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For educational purposes
Great Planes looks into the stories behind the most influential, innovative and intriguing machines that ever took flight.
While most airlines and manufacturers were hesitant to use jet technology for civilian transport, Boeing forged ahead with the 707 and its military sister, the 717.
Great Planes looks into the stories behind the most influential, innovative and intriguing machines that ever took flight.
While most airlines and manufacturers were hesitant to use jet technology for civilian transport, Boeing forged ahead with the 707 and its military sister, the 717.
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00:30Transcription by CastingWords
01:00In 1952, the Boeing company took an enormous risk in developing a prototype jet transport aircraft.
01:12They gambled more than the company's net worth on the project.
01:16If the new aircraft had failed, it may have taken the company with it.
01:30In fact, the 707 family became one of the most spectacular success stories in the history of aerial transport.
01:40On the 15th of May, 1954, the Boeing 367-80, now famous as the Dash 80, was rolled out before an admiring audience of employees and guests.
02:06Interest in the project was high, in spite of the traumatic experiences the British had encountered with the jet-powered de Havilland Comet.
02:14None of those assembled had any doubt about the significance of the occasion.
02:18But few guessed they were in the presence of one of the most important individual aircraft ever built.
02:27The Dash 80 was designed as a one-off to prove the concept of a jet-powered transport.
02:34Drawing on their experience in jet bombers, Boeing's design team developed a totally new plane.
02:40The wing was an all-new design, with the same 35-degree sweep as the military jets, but much more rigid.
02:55Wing flaps were divided to avoid engine exhaust interference.
02:59Two sets of ailerons were used, one for high-speed cruise, and the other for take-off and landing.
03:06Dash 80 had a tricycle undercarriage, with two sets of main wheels retracting into the body, and a double nose wheel.
03:24Dash 80 had a tricycle undercarriage, with two sets of main wheels retracting into the body, and a double nose wheel.
03:24It was powered by four Pratt & Whitney JT-3 turbojets, mounted on single pods, slung below and ahead of the wing.
03:49These were the civil equivalent of B-52 engines.
03:52Mounting the engines individually not only gave better weight distribution, but simplified the maintenance process.
04:00The hinged side panels of the nacelles allowed easy access to the entire engine.
04:08Taxiing trials began almost immediately, but on the 22nd of May, Dash 80 had a problem.
04:15Its port undercarriage collapsed.
04:17Although structural damage was slight, the test program was put back by six weeks for repairs.
04:24Dash 80 was 127 feet in length, with a wingspan of almost 130 feet.
04:37The cockpit accommodated a pilot, co-pilot, and navigator.
04:45There was no standard passenger seating in the cabin.
04:49As a purpose-built experimental aircraft, it had very few refinements.
04:54The fuselage interior was virtually bare, and featured few cabin windows.
04:59Boeing had put two years of secret development into the plane, and had very clear ideas what they wanted from it.
05:13Tex Johnson, Boeing's senior test pilot, was chosen to pilot the Dash 80 on its delayed maiden flight on the 15th of July, 1954.
05:23As the crew ran through their checklists, they carried with them the hopes of the company.
05:34Theoretically, there should have been huge military and civil markets for the plane.
05:38However, Boeing had been cautious.
05:41They had been in no hurry to enter the commercial market.
05:43This was partly because there was some resistance to jet airliners from the traveling public and the airlines.
05:51Also, the company was busy developing and building bombers.
05:55With Dash 80, not only did Boeing finally commit themselves to the market, but they stole a march on their opposition.
06:02The company's board had taken the decision to build the plane on the 22nd of April, 1952.
06:08They were convinced the USAF would need to buy jet transports.
06:14They were also convinced that a suitable design would not only meet the military need, but could also be offered in a civil version.
06:29The four turbojets propelled Dash 80 into the air after using only 2,100 feet of runway.
06:36Johnson later noted that the plane wanted to climb like a rocket, and he had to throttle back to keep within the airspeed limits set for the first flight.
06:47The first uneventful test lasted only one hour, 24 minutes, and in the eight days following, a total of 15 hours, 46 minutes flying time was logged.
06:57The increasing performance of jet fighters and jet bombers meant that these aircraft were forced to slow down and lose altitude when refueling from traditional piston-engine transports.
07:11It did not take long for the USAF to evaluate Dash 80 and appreciate its potential as a tanker.
07:19Air-to-air refueling had become very important, particularly with the growth of the jet fighter fleet during the Korean War, and the available tankers were clearly inadequate.
07:29An all-jet tanker was needed.
07:36Dash 80 was the right plane at the right time.
07:39Three weeks after Dash 80's first test flight, and before it had been tested as a tanker, Boeing received a contract from the USAF for the delivery of 29 aircraft.
