This sale listing is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own arguably one of the *RAREST* and *MOST HISTORIC* aircraft data plates ever brought to sale! This is the ORIGINAL and AUTHENTIC manufacturer's data plate from the LEGENDARY Boeing 367-80 "Dash 80" prototype, of which only one was ever built. If you are a fan of aviation like myself, you are certainly aware of the impact this plane has had since its first takeoff on July 15, 1954 and the 1,691 flights / 2,350 flight hours that followed. Test pilot Alvin "Tex" Johnston famously barrel-rolled this aircraft above Lake Washington to the amazement of spectators and airline industry officials gathered for the hydroplane races in 1955. When Johnston was queried about why he would fly such a maneuver, he replied that he was "selling airplanes." It must have worked because the successful test flights of this aircraft led to the production/sales of 803 KC-135s and 865 707s. It is truly the first member of Boeing's "700" family of commercial and military jets. This famed history is why the Dash 80 has been designated by the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum as one of the 12 most significant aircraft of all time. Today the aircraft is on display at the Smithsonian (Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, an annex of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum).
The Boeing 367-80 oval-shaped aluminum data plate is in relatively good condition for its age/use. The front side is stamped "367-80" for MODEL, "17158" for SERIAL, and "J-57-P-1W P&W" for ENGINE TYPE. On the backside there is a blue stamped Boeing logo and some blue stamped numbers. It is approximately 3 7/8" tall and 2 9/16" wide.This Dash 80 data plate comes professionally displayed in a custom black solid hardwood display case with lockable glass door (key included) and metal brackets on the back for hanging on the wall. This case measures 19" tall x 14" wide x 1 5/8" deep. Mounted inside is a 5"x10" metal photo print of this aircraft on display amongst other Smithsonian aircraft, a 3"x6" engraved brass plate with a synopsis of the airplane, and a white framed data plate display in which the data plate can be easily removed or placed back inside on 2 metal hangers.
The engraved brass plate reads:
This Boeing 367-80 ("Dash 80") aircraft data platewas removed from the famous Boeing 707 prototypewhich is designated by the Smithsonian Institutionas one of the twelve greatest aircraft of all timeand on display at the National Air & Space Museum
I have been a collector of aviation memorabilia since my air force pilot uncle gave me one of his patch's when I was a little kid. Over the years I have come across numerous aircraft data plates--but none more incredible than this one! I purchased this data plate from a women in Seattle who had bought the contents of a local storage unit. Included in the contents of the unit was this data plate along with numerous original black and white 8x10 photos of the 367-80 aircraft. This was all the information she could give me when I asked about the history of the item. I speculate that someone who worked with the Dash 80 program while it was still flying (aircrew, maintenance, engineer, etc.) acquired this data plate along the way.
This 367-80 data plate is truly a MUSEUM PIECE! This is sure to be the SHOWPIECE on an aviation collector's wall!Please study the pictures and ask questions if you are unclear about anything.
Note that I will be shipping this insured which is an increased expense (and reflected in the listed shipping cost).Check out my other (and future) sales as I will be listing some more vintage aviation items.Below is some history of the 367-80 prototype aircraft...
Boeing's Gamble:
On July 15, 1954, a graceful, swept-winged aircraft, bedecked in brown and yellow paint and powered by four revolutionary new engines first took to the sky above Seattle. Built by the Boeing Aircraft Company, the 367-80, better known as the Dash 80, would come to revolutionize commercial air transportation when its developed version entered service as the famous Boeing 707, America's first jet airliner.
In the early 1950s, Boeing had begun to study the possibility of creating a jet-powered military transport and tanker to complement the new generation of Boeing jet bombers entering service with the U.S. Air Force. When the Air Force showed no interest, Boeing invested $16 million of its own capital to build a prototype jet transport in a daring gamble that the airlines and the Air Force would buy it once the aircraft had flown and proven itself. As Boeing had done with the B-17, it risked the company on one roll of the dice and Barrel-Roll:
A year into flight-testing, Boeing invited representatives from the airline industry and aviation community to Seattle to attend the annual hydroplane races on Lake Washington during the summer of 1955. The Dash 80 was scheduled to make a simple flyby to impress the crowds.
But a simple flyby apparently wasn't enough for Boeing test pilot Alvin "Tex" Johnson. As he approached the lake-shore crowd at low altitude, Johnson gently pulled up on the controls and performed a graceful roll in the airplane. The crowd was in awe as the four-engine airliner completed the maneuver, something usually only seen in airshows performed by aerobatic pilots.
Boeing president Bill Allen reprimanded Johnson, but the pilot pointed out the roll was a simple 1-g maneuver and the airplane was never pushed beyond its limits. The pilot continued working for Boeing for many more Significance:
Commercially, the Dash 80's success as a demonstrator led to the production of the 707, which sold more than 1,000 examples (including the short-fuselage 720). The 707 entered service in 1958, and proved to catalyze the jet age. The Dash 80 also formed the basis for the Boeing KC-135 'Stratotanker,' an aerial refueler of which over 800 were produced.
After this, Boeing repurposed the Dash 80 as an experimental testbed aircraft. This helped it develop the three-engine 727, of which Boeing produced 1,832 examples between 1962 and 1984. The company eventually retired the Dash 80 in 1969, after 2,350 flight
