FIRST - Boeing 737 Airplane Ever Built
N 47° 31.221 W 122° 18.001
10T E 552697 N 5263228
One of many static aircraft displays located at the Museum of Flight at King County International Airport. Admission fees apply.
Waymark Code: WMVHKD
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 04/21/2017
Views: 3
Located at the Museum of Flight are a large number of static aircraft on display. One of them is a Boeing 737-130. The Museum of Flight website contains a
page devoted to this aircraft and it reads:
The Prototype "Baby Boeing"
The 737 is the smallest and most popular jetliner in the Boeing airline family. Since 1967, over 8,000 "Baby Boeings" have been built or ordered. The short-haul 737 is dependable, economical and can operate from unprepared grass and gravel runways -- making it a popular choice of many airlines throughout the world.
The Museum's aircraft is the first production 737. The prototype made its first flight with Brien Wygle and Lew Wallick at the controls on April 9, 1967. Boeing used the 737 as a flight test aircraft before it became NASA's Transport Systems Research Vehicle in 1974. Based at the Langley Research Center in Virginia, the 737 was used to test many technological innovations including a virtual cockpit, electronic flight displays, and airborne wind shear detection systems.
NASA Pilot
"The 737 was a wonderful plane," says NASA research pilot Lee Person. "It could do things that other airplanes simply couldn't." High praise from the former Marine fighter pilot who's flown over 130 aircraft in his 41-year career, including the Hawker XV-6A Kestrel (forerunner to the Harrier jet fighter). From 1974 to 1995, Person and fellow pilot Dick Yenni flew the 737 prototype in more than 20 different aerial research projects for NASA.
This aircraft is on loan from NASA, Langley Research Center.
Nearby placards also highlight this Boeing 737 Prototype in more detail in more detail and read:
The Prototype "Baby Boeing"
The 737 has been in production longer than any other Boeing aircraft (1967 to present day) and, with more than 8,000 produced, is the best-selling jetliner ever. Nicknamed the "Baby Boeing" due to its small size,
the 737 was originally intended for short routes under 1,000 miles (1,600 km). Eight basic series later, the 737-900 is 40%
longer than this one and has a range greater than 6,000 miles (9,656 km).
The Museum's Boeing 737
The Museum's aircraft is the first 737 built. It made its first flight on April 9, 1967 with test pilots Brien Wygle and Lew Wallick at the controls. After serving as a flight test aircraft for Boeing,
this 737 became NASA's Transport Systems Research Vehicle in 1974.
Based at the Langley Research Center in Virginia, NASA used this 737 to test many technological innovations including a virtual cockpit, electronic flight displays and airborne wind-shear detection systems.
A Strong Impression
From 1974 to 1995, Lee Person and fellow pilot Dick Yenni flew the 737 prototype in more than twenty different aerial research projects for NASA. "The 737 was a wonderful plane," says Person. "It could do things that other airplanes simply couldn't." Person piloted over 100 aircraft in his 41-year career with NASA.
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