07:56It was a welcome boost to the company's morale, at a time when there had been little positive response to a civil variant.
08:03Dash 80 was soon fitted with a modified flying boom, and the successful refueling test program was quickly underway.
08:12On October 5, 1954, the military variant was officially given the designation KC-135A, when the contracts were formalized.
08:33Although the initial military order was for a limited number of planes, the potential was enormous.
08:44Towards the end of 1953, the USAF had called for expressions of interest to supply the Strategic Air Command with a jet tanker fleet to extend the capabilities of its B-47s and B-52s.
08:58Six companies had been invited to make formal submissions.
09:01The USAF tender actually called for the provision of 800 tankers.
09:07The stakes for Boeing were enormous.
09:19While Dash 80 continued its tests, production of the KC-135A began at Boeing's Renton factory.
09:26Although it could not be foreseen at the time, the model would continue to roll off the line for the next 10 years.
09:34No less than 732 KC-135As would be built.
09:40The A models were all fitted with uprated Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojets.
09:45They had considerable fuel capacity with up to 21 tanks.
09:50A KC-135A could carry up to 160 troops or 83,000 pounds of payload.
09:58Because polar areas are strategically important, a specially equipped version for operation in arctic conditions was built.
10:08The aircraft had facilities to allow crew to live aboard for weeks at a time, independent of ground support.
10:15The equipment included a living area, bunks and food storage facilities.
10:20The first production KC-135A strato tanker was rolled out at Renton on the 18th of July, 1956.
10:32The basic KC-135A was little changed from the Dash 80 prototype, retaining the same overall dimensions.
10:41The first tanker flew on the 31st of August, 1956.
10:45After an initial test period, the type entered service with Strategic Air Command in mid-1957.
10:59The strato tanker was distinguished by the absence of windows and the boom operator's station.
11:05The high-speed boom was slung neatly beneath the rear fuselage.
11:09As a military aircraft, the KC-135A was designed to performance and safety standards different from those required by civil authorities.
11:20The J57 turbojets were water-injected and resulted in excruciating noise and sooty smoke on take-off.
11:27With a gross take-off weight of 316,000 pounds, the jet needed a field length of 13,600 feet, a distance unacceptable for civil operation.
11:40The airframe was built from a different alloy to the commercial variant.
11:43The flying boom refuelling system adopted in the KC-135A was a Boeing invention.
12:03The 27-foot boom is constructed of concentric tubes and can be extended to 46 feet.
12:08Docking is controlled from the tanker by the boom operator, who flies the boom into position.
12:16After the boom makes contact with the receiver aircraft, fuel is pumped from the tanks through a series of valves and a pressure regulator into the boom, then into the receiver.
12:27The standard speed booms can be interchanged with high-speed booms to suit aircraft such as the SR-71 Blackbird.
12:38The Air Force contract gave Boeing both the confidence and financial security it needed to continue its sales drive into the lucrative civil market.
12:52Pan American was Boeing's first 707 customer, with an order for 20 aircraft in October 1955.
12:59To Boeing's irritation, Pan Am also ordered 20 Douglas DC-8s on the same day, even though that plane would not fly for another three years.
13:11The inaugural 707 airline service was launched on the 26th of October 1958, when Pan Am flew 111 passengers from New York to Paris.
13:22Soon after, American Airlines initiated the first scheduled passenger jet flight from Los Angeles to New York.
13:31Flight time across the U.S. was effectively halved to about four hours.
13:37During the first 18 days operating the service, American carried 3,720 passengers, a load factor of 99.5%.
13:46Using doors at both ends of the cabin meant that passengers were able to board and disembark quickly.
13:55This was considered a major advantage, but it meant changes to airport design and operation.
14:01The first 707s were designated 707-120.
14:06The 120 had been designed primarily for domestic routes, although Pan Am adopted it for transatlantic flights.
14:12The cabin accommodated 121 first-class passengers, or 179 economy.
14:20With the advent of longer-range 707s, most of the 120 series were relegated to domestic services.
14:28The 707's roomy fuselage and superior performance quickly became popular with passengers and crew alike.
14:35There were obvious advantages in flying above weather conditions that the contemporary prop liners would have to fly through.
14:44Flights were smoother, faster, and much safer.
14:48The cabin provided space for twice the number of passengers of the older constellations.
14:53Flying became a real option for more and more travellers.
14:56Just as jet travel killed off competition from prop liners, it also sounded the death knell for most of the passenger ships,
15:11which even until the 60s carried more travellers than holiday makers.
15:14To say that a revolution in transport had begun is an understatement.
15:26Competition from the Douglas DC-8, the Convair 880, and some of the European types would become intense.
