
• Number of passenger seats: 440 seats in economy class

Boeing 777-200. Gallery.

On February 9, 1969, an airplane took off for the first time. Boeing 747, which in the next half century became one of the most famous and sought-after airliners from this American company. However, under this brand over almost a hundred years, many no less legendary aircraft, which will be discussed in this review.

Boeing Model 1 – the firstborn from Boeing

The history of the Boeing Corporation should be counted starting on June 15, 1916, when the B&W seaplane, created by William Boeing and his friend, military engineer George Westervelt, made its first flight. The tests were successful, and within a month the comrades established their own aircraft production company - The Pacific Aero Products Company, which a year later was renamed in honor of the creator.

B&W was named Boeing Model 1, but did not go into mass production. A total of two similar aircraft were produced, which first entered service with the US Navy and were then sold to a civil aviation school in New Zealand. This deal was Boeing's first international agreement.

Boeing Model C - the first production model

Boeing Model C was the first aircraft from Boeing to go into mass production, and the first financial success of the young company. Tests of this aircraft took place in November 1916, and in April 1917 the manufacturer entered into a contract with the US War Department, involving the supply of more than fifty aircraft of this type.

Boeing Model C aircraft (six variations in total) were used by the US Navy for pilot training, as well as for the transport of cargo and correspondence.

Boeing 247 - the first modern airliner

Over the next few years Boeing company produced many aircraft models for the US Army, Post Office, etc. But the turning point in the history of this manufacturer came in 1933, when production of the world’s first modern serial passenger airliner, the Boeing 247, began.

The Boeing 247 was a true triumph of engineering at the time. It had an all-metal body with a free-supporting wing, retractable and retractable landing gear, and even an autopilot! A total of 75 copies of this 10-seater aircraft were produced, which is quite good for the period when civil aviation was just emerging.

B-29 Superfortress - flying superfortress

During World War II, Boeing switched almost entirely to the production of military aircraft. At the same time, the aircraft developed by the engineers of this company were also assembled at the factories of other companies - the whole country was aimed at victory.

The most popular military aircraft from Boeing at that time was the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, but the most famous was the B-29 Superfortress. This plane became one of the symbols of the US victory in World War II; for example, it was from the flying “superfortresses” that atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The B-29 Superfortress became the basis for the Soviet Tu-4 bomber, and then, in a redesigned version, for the American Boeing 377 Stratocruiser passenger airliner.

Boeing 707 - the first "seven"

The first truly massive passenger airliner from the Boeing company became the Boeing 707 aircraft. It first took to the skies in 1954, and mass production began in 1958.

The aircraft was produced for twenty years, until 1978, but more than a hundred of its copies still ply the air spaces of the planet. The reason for this is the high reliability of the device, as well as the ability to modify it to suit specific needs. For example, not only passenger aircraft were created on the basis of the Boeing 707, but also cargo planes, as well as tankers, reconnaissance aircraft, flying laboratories and airborne command posts. And even John Travolta flies his personal B-707!

Boeing 737 is the most popular airliner

The Boeing 717 and 727 models also gained quite a lot of popularity in the world, but the Boeing 737 became a truly legendary aircraft. This aircraft is the most popular jet passenger airliner in the entire history of aviation, because from 1968 to the present time almost eight have been produced thousands of its copies. A total of ten models of the Boeing 737 family were produced.

A study of aviation statistics has shown that at any given time there are at least 1,200 Boeing 737 aircraft in the air. And the takeoff or landing of such a device occurs, on average, every five seconds. These are records that others can only dream of. passenger aircraft, including the direct competitor of the 737 - the Airbus A320.

Boeing 747 - a giant aircraft, a legendary aircraft

The development and construction of the Boeing 747 was accompanied by lamentations from skeptics. They say that this plane is too big, not as economical as its competitors, and even there are no premises for its assembly - the manufacturing company even had to build a new plant for these purposes, one of the largest buildings in the world. Huge expenses brought Boeing to the brink of bankruptcy, but high profits more than compensated for these risks.

Supersonic aviation, which was supposed to compete with aircraft like the Boeing 747, did not live up to the hopes placed on it. But this airliner itself became one of the most popular in history passenger air transportation. And the number of orders for it began to decline only in the first decade of the 21st century. In total, almost one and a half thousand copies of the B-747 have been produced since 1969.

Boeing 767 - the workhorse of air carriers

The world owes the appearance of the Boeing 767 to the American airline United Airlines, which showed interest in the economical medium- and long-range airliner and placed an order for thirty copies. This happened in 1978, three years later the first B-767 took off into the sky, and a year later its mass production began, which continues to this day.

Boeing 767 gained worldwide popularity thanks to high level comfort comparable to the 747 model, efficiency, use of new technologies and safety. There is a known case when this airliner flew more than a hundred kilometers with an empty tank, gliding from an altitude of 8.5 kilometers and successfully landing without significant damage.

Boeing 777 – three sevens

In the post-Soviet space, the “three sevens” brand is associated with cheap port wine, and in America – with the Boeing 777, the world’s largest twin-engine jet passenger aircraft. In addition to its size, this airliner also has several other achievements. For example, the absolute record for flight range on one refill of fuel tanks is 21,601 kilometers.

