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Above & Beyond: Boeing’s Centennial Traveling Exhibit
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.
The Boeing Bee
By Paul Tannahill
Since restoration began on the aircraft in 1991, the Museum of Flights rare B-17F “Boeing Bee,” has been for the most part, inaccessible to the general public, largely viewable only by special appointment. (Paul Tannahill)One of the most iconic aircraft of WWII is the B-17. And nowhere is this sentiment more true than in the birthplace of Boeing, Seattle, Wash. After years hidden from public view, the Museum of Flight’s rare B-17F Boeing Bee has emerged from the shadows and has gone on display following an intensive restoration by museum volunteers.
Constructed by the Boeing Airplane Company in their Plant II facility at Boeing Field in Seattle, Wash., B-17F-70-BO s/n 42-29782, was accepted by the Army Air Force on Feb. 13, 1943. The aircraft was immediately flown to a modification center operated by United Airlines at Cheyenne, Wyo.
2011 CAF Airshow
By Joe Gonzalez
The Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (AKA the Warthog) prepares for landing. (Joe Gonzalez)The annual Commemorative Air Force Airsho was almost cancelled! The amount of liquid sun (rain) on Sat., Oct. 8 was more than the last years total! The weather-god must have heard the frustration and comments of the many pilots, the audience, the vendors, and the many CAF members in attendance. At noon, the scheduled time for the opening ceremony, the weather took a change for the better!
The Pearl Harbor reenactment, Tora, Tora, Tora, is always a crowd pleaser, and this year had more Tora aircraft than have been seen for several years. Some of the show’s other highlights included the American Volunteer Group (The Flying Tigers) and the opportunity to see the new Texan II trainer that is now coming into use by the US military.
You Can't Tame a Raptor
The invasion of the Raptors is coming to the California Capital Airshow. (Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller, USAF)By Karen Storm
In the wild, birds of prey are very distinctive in their attributes: a sharp, pointed beak; strong feet with razor-sharp talons; keen eyesight, and animals —even other birds— are their food source. Another name used to describe these birds is derived from the Latin word —Rapere— which means to plunder. They are smart, aggressive, cunning, and lethal. Such a bird is called a Raptor.
It is also the name of the United States Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, a designation made both appropriately and without apology. The F-22 Raptor, manufactured by the team of Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, and Pratt & Whitney, is the world’s only operational fifth-generation fighter, and it is absolutely masterful at conducting its stated mission of Air Dominance.