15:33Boeing was forced to embark on a programme of building even better jetliners.
15:37The original risk of $15 million had been left far behind.
15:42Now, the stakes would approach $100 million.
15:50Although Boeing held a considerable production lead with the 707,
15:54Douglas had attracted interest in the DC-8 by promising higher payloads, longer range, and more powerful engines,
16:01as well as other advantages for both airlines and passengers.
16:07While Pan Am and American were plying their trade with the 707-120,
16:13another important version was already in development.
16:16In response to Douglas' challenge,
16:18Boeing had announced the development of a new 707,
16:21offering greater range and capacity.
16:24The Intercontinental 707-320.
16:30In a hydrostatic test tank,
16:32the fuselage of the Intercontinental 707-320
16:35was subjected to the equivalent of 40 years flying,
16:39or 50,000 flight cycles.
16:42While submerged in the tank,
16:44the fuselage was intentionally ripped open,
16:47then stressed with cycles of abnormally high pressures and heavy loads.
16:52The torn body withstood the punishment
16:54without further structural damage occurring.
16:56The 707-320 first flew on the 11th of January 1959.
17:10So successful was the test series
17:12that only 35 days later,
17:15the plane was handed over to the Federal Aviation Agency
17:17for certification trials.
17:20At Edwards Air Force Base in California,
17:22the Intercontinental was put through its paces.
17:26It could not carry a passenger
17:27until it received a certificate of airworthiness from the FAA.
17:33FAA test pilots undertook a detailed review
17:36of the aircraft's flying personality,
17:38while ground-based engineers measured the reactions of every component.
17:44Day after day,
17:45the test team propelled the mighty jet
17:47at altitudes from sagebrush level to stratosphere,
17:50over speeds ranging from near stall
17:52to 700 miles an hour.
17:55The Intercontinental 707-320
17:58was over 12 feet longer than the 707-120
18:01and had a wingspan almost 12 feet greater.
18:05It was the first of the breed
18:06to be truly intercontinental
18:08and directly challenged Douglas's promises
18:11for the DC-8.
18:14The powerful Pratt & Whitney JT-4 turbojets
18:18enabled the aircraft to carry a payload equivalent
18:21to 189 passengers.
18:24One of the final tests in the FAA program
18:27involved ballast tanks being installed in the cabin
18:30and filled with water
18:31to approximate the weight of 180 passengers
18:34or 45,000 pounds of payload.
18:38Another nine tons were added for good measure,
18:41taking the aircraft's total weight
18:43to 316,000 pounds,
18:46a daunting prospect for the FAA team
18:49of pilots, engineers and technicians.
19:00As the test day dawned,
19:03conditions were perfect for maximum weight takeoff
19:06and the big turbojets needed only two-thirds of the runway
19:09to lift the Intercontinental into the air.
19:13The 707-320 was offered
19:15with the Rolls-Royce Conway Mark 508 turbojet
19:18as an engine option.
19:20BOAC were one of the first to take this engine choice,
19:24mainly because the Conway was a British product
19:26and the decision to purchase a 707 rather than a British aircraft
19:30was politically sensitive.
19:32During the course of trials for its British certificate,
19:36a number of extensive modifications had to be implemented.
19:39These included a taller fin
19:41and power-assisted rudder,
19:43which were later included as standard
19:44on the production line.
19:45The first truly intercontinental flight of the jet age
19:55was the final test flight
19:56under full airline operating conditions.
19:59The Intercontinental 707-320,
20:02with its new Boeing livery,
20:04was bound for Rome, Italy.
20:10William Allen, the chairman of Boeing,
20:12had good reason to smile.
20:15After taking off from Boeing Field in Seattle,
20:24the 707-320 headed northeast
20:26on the Great Circle course.
20:28It overflew Canada, Greenland, Scotland and Germany.
20:33For most of the journey,
20:34the aircraft cruised at Mark 0.78,
20:37reaching a maximum altitude of 39,160 feet.
20:42It landed in Rome
20:43only 11 hours, 6 minutes after take-off.
20:45The journey was the longest ever undertaken
20:48by a jet airliner to that time.
20:51The next day,
20:52the plane flew on to Paris,
20:54Frankfurt and Brussels
20:55before landing at Heathrow
20:57for a night stop.
20:59The FAA certification
21:00was awarded on September 23, 1958,
21:04and the transport revolution continued.
21:06By the end of 1958,
21:16the Boeing plant workers at Renton
21:18were building for the airlines of 11 nations.
21:22As well as versions of the standard 707,
21:25they were also gearing up for the intercontinental
21:27and a speedy new development.
21:30This variant would eventually be different enough
21:32to warrant its own identity.
21:35It would be marketed as the Boeing 720.