The development of this airliner began in 1990, and it took its first flight in June 1994. It is noteworthy that the Boeing 777 was the first aircraft designed entirely on a computer, without any use of paper drawings. And airlines and even passengers took an active part in the work on the new aircraft, who gave a lot of advice on what a new product from Boeing should be like in order to please people and customers.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner – dream airliner

Boeing specialists know the value of their work and the products they create. aircraft. Proof of this can be the name given to the new aircraft produced by this company - Dreamliner, a dream airliner. It first flew on December 15, 2009.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner, on at the moment, is the most scarce aircraft in the world. After all, the Boeing company already has orders for more than a thousand copies of this device, but it has produced only a little more than a hundred units. This excitement among airlines is understandable - the “dream airliner,” despite its large size, is a very economical, environmentally friendly and profitable aircraft, and even created using “green” technologies, which is very fashionable these days.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner can carry from 210 to 330 passengers and fly a distance of up to 16,299 kilometers.

Boeing History:

In 1903, an important event for the history of world aviation took place in the United States: the Wright brothers' airplane made the first ever flight on Kitty Hawk Beach in North Carolina. At the same time, in New Haven, Connecticut, 22-year-old William Boeing, the future founder of the Boeing Corporation, left Yale University and decided to go into business.

From the university, William Boeing headed “into the thick of the forest.” At the beginning of the twentieth century, timber trading was the second most profitable business in the United States after gold mining. The lumber trade allowed William Boeing to quickly amass a decent fortune, and by 1909 he was already one of the most respected citizens of Seattle. At the end of 1909, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific trade exhibition was held in Seattle, during which residents of the west coast saw their first flying machine - a small airship. It was then that William Boeing realized that his heart belonged to aviation.

When a few months later, in the neighboring town of Georgetown, demonstration flights took place on the new Curtiss Reims Racer airplane of the famous American aviation pioneer Charles Hamilton, Boeing made a special trip to watch his performances. Hamilton's flights ended in disaster - on March 13, 1910, Hamilton's airplane crashed into a pond. It was only a miracle that the pilot did not die. What he saw did not dampen William Boeing's ardor, and he spent the next few years trying to persuade one of the aviators to take him on a flight.

The dream remained unfulfilled until 1915, when fate brought Boeing together with kindred spirits - air flight enthusiasts, Navy Lieutenant Conrad Westervelt and pilot Tira Maroney. In Maroni's two-seat airplane, Boeing took off for the first time on his own, and upon landing he knew for sure that he needed his own plane.

Boeing went to Los Angeles to study airplane piloting with Glenn Martin, an unsurpassed authority of those years. He returned from Los Angeles on his own seaplane.

On the shores of Lake Union, Boeing rebuilt an old boat hangar for airplanes and organized the Pacific Aero Club, which gave everyone the opportunity to take a ride in an airplane for little money.

Martin's seaplane design did not suit Boeing, and William decided to create his own plane.
Together with Westervelt, they found self-taught engineer Herb Munter, who was experimenting with airplanes in his barn near Seattle, on the island of Duhamish. He helped develop the design of a new seaplane (named B&W after the first letters of the customers' last names) and built the first two aircraft.

On July 15, 1916, William Boeing took his first airplane into the air, and just a month later he registered the Pacific Aero Products Co. (later the company was renamed Boeing Airplane), which was supposed to build seaplanes for the US Navy. Boeing invested almost $100,000 in this company - gigantic money at that time.

Thanks to its production diversification strategy, Boeing Airplane has mastered the postal market. And in 1927, having won a contract with the US Federal Postal Department (the victory was won by the Model 40-A aircraft), Boeing became the world's first air mail carrier. To implement the postal and other transportation project, the head of the company created the first service division - Boeing Air Transport. The first air transport route San Francisco - Chicago also began to function. But this was not enough for the innovator. In 1929, a new three-engine aircraft model 80As for 12 passengers took to the skies. Flight attendants boarded the plane for the first time.

In 1930, William Boeing presented the Monomail cargo-passenger vehicle to the public (its streamlined shapes resemble modern Boeings). Soon, the Boeing Airplane Company turned into the Boeing Airplane & Transport Corporation. New divisions also appeared: Boeing School of Aeronautics in Oakland, Boeing Aircraft of Canada, etc. The company assembled aircraft, built airfields, produced engines and propellers, trained pilots and aircraft technicians, and provided air transport services.

And on February 1, 1929, a real colossus was born - United Aircraft & Transportation Corporation. The Boeing Corporation has become a powerful aircraft manufacturing and transport empire, and its head is one of the richest and most successful businessmen in America.

To prevent autocracy in the air transport sector, the US Parliament passed a law in 1934 that destroyed the Boeing empire. The new document prohibited aircraft manufacturing companies from simultaneously being owners of transport and postal companies. The huge holding broke up into:

• United Air Lines (air transportation)
• United Aircraft;
• Boeing Aircraft Company (aircraft construction on the east and west coasts of America).

