Interesting Facts About Boeing

• The SolarEagle (Vulture II): Boeing considered making a spy plane that could remain airborne for up to five years. The idea was to have the aircraft’s wings spinning at 120 meters and about 20 motors. However, the project was canceled in 2012.
• The Everett Plant: Located in Washington, USA, the Boeing Everett Plant is considered the largest building in the world by volume, occupying 98.7 acres and 13,385,378 cubic meters.
• Disappearance of Planes: In 2003, two men boarded an airport in Angola, but no trace of the plane has been found. The whereabouts of the two men are also unknown.
• Soviet Scientists’ Visit: During the height of the Cold War, Soviet scientists visited Boeing to gather relevant information that could help them develop their aviation industry. They applied adhesive to the bottom of their shoes to covertly collect metal samples from the company’s floor.
• Boeing 777-200ER: Although the incident involving Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 777-200ER is the most famous case of airplane “disappearance,” it wasn’t the only or the first one.
• Boeing Bust: In the 1970s, Boeing fired over 70,000 employees in what was popularly known as the Boeing Bust.
• Boeing Model 1: Completed in June 1916, the biplane seaplane aircraft had a single engine. It carried the initials of its original designers, Lt. Conrad Westervelt and William Boeing.
• Boeing’s Product Line: In addition to airplanes, Boeing also designs, manufactures, and sells satellite communication equipment, missiles, rotorcraft, and rockets. The fact that the company also offers leasing and product support services globally makes it one of the biggest aerospace manufacturers.
• Safety Defects and Crashes: Despite being in business for over a decade, Boeing still experiences safety defects and airplane crashes, especially with its 737 Max airliners. The two accidents left a combined 346 people dead with zero survivors.
• Grounding of 737 Max: In response to the two accidents involving Boeing 737 MAX airliners, aviation regulators grounded all 737 MAX airliners worldwide.
• History of Boeing: Founded in 1916 by its founder, William E. Boeing, the company was initially called Pacific Aero Products Company. It went through several name changes before settling on Boeing.