MIAMI – Today in Aviation, the original 707-120 developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes as its first jetliner performed its maiden flight in 1957.
The Boeing 707-120 was made from the Boeing 367-80 prototype that the company flew in 1954. Boeing 707 service started regularly on October 26, 1958, with Pan American World Airways, up until 1979. The Boeing 707 quad jet has a swept wing with enveloped motors. Its larger fuselage cross-section allowed six-abreast economy seating, retained in Boeing models 720, 727, 737, and 757 later.
The long-range narrow-body Boeing 707, with a maximum take-off weight almost twice as high and a maximum range almost twice as long as other aircraft from the time, is accredited to have kickstarted the jet age due to the fact that it introduced the most prolific design family in the industry, one that advanced relentlessly by adding another 10 models to its diverse lineup.