21:41Different variants were assembled side by side.
21:44The airline labels provide clues.
21:47South African airlines had orders for the intercontinental 320,
21:50as did Vareg of Brazil.
21:53At the same time,
21:54this plane for Lufthansa
21:55is fitted with the Rolls-Royce Conway engines.
21:59This version had proved popular
22:00and Boeing were now marketing it
22:02as the 707-420.
22:05As deliveries gathered pace,
22:07707 milestones came in quick succession.
22:09The 100th 707,
22:12which rolled off the line
22:13in the livery of Air India International,
22:16was another 707-420.
22:19By the end of 1959,
22:22the medium-range 720s
22:24were rolling for United Airlines.
22:27In all,
22:27154 of this model
22:29were constructed in two versions.
22:33Lufthansa flew home to Germany
22:35in record time.
22:36Sabina commenced 707 services
22:41to Africa and Russia.
22:44This model 720
22:46was clocked at a speed of Mach 0.9,
22:49just as the designers had promised.
22:52A Rolls-Royce-powered intercontinental
22:54made history for BOAC
22:56with the first non-stop crossing
22:58of the North Pacific
22:59from Seattle to Tokyo.
23:04Air France brought the model 320
23:06into the transatlantic route.
23:13A special tropical version
23:15began service with Braniff.
23:19The new jets were so popular
23:21that until sufficient numbers
23:23had entered service,
23:24they were filled
23:24with first-class travellers.
23:27Within a year of entering service,
23:29over two million passengers
23:30had been carried.
23:31Australia's airline Qantas
23:38opened a service
23:39from Sydney to San Francisco.
23:42This was only one of many
23:43new routes
23:44opened up by airlines
23:45around the world
23:46with the arrival
23:47of Boeing's new aircraft.
23:48Despite considerable pressure
23:58to buy British,
24:00Qantas chose the 707-120.
24:03Boeing had designed
24:04this short-bodied version
24:05specifically to allow Qantas
24:07to operate from Sydney's
24:08short runway,
24:10as well as the short runways
24:11of its specific
24:12stopover destinations.
24:14The longer routes
24:15typically flown by Qantas
24:16meant that some passenger capacity
24:18could be sacrificed
24:19in favour of performance.
24:32The reduced capacity
24:33was more than repaid
24:34in the plane's
24:35improved range and speed.
24:37Only seven were built,
24:39but they were a great success.
24:41Qantas passengers
24:42were to see
24:42the Pacific Ocean journey
24:44cut down to a mere 15 hours.
24:48production of the last 707 series
24:57ended in 1979
24:58after 917 of all versions
25:01had been built.
25:0319 different models
25:04have been operated
25:05by 62 different airlines.
25:08At least 300 of those aircraft
25:10are still in service.
25:15One of the clearest signals
25:17that the jet age
25:18was here to stay
25:18occurred in December 1959
25:20when this United States
25:22Air Force 707,
25:24a C-137A,
25:26landed in Rome.
25:27The jet,
25:28with President Eisenhower
25:29aboard,
25:30was on a mission
25:31titled Operation Monsoon.
25:33The President
25:34was to visit
25:3511 countries
25:35in 19 days.
25:38Such a journey
25:38would previously
25:39have taken
25:40over a month.
25:41In Turkey,
25:46the President
25:46was greeted
25:47by over 400,000 people.
25:57In India,
25:58one of Eisenhower's dreams
25:59was realized
26:00when he visited
26:01the Taj Mahal
26:02with President Nehru.
26:03When he arrived
26:15in Athens
26:16via Tehran,
26:18he had covered
26:18the entire empire
26:19of Alexander the Great
26:21in one day's travel.
26:26The President's journey
26:27would take him
26:28through France,
26:29Spain,
26:29and Morocco
26:30before his return
26:31to the United States.
26:33His trip
26:33was a triumph.
26:35Huge crowds
26:36greeted him
26:36wherever he went.
26:38But the significance
26:38of the journey
26:39went far beyond diplomacy.
26:42For millions of people,
26:43it opened up
26:44a new way
26:44of traveling the world.
26:46Packaged tourists
26:47have been repeating
26:48Eisenhower's experience
26:49ever since.
26:51For Boeing,
26:52the significance
26:53of the entire mission
26:54was that it was
26:55only possible
26:56because of the 707.
27:01Although the military
27:05had its own version
27:06of the plane,
27:07the C-135,
27:08the USAF
27:09had also purchased
27:10civilian 707 examples,
27:13distinguishing them
27:14with the designation
27:14C-137.
27:16They replaced
27:17the Air Force's
27:18small VIP fleet.
27:20From Eisenhower
27:21to Reagan,
27:22they carried
27:22each President
27:23in turn.
