“New Dimension: First Flight of the Boeing 747” is a color short film produced by The Boeing Company to celebrate the successful first flight of their aircraft. It depicts the Boeing Everett factory’s construction, the 747 “Jumbo Jet” assembly, its initial factory rollout in September of 1968, and its first flight on February 9, 1969. Boeing Chief Test Pilot Jack Wadell is featured along with Engineering Test Pilot Brien Wygle and Flight Engineer Jesse Wallick. The prototype Boeing 747’s test flight lasted a duration of 1 hour and 15 minutes. The craft was named “The City of Everett.” It used JT9D turbofan engines and was regarded as the first “wide body” type airliner. The Boeing Everett Plant, the construction of which is depicted here, is considered the largest building by volume ever built.
A broken champagne bottle christens a Boeing 747 jet airliner before a cheering crowd (0:06). “May, 1966: a tranquil woodland near Everett, Washington” excavators do their work (0:26). A cement mixer, cranes and computers with 9 track, ½” magnetic tape data memory reels and punched cards in rapid montage (0:49). Time lapse fast motion footage depicts the build of a 747 from engineering to construction. Music cue: Syd Dale “The Hellraisers” (1:03). A finished jet interior (1:23). Test engineers in sweaters and suits climb around the body of a 747 on ladders in a massive hangar (1:30). Testing wing flaps (2:27). Landing gear deployment with extending rubber wheels (2:36). A plane is moved around a tarmac, then turbines whir, transitioning to a snowy new location (3:02). Steering is tested, then taxiing (4:11). Engineers and pilots file into an office with a sign on the door: “Field Operations, Management Control Center” (5:13). Test pilot Jack Wadell signs a contract (5:29). An engineer makes a final check on the test aircraft computers and instruments (5:41). Title card: “New Dimension: First Flight of the Boeing 747 Superjet” (6:00). A cloudy sky. The flight crew walks to the plane. Photographers take photos and spectators follow (6:27). A 747 taxis away from a Boeing 727 (7:09). Pilots and an engineer in the cockpit from behind. They work the controls on the instrument panel. The camera vibrates and shakes gently indicating liftoff (7:40). The view from above the clouds (9:07). A man in a cap peers through binoculars from the ground (9:50). A comparison: one plane with a trail of black smoke, the 747 without (10:02). A view from inside the plane with the ground approaching. (10:16). Landing gear is successfully deployed for a safe landing (10:20). A station wagon passes the landed jet. Smiling spectators (11:05). Jack Wadell kisses a woman before press photographers. Answers questions (11:40). Crash zoom on a turbine (12:03). Title card: “Produced for 747 Program Management.”
The 747 later entered service with Pan Am on January 22, 1970. This film was produced by Franc Wilson with a script by Stephen Browning and narration by Merrill Ashe. Titles by Graphic Services.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
