By Larry E. Nazimek

Entrance to Boeing’s “Above and Beyond” exhibit. As one walks through the entrance, the B & W Seaplane is the first thing they see. (Larry E. Nazimek)Boeing, whose headquarters is in Chicago, is celebrating its centennial, and their travelling exhibit, “Above & Beyond,” is making its rounds. We visited the exhibit as it opened in Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry.

Marcellus Rolle, of Boeing’s Centennial Anniversary Communications Office, explained, “Boeing does business worldwide, so there are actually three of these exhibits: one for the U. S., one for Europe, and one for Asia, in the appropriate languages. This one is in English, with Spanish subtitles.”

The first thing one sees as he enters the exhibit, is a ¼-scale model of the B & W Seaplane, named after its designers, William Boeing and U. S. Navy Lt. Conrad Westervelt. Made of wood, metal, and fabric, it was the first Boeing product. Its first flight was on June 15, 1916, and its maximum speed was 75 mph.