The Airchive-Boeing Seattle & Museum of Flight

		The First Boeing 727 These photos were taken in June of 1999 at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. N7001U was the first 727 built and the first to fly, on February 9, 1963. This 727-22 was delivered to United and flew 64,000 hours before retiring on January 13, 1991. The United ship was repainted in its delivery colors for its last flight from San Francisco to Seattle. It was donated to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field, where it will be ferried to once restoration is complete and the new MOF Annex is complete. Currently, it resides next to the BOAC Comet 4C seen elsewhere on this site.
		Boeing 777-300 Photographed in June, 1999 at Seattle’s Boeing Field was the 777-300 prototype which has since been delivered to Cathay Pacific. Until the debut of the A340-600, it was the longest commercial jet in the skies at even 30 feet longer than the 747. It is so long that a camera is built into the tail of the fuselage so crew can monitor for maneuvering.
		Boeing Flightline Home of the 747, 767, and 777 programs, the assembly building at Paine Field Everett Washington is the world’s largest building. Spanning over three football fields, the building is so big that micro-weather systems such as clouds actually have been known to form in the beginning. On the flightline in June 1999, were 747-400Fs destined for Cargolux and Atlas, and a 400 pax airframe for United. Deliveries of the 747 has slowed to 1-2 per month max with most being cargo examples.

	Comet 4C The COMET 4C was photographed at the Museum of Flight Restoration Center at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. N888WA/XA-NAR was originally delivered to Mexicana in 1962 and was the fist of the long range, high density Comet 4C’s off the line. After retiring from Mexicana in 1972, it languished with various owners including the Everett Technical College before being donated to the Museum of Flight in 1994. It never flew after 1979 with 27,065 of accumulated flight time. When restoration began on this classic jetliner in 1995, the Comet was painted in BOAC colors though it never served with BOAC. Following the completion of restoration, it will be ferried to the new MOF Annex when it is complete. Currently, it resides next to the first 727 seen elsewhere on this site.


	The Prototype Boeing 747 Still wearing it’s original scheme, the first 747 was sitting in a parking lot adjacent to the Museum of Flight at Seattle’s Boeing Field. First flying on February 9, 1969, N7470 never entered commercial service. Even after being donated to the Museum of Flight in 1990, it was recalled into service twice to serve as an engine test bed for the 777 program. In the shots below note the oversized PW-4000 engine from the 777 program is proof that the final chapter hasn’t been written on N7470. The original crews names are located on the distinctive upper bubble deck of the prototype 747.



	Boeing 80A Housed in the Museum of Flight at Seattle’s Boeing Field, this 80A was delivered to Boeing Air Transport (forerunner of United) in 1929. NC224M’s flying career ended in 1945. This example was donated to the Museum in 1980 after being rescued from a dump in Alaska. Looking superficially like the competing Ford Tri-Motor, it could reach 125 mph carrying 16 passengers.