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Boeing’s 25 Years In Australia
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A notable anniversary occurred this year when a quarter of a century of Boeing jetliner operations was chalked up in Australia. Qantas’ inaugural flight by VH-EBB ‘City of Sydney’ on 29 July 1959 from Sydney to San Francisco heralded the beginning of the commercial jet era for Australian operators. Given Australian Airlines’ reputation for painstaking evaluation of available aircraft types, the resulting orders from this region is testimony indeed to Boeing’s supremacy in this field.
Although Qantas took delivery of its first Lockheed Super Constellation during April 1954, they were already investigating a replacement for it the following year. To retain their competitive position, Qantas felt that an order for pure jet aircraft should be made as swiftly as possible. Aircraft to be placed into service by their competitors included the Douglas DC-7C and the Bristol Britannia on the Southern Cross route and the Bristol Britannia during March 1957 and de Havilland Comet IV by late 1958 on the Kangaroo Route. After a thorough investigation of the competing types which included the Boeing 707, de Havilland Comet IV and Douglas DC-8, Qantas made their choice.
During September 1956 Qantas announced that they would be ordering seven Boeing 707-138 airliners at a cost of 18,800,000 pounds. Qantas’ first 707, VH-EBA ‘City of Canberra’ was rolled out from the Boeing Transport Division plant at Renton on 16 February 1959. This aircraft was the 29th jet airliner to come off the Division’s production line. The maiden flight, lasting one hour 17 minutes, took place on 20 March and was followed by 35 hours certification test flying. Although the arrival in Sydney of the first 707 had been expected during May, Qantas delayed the delivery of all of the seven aircraft to permit the installation of the recently designed power boosted rudder. This was worthwhile, as amongst the benefits obtained was the option of the aircraft to be re-engined with more powerful engines in 1961 if thought desirable.
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