For a long time, William Boeing could not recover from the blow: everything that had been created with such difficulty was destroyed with one stroke of the pen. Broken and tired, the tycoon retired, deciding to watch his aviation creation from the sidelines. The reins of power were handed over to friends and colleagues - Philip Johnson and Claremont Egtvedt. However, the life of a rentier did not suit Boeing's restless nature. At the age of 53, he opened a new business. Thoroughbred stud horses became his new passion.

After 1934, Boeing devoted all its efforts to developing new aircraft models. In 1935, the Kaydet fighter was born, which became the main training aircraft of US aviation. More than 10,000 of these machines were built. In 1936, Boeing signed a contract with PanAmerican and became its main partner for many years. In 1938, the passenger model 307 Stratoliner was released, which became the model aircraft for passenger lines for the next 10 years.

At the same time, the B-17 and B-29 bombers were developed, as well as the XPBB-1 Sea Ranger naval bomber.

During World War II, Boeing became the largest manufacturer of military aircraft in the world. At its facilities, not only the B-17 and B-29 were assembled, but also aircraft developed by competitors - the Douglas DC-7B attack aircraft. The Allied air fleet that rained thousands of tons of bombs on Germany at the end of the war was almost entirely assembled in Boeing factories. The bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was also a Boeing creation.
The year 1944 went down in company history as the “Battle of Kansas.” Every conceivable productivity record was broken at the Wichita Assembly Plant this year. Working in emergency mode, the plant produced up to 16 aircraft per day - a record that has not yet been broken.

After the war, orders dried up, and hard times began again for Boeing. In 1946, the company had to lay off 70,000 people. To the holder of the post general director William Allen had to urgently look for ways out of the crisis. The company began work on new passenger aircraft, presented models of new bombers to the US government, and for the first time began producing ballistic missiles and surface-to-air interceptor missiles. Under Allen's leadership, the company began producing the legendary B-52 flying fortresses, the KC-135 aerial tankers, and the first American jet passenger aircraft, the 707 model.

In 1958, three 707-120 aircraft were purchased by the US Air Force for the president of the country and his inner circle. This convoy was assigned the call sign Air Force One. Since then, in most countries of the world, the plane of the president of the country is called “Air Force One.”

In 1960, the Boeing Corporation began to develop the space sector. The first designs of the manned orbital station Dyna-Soar and the Saturn V launch vehicle, intended for the Apollo program, appeared. In 1963, NASA selected Boeing to fly into lunar orbit and photograph the lunar surface from close range. This project was implemented in 1966, and in 1969 the Apollo 11 spacecraft, launched into orbit using the Saturn carrier, delivered astronauts to the Moon.

In the early 60s several major airlines approached Boeing with a proposal to develop a mass-produced model jet plane capable of using the runways of small airports, operating even if one engine fails, being more economical than the B-707, and easy to operate and maintain.

Thus, the Boeing 727 was created - a narrow-body, medium-range passenger aircraft. It made its first flight on February 9, 1963.

In 1967, the 737 took off on its first flight and was destined to become one of the best-selling aircraft in aviation history. The total number of cars sold exceeded 2000 units.

In 1968, Boeing developed what was then the largest passenger airliner 747. The world's first double-decker giant, which the company good-naturedly nicknamed Jumbo Jet.

With the 737 and 747, Boeing cemented its leadership in the aircraft manufacturing market and literally revolutionized the airline industry.

In the early 80s, two new Boeing models were born - the 757 and 767. The narrow-body 757 was created as a replacement for the aging 727. As for the Boeing 767, it was designed for medium and long-haul airlines. In addition, this aircraft has become a serious competitor to the Airbus A300, which is gaining popularity in Europe.

Almost until the mid-90s, Boeing improved its model range, until the market situation, as well as competition with Airbus, McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed, forced the company to begin developing a long-range wide-body airliner with 400-500 seats.

Thus, in 1994, the Boeing 777 was born. For the first time, airlines and passengers took an active part in the development of this machine. Their opinion had the highest priority, and the resulting machine, according to Boeing, became the most consumer-oriented machine in the world.

By the late 1990s, it became obvious that the Boeing 767 was significantly outdated and could not compete with rival Airbus's new designs, such as the Airbus A330. In 2001, Boeing announced the start of development of a new project, the Boeing Sonic Cruiser. The company promised that the new aircraft would be able to fly at speeds close to sound, while on average consuming no more fuel (due to a shorter flight time) than the 767 or A330. Due to the terrorist attacks of September 11 and rising oil prices, it became clear that airlines were more interested in flight efficiency than speed, and the Sonic Cruiser project, which was also expensive and technologically complex, was suspended.

However, on January 28, 2005, Boeing presented its new project– 787 Dreamliner. The aircraft replaced the Sonic Cruiser concept, inheriting many of the ideas and technologies of its predecessor.

Boeing 787 is wide-body airliner designed to carry from 296 to 350 passengers over a distance of up to 15,700 km. The 787 was the first passenger aircraft to have a fuselage made entirely of composite materials. It first flew on December 15, 2009.

Today, there are about 12,000 Boeing jetliners in operation around the world, representing approximately 75% of the global fleet.