| B & W Seaplane | |
|---|---|
 Replica of the Boeing B&W Seaplane at theMuseum of Flight | |
| General information | |
| Type | Seaplane |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Designer | |
| Primary user | New Zealand Flying School |
| Number built | 2 |
| History | |
| First flight | 15 June 1916[1] |
TheBoeing Model 1, also known as theB & W Seaplane, was aUnited States single-enginebiplaneseaplane aircraft. It was the firstBoeing product and carried the initials of its designers,William Boeing andLt. Conrad Westervelt USN.
The first B & W was completed in June 1916 at Boeing'sboathousehangar onLake Union inSeattle, Washington. It was made ofwood, with wire bracing, and was linen-covered. It was similar to theMartintrainer aircraft that Boeing owned, but the B & W had better pontoons and a more powerfulengine. The first B & W was namedBluebill, and the second was namedMallard. They first flew on 15 June 1916, and in November.
The two B & Ws were offered to theUnited States Navy. When the Navy did not buy them, they were sold to theNew Zealand Flying School and became the company's first international sale. On June 25, 1919, the B&W set a New Zealand altitude record of 6,500 feet. The B & Ws were later used for express and airmail deliveries, makingNew Zealand's first official airmail flight on December 16, 1919.
Data from Boeing: History[1][2]
General characteristics
Performance
Photo of Boeing Model 1 in Raglan Harbour in 1920Archived 2020-07-03 at theWayback Machine
