Jan. 1917: | Boeing delivers its first airplanes, two EA trainers, to the US Army Signal Corps. |
Nov. 1919: | Boeing Airplane Co. begins its first major contract for the US Army Air Service modernizing de Havilland DH-4s. Between 1919 and 1924, Boeing will rebuild over 300 of the light bombers for the US Army Air Service. |
March 17, 1924: | Four Douglas World Cruisers built for the U.S. Army Air Service leave Santa Monica, California, en-route to Sand Point Airfield outside Seattle, where they will officially begin their flight around the world. On Sept. 28, the Douglas World Cruisers Chicago and New Orleans complete the first ever round-the-world trip. |
March 20, 1932: | The Boeing P-26 Peashooter makes its first flight. It soon establishes a reputation as the fastest air-cooled pursuit fighter in the world and the first all metal monoplane fighter in the U.S. |
Nov. 26, 1934: | The Kaydet trainer, built by Boeing Airplane Co. subsidiary Stearman Aircraft, makes its first flight. It will become the most common preliminary trainer, and Stearman will build 8,584 Kaydets in all versions, plus the equivalent of 2,000 more in spare parts. |
July 28, 1935: | The Boeing Model 299 XB-17 experimental bomber, prototype of the B-17, makes its first flight at Boeing Field in Seattle. Newspaper reporters nickname it “The Flying Fortress.” |
Oct. 26, 1940: | The North American Aviation NA-73X prototype single-seat fighter, built in just 102 days, makes its first flight. Designated the P-51 Mustang, it becomes one of the most important Allied aircraft of World War II. The company will build 15,586. |
Dec. 23, 1941: | The Douglas C-47 Skytrain, a military transport version of the company’s famous DC-3, makes its first flight. The transport is also produced in the C-53 Skytrooper troop transport version. |
Sept. 21, 1942: | The Boeing Model 345 bomber, prototype of the B-29 Superfortress, makes its first flight. |
Oct. 1, 1947: | The North American Aviation XP-86 Sabre, the first U.S. swept-wing jet fighter, makes its first flight. The Sabre jet would become famous for gaining air superiority over Soviet-built Migs during the Korean War. |
Dec. 17, 1947: | The XB-47 Stratojet makes its first flight from Boeing Field, Seattle. The revolutionary Stratojet is the U.S. Air Force’s first swept-wing jet bomber. |
Oct. 22–24, 1948: | Over the course of one weekend, a Boeing team develops plans for a new eight-engine jet bomber, which will become the B-52 Stratofortress. |
July 18, 1956: | The first of more than 800 KC-135 Stratotankers rolls out from the Boeing plant in Renton, Washington, followed a few minutes later by the last KC-97 Stratofreighter. The KC-135 makes its first flight on Aug. 31, 1956. |
May 27, 1958: | The McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, makes its first flight. |
Oct. 10, 1958: | The U.S. Air Force selects Boeing to assemble and test the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). |
May 3, 1959: | The first Boeing-built VC-137 transport is delivered to the U.S. Air Force for presidential use. |
July 27, 1972: | The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle air superiority jet fighter makes its first flight successfully and on schedule. On Dec. 11, 1986, the long-range strike version of the F-15; the F-15E Strike Eagle, makes its first flight. |
1974: | Rockwell International is awarded a contract to build the first eight Block I NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. In 1992 the U.S. Air Force and Rockwell would be jointly recognized with the Collier Trophy for development of GPS. |
May 25, 1976: | The Boeing E-3 AWACS, a modified 707-320B jet, makes its first flight with full mission avionics. |
Oct. 18, 1984: | The Rockwell B-1B Lancer bomber makes its first flight. |
Sept. 6, 1990: | The VC-25A, a modified Boeing 747-200B, enters service as presidential transport Air Force One, replacing the modified 707s that had served for the previous 30 years. |
Jan. 17, 1995: | The C-17A Globemaster III enters operational service. |
Sept. 19, 2005: | The U.S. Air Force takes delivery of the first production CV-22 Osprey, the Air Force Special Operations variant of the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft. |
April 16, 2008: | The first Wideband Global SATCOM satellite is placed into operation. |
Sept. 25, 2015: | First flight of the KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft. |
Dec. 20, 2016: | The Boeing T-X trainer completes its first flight. In Sept. 2018, the U.S. Air Force chooses Boeing T-X for its Advanced Pilot Training System Program contract, and in Sept. 2019, the U.S. Air Force announces the aircraft’s official service name as the T-7A Red Hawk. |
Sept. 24, 2018: | The U.S. Air Force selects the MH-139 helicopter to replace the more than 40-year-old UH-1N “Huey” helicopters used to protect America’s ICBM bases. In Dec. 2019, the U.S. Air Force announces the aircraft’s official service name as the MH-139A Grey Wolf. |
Oct. 2019: | The X-37B autonomous spaceplane returned to Earth following 780 days on orbit. |
Feb. 2, 2021: | First flight of the F-15EX, the most advanced F-15 aircraft to date. |