Following WWII, Boeing developed flying booms for the B-29 aircraft. Later, Boeing built the KC-97 as a tanker, which became the world’ s first flying boom tanker, made in Renton, WA.
According to Lombardi, they built 888 of those tankers. After that, Lombardi said that Boeing CEO at the time, Bill Allen,“ one of the greatest CEOs of the 20th century,” recognized the future potential of jet technology and had Boeing approve the development of the Dash-80, demonstrating his visionary leadership in the aviation industry.
That project was interesting because Boeing built a prototype on their dime, which wasn’ t a customer order. Allen knew it would be the first jet tanker and took the risk. This aircraft became the KC-135, built in 1956, and it is still in service.
KC-46 Specifications
o Width— 156 ft 1 in( 47.5 m) o Length— 165 ft 10 in( 50.5 m) o Height— 52 ft 10 in( 16.1 m) o Engines- Two Pratt & Whitney PW 4062 with 62,000 lbf( 289.13 kN) thrust o Maximum Takeoff Weight— 415,000 lbs( 188,241 kg) o Maximum Landing Weight— 310,000 lbs( 140,614 kg) o Fuel Capacity— 212,299 lbs( 96,265 kg) o Maximum Air Speed— 0.86 Mach( 650 mph)
Rollout of the last KC-97 and first KC-135
With 820 KC-135s built in Renton, the legacy of this aircraft is a source of pride for the local community and Boeing employees. It was the world’ s first successful jet transport airplane, a testament to the region’ s aviation prowess.
The primary mission of the air tanker refueling aircraft is to allow planes to stay in flight longer during wartime, which makes the U. S. military stronger and more powerful. However, this technology has also transformed commercial aerospace.
History buffs and those associated with Boeing— workers, family members, and community— can participate in the important history Boeing brought to the region. The ingenuity, founded in wartime, has translated into today’ s world and the international flight mobility we now have.
To visit museums containing Boeing’ s history:
Museum of History & Industry( MOHAI), www. mohai. org
Museum of Flight, www. museumofflight. org Boeing also maintains archives.
Museum of History & Industry
Museum of Flight
JUNE | JULY 2025 ISSUE NO. 45 19