Historical Perspective Making history For 70 years, Boeing Renton employees have pushed the frontiers of aviation By Mike Lombardi IWash., which had been selected by the U.S. Navy as the assemblyn September 1941, with war raging in Europe, ground was brokenfor a new factory on the shores of Lake Washington at Renton, site for Boeing’s Sea Ranger, a long-range patrol bomber. But as World War II progressed, the Navy began to rely more on The system devised to assemble the land-based multi-engine patrol aircraft rather than flying boats, and the PB2B Sea Ranger program was canceled. B-29 was one of the most modern It was, however, not the end of the Renton site. In fact, it was in the world, making it possible just getting started. Over the next 70 years, Boeing employees in Renton would for Renton workers to achieve a make some of the greatest advancements in aviation, including production record of 160 B-29s the first air-refueling tankers and the first successful commercial jetliner. And today, Renton employees are building more than one during July 1945. Next-Generation 737 every day, using one of the most advanced production systems in the world. The Navy initially built and owned the Renton plant, but following PHOTOS: (Top) The Renton, Wash., plant at the height of production during World War II. The five B-29s outside the the cancellation of the Sea Ranger it changed hands. factory doors represent a single day’s production. (Above) The U.S. Army Air Force was looking for a site to build what The assembly process for B-29s at Renton featured four would become the most technologically advanced airplane of the moving lines that assembled finished sections constructed war—the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber. The two services off-site—much like assembly for the 787 today. BOEING ARCHIVES 10 BOEING FRONTIERS / NOVEMBER 2012
Frontiers November 2012 Issue
To see the actual publication please follow the link above