27:24Folks,
27:31thank you very much
27:32indeed for coming out
27:33on this cold night
27:34to welcome
27:35my party and me
27:36back home.
27:37It's certainly
27:38good to be here.
27:39Now,
27:40I must remind you
27:41that this morning
27:42we had breakfast
27:43in Madrid,
27:45lunch in Casablanca,
27:48and now we are home
27:49at an hour
27:51which by our
27:52getting up time
27:52was at five
27:54or six o'clock
27:55in the morning.
27:56So you can realize
27:57that this is not
27:58a time
27:59for a very erudite
28:00and informing speech.
28:08As presidential
28:09transports,
28:10the planes themselves
28:11have become
28:12part of history.
28:14This aircraft,
28:14for example,
28:15was Air Force One
28:16from 1962
28:17to 1972.
28:19Its saddest moment
28:20came when it was
28:21used to return
28:22the body of John F. Kennedy
28:23to Washington
28:24after his assassination.
28:33The name
28:34Air Force One
28:35has passed on
28:35to other airframes.
28:37It's actually
28:38the radio call sign
28:39used only
28:40when the president
28:40is aboard the plane.
28:42The VC-137s
28:44were operated
28:45by the air transport wing.
28:47Each was configured
28:48with a custom-built interior
28:49luxuriously equipped
28:51with only 22 seats.
28:53They were also fitted
28:54with very special
28:55navigation
28:56and communication
28:56installations
28:57for global
28:58self-sufficiency.
29:00In 1989,
29:01the presidential duties
29:03were taken over
29:04by a pair
29:04of Boeing 747s.
29:10In contrast
29:11to the small number
29:12of C-137s,
29:14a large fleet
29:15of their close relative,
29:16the C-135,
29:17was built.
29:18Many of the individual
29:19airframes
29:20have been repeatedly
29:21re-equipped
29:21and they've been used
29:23in a mind-boggling array
29:24of configurations
29:25by many branches
29:26of the services.
29:28During the Vietnam War,
29:30the 135 series
29:31really came into its own
29:32with as many
29:33as 10 different variants
29:34operating in the theater
29:36at any one time.
29:38Several of the series
29:39were modified
29:40to accommodate
29:40electronic communications
29:42and intelligence equipment
29:43under the direction
29:44of the Strategic Air Command.
29:47EC-135s,
29:49acting as airborne
29:50command posts,
29:51performed one of the
29:52most critical functions
29:53of the air war.
29:55They were developed
29:55from planes intended
29:56for a different purpose.
29:58The EC-135 aircraft
29:59looks like just about
30:00any other C-135 series
30:02aircraft in the
30:03Air Force inventory.
30:04The big difference
30:05is in the back.
30:06This is the SAC
30:07airborne command post
30:08known as the looking glass.
30:09The airborne command post
30:10is a scaled-down version
30:12of the SAC's primary
30:12underground command post
30:14and has the same
30:14basic capabilities.
30:16On a day-to-day basis,
30:17the underground command post
30:19controls SAC's forces
30:20around the world,
30:21but it would be
30:21a primary target
30:22for a potential enemy
30:24during wartime.
30:25If the underground command post
30:27is disabled,
30:28control of SAC's forces
30:29passes to the airborne
30:30command post.
30:31Its battle staff
30:32is trained to manage
30:33any counterattack
30:34the President may direct
30:35and to direct the recovery
30:37of returning bomber
30:37and tanker forces.
30:38There's an airborne command post
30:40flying over the Midwest
30:4124 hours a day.
30:46Additionally,
30:47the looking glass aircraft
30:48has the capability
30:49to launch the
30:50Minuteman Missile Force
30:51if primary launch
30:52control centers
30:53are disabled.
30:58At least 40 aircraft
31:00have, at some time
31:01or other,
31:01been modified
31:02to EC-135 standards.
31:05They've been fitted
31:05with a variety of equipment
31:07for use in several roles.
31:09The looking glass planes
31:10are perhaps
31:11the most important.
31:13Three, four,
31:13can I start?
31:15Yeah, we're about ready
31:15to take off.
31:16Communications is
31:17the key element
31:18in maintaining
31:19command and control
31:20of the forces.
31:21Looking glass is equipped
31:22with radios covering
31:23a wide spectrum
31:24of frequencies
31:24and includes the
31:25Air Force satellite
31:26communications system.
31:28At the touch of a button,
31:29the battle staff
31:30can talk to any SAC base
31:31around the globe.
31:32The looking glass
31:34EC-135
31:36was manned
31:36by a team of 16.
31:38This was made up
31:39of five flight crew,
31:41ten staff
31:41and a very senior officer.
