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In the early 1950s, the British pioneered jet travel with the De Havilland Comet. However, this initial triumph turned into tragedy when the aircraft suddenly began breaking apart in midair. The catastrophic and highly publicized failures convinced the public and major airline executives that passenger jet travel was inherently unsafe.
At the same time, Boeing was struggling to survive in the commercial sector after their complex piston-engine airliners failed to attract buyers. Facing irrelevance, Boeing President Bill Allen made a massive financial gamble to develop a revolutionary new jet passenger plane, the Dash-80 (Boeing 367-80) based on their highly successful B-47 military bomber experience. Although Boeing engineers designed an airframe capable of withstanding the structural stresses that had doomed the Comet, airlines remained deeply skeptical. Desperate to demonstrate the capability of their new prototype, Boeing organized a flight demonstration during a massive sporting event in Seattle. Before a crowd of hundreds of thousands and a yacht full of key airline industry executives, chief test pilot Tex Johnston executed a risky, unauthorized maneuver that seemingly defied the laws of physics for an airliner.
While Tex Johnston’s stunt made the history books, it did not impress Boeing President Bill Allen. Just as Boeing had been demonstrating their Dash-80, rival manufacturer Douglas announced the DC-8, a competing aircraft with better capability and capacity. With major airlines threatening to abandon Boeing for the unbuilt Douglas DC-8, the company was forced back to the drawing board. It meant risking millions Boeing did not have.
Vintage photograph of William McPherson Allen provided from the private collection of Steve Shook. Used with permission. Explore Steve's full historical archive: https://www.flickr.com/photos/shookphotos/