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B & W
First in a very long line of Boeing airplanes, the B&W
floats on Seattle's Lake Union in 1916. A second B&W was also built and
sold with the first to the government of New Zealand for airmail use in
1918.
The first B & W, completed in June 1916, was made of wood, linen, and
wire. Similar to the Martin trainer that Boeing owned, the B & W had,
among other improvements, better pontoons and a more powerful engine.
The two B & Ws were offered to the U.S. Navy. When the
Navy did not buy them, they were sold to the New Zealand Flying School and
became the company's first international sale. The B & Ws later were used
for New Zealand express and airmail deliveries, set a New Zealand altitude
record of 6,500 feet on June 25, 1919, and made that country's first
official airmail flight on Dec. 16, 1919.
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First flight: |
June 15,
1916 |
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Model number: |
1 |
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Classification: |
Utility
seaplane
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|
Span: |
52 feet |
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Length: |
27 feet 6
inches |
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Gross weight: |
2,800 pounds |
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Top speed: |
75 mph |
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Cruising speed: |
67 mph |
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Range: |
320 miles |
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Power:
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125-horsepower Hall-Scott A-5 engine |
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Accommodation: |
2 crew |
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