31:43Ancient battles now.
31:44Major General Buckman
31:45is on board the aircraft.
31:50The planes could be
31:51kept aloft indefinitely,
31:53being capable
31:54of reverse refueling
31:55from SAC bombers
31:56through the boom,
31:58as well as being equipped
31:59with a normal
31:59refueling point.
32:00Air Force EC-135s
32:03have appeared
32:04in eight different versions.
32:06As befits their importance,
32:07they're given
32:08very special treatment.
32:11Battery switch.
32:12Emergency.
32:13Check with ground.
32:15Ground pilot,
32:15clear on three.
32:17Right, sir.
32:17Clear for an afternoon
32:18and three.
32:18Part of that, please.
32:19Turning three.
32:22Rotation.
32:24Lights out.
32:27Well, there's certainly
32:28been a lot of changes
32:29in the looking glass
32:30as far as the equipment
32:32and the performance
32:33of the aircraft
32:33over the past 21 years.
32:35But the basic mission
32:37to provide a survival
32:38command and control element
32:39has not changed.
32:41I think the great achievement
32:43is it's been airborne
32:44continuously for 21 years,
32:46and that's due to a lot
32:47of dedicated people.
32:49We have outstanding air crews,
32:50battle staff,
32:52but mainly the people
32:54who supported on the ground
32:55have allowed this to happen.
32:56primarily the maintenance people.
32:59They have to be out here
33:0024 hours a day
33:01to ensure that we maintain
33:03this record
33:03and we can meet
33:04our commitment.
33:07The EC-135s were first
33:09produced in the mid-1960s,
33:12but many of them
33:12remain in service today.
33:15Among their many
33:16service milestones
33:16are the tactical command
33:18during the 1986 raid on Libya,
33:20the confirmation
33:21of the Chernobyl accident
33:23through intercepts
33:24of Russian communications,
33:25and more recently,
33:27their key role
33:28during the Gulf War.
33:36In the late 60s,
33:38the USAF awarded Boeing
33:39a contract for conversion
33:41of two Series 320
33:42civil airliners.
33:44On completion,
33:45there was no mistaking
33:46the pair,
33:47since both carried
33:48a 30-foot diameter
33:49rotating antenna
33:50above the rear fuselage.
33:54Designated EC-137,
33:56these were the first
33:57of the 707-based AWACS,
33:59Airborne Warning
34:00and Control System aircraft.
34:07The AWACS were developed
34:09as a combination
34:10of radar station,
34:11communication centre,
34:12and command post.
34:13They're mobile,
34:15flexible,
34:16survivable,
34:17and jamming resistant.
34:18With the ability
34:19to offer long-range
34:21surveillance in all weather
34:22and above all terrain types,
34:24they've become
34:24an essential element
34:25of Western defence.
34:28As AWACS,
34:29the aerial sentries,
34:30the military 707s
34:32have really come
34:33into their own.
34:34A supersonic jet
34:51travelling at twice
34:52the speed of sound
34:53will move only
34:54one-eighth of an inch
34:56in the time it takes
34:57a laser beam
34:58to travel one mile.
35:01At the Air Force
35:02Weapons Laboratory
35:03at Kirkland, New Mexico,
35:05an airborne laser laboratory
35:07has been developed.
35:09The aircraft was rebuilt
35:10from an early KC-135
35:12production tanker.
35:14It features a narrow hump
35:15on top of the fuselage
35:17with a rotating turret
35:18at the front.
35:19The fixture is five feet high
35:21and weighs around
35:224,000 pounds.
35:24The turret is capable
35:26of rotating
35:26at about 100 degrees
35:28per second.
35:32The airborne laser laboratory
35:37is operated and flown
35:39by the 49th
35:40and 50th test wing.
35:42The carbon dioxide
35:43laser technology
35:44has been tested
35:45on all types
35:46of materials
35:47used in aircraft construction
35:48to determine effectiveness.
35:51The engineers
35:51and scientists on board
35:53are those who developed
35:54the sophisticated
35:55high-energy laser program.
35:57The airborne laboratory
36:07gives the scientists
36:08the opportunity
36:08to operate the equipment
36:10which they helped conceive,
36:11design, and build.
36:13In addition,
36:14they've provided
36:14another instance
36:15of the multitude
36:16of appearances
36:17that the 707 family
36:19has taken on
36:20over the years.
36:21Since the mid-60s,
36:29the USAF
36:30has been constantly
36:30maintaining
36:31and updating
36:32its KC-135 tanker fleet.
36:35A notable milestone
36:36for the tankers
36:37came with the fitting
36:38of fuel-efficient
36:39fan engines
36:40for greater thrust
36:41and instant start capability.
