Boeing's path to the 787 Dreamliner
Boeing Co. unveils its 787 Dreamliner on Sunday, the first commercial plane predominantly made of carbon-composite materials, and Boeing's first all-new plane in more than a decade.
The following are a few key dates in the history of the company and commercial flight.
1910 - William E. Boeing buys shipyard in Seattle, which later becomes his first airplane factory
1917 - Boeing changes the name of Pacific Aero Products to the Boeing Airplane Co., making seaplanes for U.S. Navy
1933 - Boeing develops propeller-powered Model 247, the first modern passenger airliner
1938 - First flight of Boeing's Model 307 Stratoliner, the first high-altitude commercial plane, with pressurized cabin and four propeller engines
1952 - Birth of the commercial jet age with the introduction of British-designed de Havilland Comet
1954 - Boeing's jet-powered 707 prototype makes maiden flight, establishing basic configuration for future jetliners
1958 - Pan American World Airways starts trans-Atlantic 707 service between New York and Paris, revolutionizing intercontinental travel
1964 - Boeing's tri-jet 727 enters service
1968 - Boeing single-aisle 737 enters service, goes on to become the standard workhorse for domestic and regional airlines, selling more than 7,000 planes, the most for any jet model
1970 - Boeing's 747 jumbo enters service. Early versions of the first wide body plane can carry more than 500 people and are twice the size of a 707
1982 - Twin-aisle 767 enters service, designed to carry 200-300 passengers. The 787 Dreamliner is expected to replace 767s over time
1983 - Boeing's short-to-medium range, single-aisle 757 enters service
1995 - Boeing 777 minijumbo enters service, the company's last all-new plane
1997 - Boeing takes over rival McDonnell Douglas, McDonnell's 100-seater MD-95 renamed the Boeing 717
1998 - Boeing's Next Generation 737, an updated version of the popular single-aisle plane, enters service
2003 - Boeing's board approves initial version of the 787, known as the 7E7
2004 - Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) makes first order for 50 787s
2006 - Major assembly started on 787
2007 - 787 rollout scheduled for July 8, first test scheduled for August/September
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