Boeing is nowadays known the world over as a manufacturer of succesful airliners. Few people know, however, that initially the company was famous for its military aircraft. As an extrapolation of the military business, they came up with one of their first airliners, the model 247. Of all-metal construction, this machine heralded the way to the everyday passenger transport we have come to know. After a spell with bombers (remember the B-47 and B-52 ?) the first truly succesful jet airliner, the 707, made Boeing literally take off on the civil market. With the recent merger of Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas, the American manufacturer is now assured of a serious foothold in both military and civil sales, the MDD part of the company being famous for its jet fighters like the F-4 Phantom, F-15 Eagle and F-18 Hornet

This page presents a very small selection of contemporary Boeing aircraft. Please check the relevant pages for more illustrations and information.

Boeing 707-320 Intercontinental prototype

(Boeing photo)

Boeing 707-320 Intercontinental showing its internal layout

(Boeing drawing)

Boeing 727-200 G-BAFZ, Dan-Air London

Boeing 737-200, 7T-VEL of Air Algerie

Boeing 747 of United Airlines

Boeing 757 of British Airways

Boeing 767-204 G-BKPW, Britannia Airways (1984)

Boeing 777 of British Airways, showing the old (top and left) and new (right) liveries.

(pictures provided by Dirk Lenssens)

Boeing 777 of JAL, on approach to Tokyo/Haneda airport at sunset

(picture provided by Kris Van der Plas)

Boeing KC-135

Most people think that the original Boeing company only made civil airliners, but this was not the case. In fact, before the 707 saw airline service an externally similar Air Force variant, the C-135 was already flying. This was developed into the well-known KC-135 version as an inflight refuelling aircraft. Re-engined, several of this species are still in service today.

(picture provided by Dirk Lenssens)

Boeing E-3A AWACS, Nato air arm

Another military example is the AWACS illustrated here. Based on a B.707-320 airframe, it has a highly sophisticated avionics suite and is able to track aircraft and communicate with them within a radius of several hundreds of kilometers.

Boeing E-3A AWACS, Nato air arm