36:44The 30% increase
36:45in thrust
36:45of the engines
36:46is accompanied
36:47by fuel savings
36:48of 27%.
36:4985% less noise
36:52and 90% less emissions.
36:55More important,
36:56the new engines
36:57have prolonged
36:57the life expectancy
36:58of the aircraft.
37:00The electronic,
37:01hydraulic,
37:02and flight control systems
37:03of the re-engine planes
37:05have also been updated
37:06as part of the same program.
37:12Another of the many
37:13oddly bulging variants
37:15in the 135 series
37:16have been a number
37:17of reconnaissance aircraft
37:18with a distinctive
37:19thimble nose.
37:22A spacious bulb
37:23houses sensitive
37:23radar equipment.
37:25Many of these aircraft
37:26have also been equipped
37:27with camera ports
37:28and fuselage antennae.
37:31Their intelligence collection
37:32is constant
37:33and very important.
37:34even stranger looking
37:41were the eight
37:41EC-135Ns.
37:44Here the deformity
37:45of the nose
37:45is more exaggerated
37:46as it housed
37:48a seven foot diameter
37:49dish antennae.
37:50The planes were converted
37:51in 1967
37:52and their role
37:54was vital
37:55in the Apollo projects.
37:57Flying in pairs,
37:58these aircraft
37:59operated during
38:00manned space flights
38:01to permit
38:02continuous voice
38:03communications
38:04between the astronauts
38:05and ground control.
38:07In addition,
38:08they assisted
38:09in tracking
38:09the spacecraft.
38:12But in spite
38:12of the many
38:13wild and wonderful variants,
38:15it's still
38:15the KC-135 tanker
38:17that forms the backbone
38:18of the 135 series.
38:20Since the beginning
38:21of the re-engining
38:22program in 1980,
38:24the operational difference
38:25has been immense.
38:27The re-engined
38:28KC-135RE
38:30saves up to
38:31$400 million
38:32from the USAF budget
38:34annually
38:35in reduced fuel
38:36consumption alone.
38:38The increased fuel
38:39economy
38:39also gives the aircraft
38:41the ability
38:41to offload more fuel
38:43as it needs less
38:44for itself.
38:45As well as
38:48the re-engining
38:49of the aircraft,
38:5033 other
38:51major modifications
38:52have been made
38:53to improve
38:54strategic readiness.
38:56Less maintenance
38:56is required
38:57so that crews
38:58can get airborne
38:59faster.
39:07Around the world,
39:0824 hours a day,
39:10365 days a year,
39:12there are crews
39:13on alert
39:13to man the KC-135
39:16tanker aircraft.
39:26KC-135s
39:28were used
39:29to fuel
39:29the attacking
39:30F-111 force
39:31at least four times
39:32en route to Libya
39:33for the 1986 raid
39:35on Tripoli
39:35and another two times
39:37on the way back.
39:39Without them,
39:40the raid
39:40would not have been possible
39:41since both Spain
39:42and France
39:43denied the United States
39:45overflight rights.
39:47Besides the tankers,
39:48an EC-135E
39:50acted as tactical command
39:51for the raid.
39:52The final act
39:53of the raid
39:54came when another
39:55C-135 provided
39:56photographic evidence
39:58to Washington.
39:58in the Gulf
40:12during Operation Desert Storm,
40:14U.S. and French
40:15KC-135s provided the main
40:18in-flight refuelling capacity
40:19for all U.S. planes
40:21and several types
40:22of Allied aircraft.
40:23The powerful
40:28new turbofan engines
40:30give the rebuilt aircraft
40:31a massive thrust increase.
40:34Under normal weight conditions,
40:35the higher thrust
40:36enables take-off
40:37up to 2,500 feet
40:39before a similarly loaded
40:41earlier model
40:41would leave the ground.
40:43Maximum take-off weight
40:44is increased
40:45to 322,500 pounds.
40:54With the miserly consumption
40:56of the fan engines,
40:58the planes are able
40:59to offload 65% more fuel
41:01at a 1,500 mile radius
41:03and an incredible
41:05150% more
41:06at a 2,500 mile radius.
41:12At present,
41:13the average C-135 airframe
41:15has flown only a third
41:17of its expected
41:1830,000 hour life.
41:20There seems no doubt
41:21that the jet
41:22will be still in service
41:23beyond the current plans
41:25for their retirement
41:26around the year 2020.
41:29In 1972,
41:31Dash 80 was retired.
41:32Donated to the National
41:34Air and Space Museum,
41:35it sat cocooned
41:36in the Arizona desert
41:37for 18 years
41:38due to lack
41:39of exhibition space.
41:42The plane had been
41:43not only present
41:43at the birth
41:44of modern jet transport,
41:46but had been one
41:46of aviation's
41:47ultimate guinea pigs.
