Wounded Fledgling

Boeing Airplane Co.'s engineers lined the runway at their Renton, Wash, plant one sunny day last week to see their swept-wing 707, the first U.S. jet tanker-transport, get ready for her maiden flight. As they watched, Chief Test Pilot Tex Johnson gunned the four engines from an idling whine to a full roar, let the big jet sweep down the runway at 80 m.p.h., then eased on the brakes to test the 95-ton plane's ground response. After the first ground run, Tex gave his opinion: "A lovely ship." But Tex spoke too soon. Taxiing slowly after the fourth high-speed run, Johnson felt a shuddering lurch. Supports of the plane's left main landing gear buckled, ripped backward and up through the wing root. Boeing's bright hope sagged over on her left wing and lay there like a broken bird.

Fire trucks with foam crews screamed to the crippled plane. Said big Joe Donnelly, who had been construction superintendent on the 707 for two years: "Well, that's that." Then he shook himself and added definitely: "She's still a good airplane."

Actually, Boeing's pride was more damaged than its plane. Not a drop of fuel spilled from the wing tank; the basic wing structure was undamaged and the two underslung engine nacelles appeared only scratched. But the maiden flight of the 707 would be delayed at least several weeks. The faulty landing gear would need careful study, perhaps even a complete redesign by Boeing's engineers. The left wing root and damaged flap would have to be repaired and the two left engines checked for damage.

Boeing, which had worked at fever pitch to push its sleek silver, yellow and brown plane into the air ahead of schedule, was stunned. But company engineers and officials could remember a far more serious accident that failed to stop another Boeing fledgling: on a test flight in 1935, Boeing's prototype B-17 Flying Fortress, which became the greatest European-theater bomber of World War II, crashed and burned.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.