Movie Monday is kicking off a bit earlier than usual today (12:52 AM) because I am releasing a 787 update later this morning.
This week’s movie is part of a five hour long documentary entitled the 21st Century Jet (1996), which will be presented here over the next five weeks. Many have seen the famous clips from the documentary on YouTube showing the rejected takeoff and wing break testing, but few have seen the complete film which details every aspect of the development of the Boeing 777-200 from the early days as the 767X and the United Airlines launch order to entry into service in Spring 1995.
This is one of the single most valuable public historical tools for understanding Boeing, its recent history and its philosophy on innovation and risk. From a personal prospective, this documentary served as a model for my coverage of the 787 program that you see here. Embedded inside this movie are important lessons for the 787 program, as well as the context for understanding the global design and supply chain.
Episode I: To Design a Plane
This post was originally published to the internet between 2007 and 2012. Links, images, and embedded media from that era may no longer function as intended.
This post originally appeared at Flightglobal.com from 2007 to 2012.