Boeing Model 1

B & W Seaplane
Replica of the Boeing B&W Seaplane at the Museum of Flight
Role Seaplane
Manufacturer Boeing
Designer William Edward Boeing
George Conrad Westervelt
First flight 15 June 1916[1]
Primary user New Zealand Flying School
Number built 2


The Boeing Model 1, also known as the B & W Seaplane, was a United States single-engine biplane seaplane aircraft. It was the first Boeing product and carried the initials of its designers, William Boeing and Lt. Conrad Westervelt USN.

Design

The first B & W was completed in June 1916 at Boeing's boathouse hangar on Lake Union in Seattle, Washington. It was made of wood, with wire bracing, and was linen-covered. It was similar to the Martin trainer aircraft that Boeing owned, but the B & W had better pontoons and a more powerful engine. The first B & W was named Bluebill, and the second was named Mallard. They first flew on 15 June 1916, and in November.

Operational history

The two B & Ws were offered to the United States 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. On June 25, 1919 the B&W set a New Zealand altitude record of 6,500 feet. The B & Ws were later used for express and airmail deliveries, making New Zealand's first official airmail flight on December 16, 1919.

Former Operators

 New Zealand

Specifications (B & W Seaplane)

Data from Boeing: History[2][1]

General characteristics

Performance

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boeing Model 1.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bowers, 1989, pg. 39
  2. ↑ "B & W Seaplane". Boeing. Retrieved 2007-03-23.