|
Boeing B 1
This flying boat of 1919 was the first Boeing airplane
designed from the outset for commercial use. Unable to compete in price
with surplus World War I airplanes, the B-1 was not a commercial success.
The B-1 was a "pusher-style" flying boat, with its engine at the rear. It
could carry a pilot and two passengers, as well as mail or cargo. The hull
was laminated wood veneer, and the wing frames were spruce and plywood.
It outlasted six engines in eight years of
international airmail runs between Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia.
Flown by Eddie Hubbard, the B-1 covered 350,000 miles -- remarkable for
the time.
First flight: |
Dec. 27,
1919 |
Model number: |
6 |
Classification: |
Civil flying
boat |
Span: |
50 feet 3
inches |
Length: |
31 feet 3
inches |
Gross weight: |
3,850 pounds |
Top speed: |
90 mph |
Cruising speed: |
80 mph |
Range: |
400 miles |
Ceiling: |
13,300 feet |
Power:
|
200-horsepower Hall-Scott L-6 or
400-horsepower Liberty engine |
Accommodation: |
1 pilot, 2
passengers |
|
|
|