Boeing’s plant 2
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Ron Wanttaja
Member
Started at Boeing in 1981, just down the road from Plant 2 in the Developmental Center (the Boeing plant right across the street from the Museum of Flight). Retired in 2017.
Since I worked on space projects almost my entire career, I never had a chance to go to Plant 2 for work. However, did visit it at a great time a few years back.
Almost 25 years ago, Bob Dempster, one of our EAA Chapter 26 members, decided to build a full-scale replica of a Douglas World Cruiser. This was Bob's project all along, though he had the ability to motivate a lot of free labor, parts, and other support from local pilots and businesses.
He was building parts for the Cruiser at various locations. Eventually it came time to put it all together...but a large enough hangar wasn't available at what the project could afford. However, Boeing Plant 2 was in the process of being shut down, and was mostly empty. Bob asked permission to use Plant 2 to assemble his airplane, and Boeing let him.
Spoiler... Bob was successful, flying the Cruiser on an original Liberty engine rebuilt by a Chapter 26 member.
Anyway, Bob was working inside Plant 2. It was suggested that those of us in EAA who were Boeing employees (large percentage, of course) should use their badges to enter the grounds and visit the program. Me and a couple of guys I worked with piled into a car and drove there.
What was neat was not just that Bob was building the Cruiser. It was not alone in the hangar. A bit down from it sat the Boeing Dash 80 (prototype for the 707 line). It had been promised to the Smithsonian, and they were preparing it to fly to DC.
Between the Dash 80 and the Cruiser....was the Boeing 307 Stratoliner, the pressurized airliner version of the B-17. Boeing had restored it once, but a fuel issue dunked it in Elliot Bay. Boeing had hauled it out, and was refurbishing it in the Plant 2 hangar.
Got to look at all three airplanes. Due to Boeing policies, of course, we couldn't take photos.
Ron Wanttaja
Since I worked on space projects almost my entire career, I never had a chance to go to Plant 2 for work. However, did visit it at a great time a few years back.
Almost 25 years ago, Bob Dempster, one of our EAA Chapter 26 members, decided to build a full-scale replica of a Douglas World Cruiser. This was Bob's project all along, though he had the ability to motivate a lot of free labor, parts, and other support from local pilots and businesses.
He was building parts for the Cruiser at various locations. Eventually it came time to put it all together...but a large enough hangar wasn't available at what the project could afford. However, Boeing Plant 2 was in the process of being shut down, and was mostly empty. Bob asked permission to use Plant 2 to assemble his airplane, and Boeing let him.
Spoiler... Bob was successful, flying the Cruiser on an original Liberty engine rebuilt by a Chapter 26 member.
Anyway, Bob was working inside Plant 2. It was suggested that those of us in EAA who were Boeing employees (large percentage, of course) should use their badges to enter the grounds and visit the program. Me and a couple of guys I worked with piled into a car and drove there.
What was neat was not just that Bob was building the Cruiser. It was not alone in the hangar. A bit down from it sat the Boeing Dash 80 (prototype for the 707 line). It had been promised to the Smithsonian, and they were preparing it to fly to DC.
Between the Dash 80 and the Cruiser....was the Boeing 307 Stratoliner, the pressurized airliner version of the B-17. Boeing had restored it once, but a fuel issue dunked it in Elliot Bay. Boeing had hauled it out, and was refurbishing it in the Plant 2 hangar.
Got to look at all three airplanes. Due to Boeing policies, of course, we couldn't take photos.
Ron Wanttaja