41:49It had helped
41:49to develop new aircraft
41:51and test new engines.
41:53In 1990,
41:55Dash 80's long sleep
41:56was disturbed.
41:57The old plane
41:58was refurbished
41:59for its final flight.
42:00A restoration crew
42:02began the painstaking task
42:04of bringing the old
42:05veteran back
42:06into flying condition.
42:13Every rivet
42:14was checked
42:15and rechecked.
42:20The old
42:21Pratt & Whitney
42:21turbojet engines
42:22were checked
42:23and overhauled.
42:37Finally,
42:38Dash 80 was ready,
42:40refurbished
42:41for its final flight
42:42back to its birthplace
42:43in Seattle.
42:44There,
42:45it would be restored
42:46to go on display
42:47in Boeing's
42:47Museum of Flight.
42:49Pilot Paul Bennett
42:50and co-pilot
42:51Jerry White
42:52were at the controls.
43:01Preparing the old
43:02plane for the flight
43:03had taken a hand-picked
43:04crew of 15 technicians
43:06and engineers
43:07a total of
43:081,000 man-hours.
43:15The world's
43:16most tested aircraft
43:18took off
43:18on its last long flight
43:20under a crew
43:21who were mere children
43:22when she first
43:23took to the air
43:24in 1954.
43:26The tests conducted
43:27on her 2,000 flights
43:28formed a mini history
43:29of the jet era.
43:32En route to Seattle,
43:33Dash 80 stopped
43:34at Moses Lake, Washington
43:35to pick up
43:36a celebrated team
43:37of old friends
43:38and admirers
43:39to be part
43:40of the plane's
43:40triumphant return
43:41to Boeing Field.
43:52First down the gangway
43:53among a team
43:54of Dash 80 veterans
43:55was none other
43:56than Tex Johnson,
43:58a man who first
43:59piloted the plane
44:00over 35 years earlier.
44:05Only one task
44:06was left
44:07to bring the jet
44:07back to its
44:08original glory.
44:10Using a new
44:10environmentally friendly
44:12paint stripping method
44:13employing dry ice
44:14rather than
44:14toxic chemicals,
44:16the plane was
44:17prepared for painting.
44:19Fittingly,
44:19this was the first
44:20use of this method,
44:22the Dash 80's
44:23last formal involvement
44:24in a test series.
44:25Every attention
44:33was given
44:33to recreating
44:34the original
44:35distinctive livery
44:36and finally
44:37the jet
44:38was ready
44:38for its public.
44:47It is fitting
44:48that a plane
44:49as historically important
44:50as Dash 80
44:51should be preserved.
44:53The plane
44:53should never be forgotten
44:54just as its contribution
44:56to aviation
44:57should never be
44:58underestimated.
45:00The Smithsonian
45:00has declared it
45:01one of the 12
45:02most important aircraft
45:03of all time.
45:05Before its retirement
45:06the plane was given
45:07one last flight
45:08to show off
45:09the gleaming
45:10new paint job.
45:17When Boeing
45:18started work
45:19on what was
45:19to become the 707
45:20they were a very
45:22minor player
45:23in civil aviation.
45:25Today
45:25they are the
45:26dominant force.
45:27The market itself
45:28has changed
45:29because of the
45:30fateful decision
45:31taken by the
45:31company board
45:32in 1952.
45:34The arrival
45:35of the 707
45:36opened up
45:37air transport
45:37to a new
45:38mass market.
45:40The many successful
45:41and important
45:41military aircraft
45:42based on the design
45:43are ultimately
45:45less significant
45:45than the civil
45:46development.
45:48When the Dash 80
45:48took to the air
45:49for the first time
45:50the world
45:51became a smaller
45:52place for all
45:53of mankind.
46:07Though well
46:08past its prime
46:09the 707
46:10continues to ply
46:11its trade
46:12in the skies.
46:13It will do so
46:14well into the next
46:15century being
46:16updated and maintained
46:17as freighters
46:18and specialist
46:19aircraft
46:19for as long
46:20as life remains
46:21in its aging
46:22but solid body.
46:24in its wings
46:26and many
46:27have a more
46:28lives
46:28in its ing
46:29or in its
46:31powered by
46:33the other
46:33ram
46:34and either
46:35has a more
46:35animated
46:36and either
46:37than the other
46:37years
46:38and the other
46:38than the other
46:38ๅฏไปฅ
46:39and the other
46:39fluffs
46:40and the other
46:41help.
46:41In their
46:42course
46:43in their
46:43way
46:43as long
46:47as long
46:48as long
46:49as long
46:50as long
46:52as long
Recommended
45:48
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