Boeing Plant 2
Encyclopedia
Boeing Plant 2 was a factory building which was built in 1936 by the Boeing Corporation in King County, Washington
in the United States. By the time production ceased in the building, the plant had built half of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, the Boeing 307
s, the Boeing 377s, some of the Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, Boeing B-50 Superfortress
es, B-47 Stratojets, B-52 Stratofortresses, and the initial Boeing 737
s. It was located between the Duwamish River
and Boeing Field
.
, located right down the river, was obsolete for aircraft production as it focused on stitching, gluing, and nailing biplanes together. Plant 2 was built as a modern assembly line where metal would be stamped and placed onto the planes in the same facility. In 1936, the plant was finished with a goal to build early prototypes of the B-17 Flying Fortress and the Boeing 307
s. At this time the floor was 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²). 600000 square feet (55,741.8 m²) was added to the plant in May 1940 to support Boeing production of 380 Douglas DB-7 light bombers. By the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
, the plant had been expanded to 1776000 square feet (164,995.8 m²). In total, 6,981 B-17s were produced in Plant 2.
To hide the factory from possible aerial attack, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built houses of plywood and fabric and installed fake streets to camouflage
the roof. The idea was to blend the facility into the surrounding neighborhood across the river. Later in the war, the first three B-29 Superfortress were built in the facility. While B-29s were built by Boeing in Renton, Washington
, and Wichita, Kansas
, a Bell plant at Marietta, Georgia
, and a Martin
plant at Omaha, Nebraska
, sub assemblies were produced in Plant 2 and shipped to the Renton plant. All 370 of the follow-on aircraft, the Boeing B-50 Superfortress
, were built in Plant 2.
In the late 1940s, the first two B-47 Stratojet
s, the first swept-wing bomber was built at the plant. After this, 278 B-52 Stratofortress
es were also built in the facility. Due to the roof being thirty-five feet high, early jets had a hinge on their tail to fit inside the building since their tails were 48 feet (14.6 m) high. B-52 production later moved to Wichita Kansas. In addition, 58 Boeing 377 airliners were built in the plant.
In the 1960s the first three Boeing 737
s were assembled in Plant 2, but finished in the neighboring Thompson Site. The Thompson Site was then used to produce another 268 737s. Production of the 737 was moved to the Boeing Renton Factory
in 1970, where production continues to this day.
In the 1980s, the plant was used as a machine shop but that discontinued as work shifted to more modern facilities. The National Air and Space Museum's Boeing 367-80
and the museum's Boeing 307 were restored in the facility in 1990-2002. The Museum of Flight
's Boeing B-17F and Boeing B-29 were restored in Plant 2 and the museum's Lockheed Super Constellation
was stored in the facility. A Douglas World Cruiser
reproduction project was also underway in the plant. All remaining aircraft were removed from Plant 2 on September 18, 2010.
Eventually the building fell into decay due to lack of adequate maintenance and earthquakes. Broken water mains sometimes flood the tunnels which lead to other buildings on the site.
In 2010, plans were announced by Boeing
to demolish the plant. Under an agreement with both state and federal governments as well as local Native American
tribes, the company will tear down the factory and restore more than five acres of wetlands along the Duwamish River
. Demolition began in late 2010.
took a summer job at the plant while studying aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington
. He eventually ended up becoming the "father of the 747
".
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
in the United States. By the time production ceased in the building, the plant had built half of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, the Boeing 307
Boeing 307
The Boeing Model 307 Stratoliner was the first commercial transport aircraft with a pressurized cabin. This feature allowed the plane to cruise at an altitude of 20,000 ft , well above weather disturbances. The pressure differential was 2.5 psi , so at 14,700 ft the cabin altitude...
s, the Boeing 377s, some of the Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, Boeing B-50 Superfortress
Boeing B-50 Superfortress
The Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...
es, B-47 Stratojets, B-52 Stratofortresses, and the initial Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s. It was located between the Duwamish River
Duwamish River
The Duwamish River is the name of the lower of Washington state's Green River. Its industrialized estuary is known as the Duwamish Waterway.- History :...
and Boeing Field
Boeing Field
Boeing Field, officially King County International Airport , is a two-runway airport owned and run by King County, Washington, USA. In promotional literature, the airport is frequently referred to as KCIA, but this is not the airport identifier. The airport has some passenger service, but is mostly...
.
History
In the 1930s, it became apparent that Boeing Plant 1Boeing Plant 1
Boeing Plant 1 was the second Boeing airplane production facility which was the home of the Boeing Corporation between 1917 and 1965 in Seattle, Washington, USA...
, located right down the river, was obsolete for aircraft production as it focused on stitching, gluing, and nailing biplanes together. Plant 2 was built as a modern assembly line where metal would be stamped and placed onto the planes in the same facility. In 1936, the plant was finished with a goal to build early prototypes of the B-17 Flying Fortress and the Boeing 307
Boeing 307
The Boeing Model 307 Stratoliner was the first commercial transport aircraft with a pressurized cabin. This feature allowed the plane to cruise at an altitude of 20,000 ft , well above weather disturbances. The pressure differential was 2.5 psi , so at 14,700 ft the cabin altitude...
s. At this time the floor was 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²). 600000 square feet (55,741.8 m²) was added to the plant in May 1940 to support Boeing production of 380 Douglas DB-7 light bombers. By the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, the plant had been expanded to 1776000 square feet (164,995.8 m²). In total, 6,981 B-17s were produced in Plant 2.
To hide the factory from possible aerial attack, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built houses of plywood and fabric and installed fake streets to camouflage
Military camouflage
Military camouflage is one of many means of deceiving an enemy. In practice, it is the application of colour and materials to battledress and military equipment to conceal them from visual observation. The French slang word camouflage came into common English usage during World War I when the...
the roof. The idea was to blend the facility into the surrounding neighborhood across the river. Later in the war, the first three B-29 Superfortress were built in the facility. While B-29s were built by Boeing in Renton, Washington
Renton, Washington
Renton is an Eastside edge city in King County, Washington, United States. Situated 11 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington. Founded in the 1860s, Renton became a supply town for the Newcastle coal fields...
, and Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, a Bell plant at Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
, and a Martin
Glenn L. Martin Company
The Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
plant at Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, sub assemblies were produced in Plant 2 and shipped to the Renton plant. All 370 of the follow-on aircraft, the Boeing B-50 Superfortress
Boeing B-50 Superfortress
The Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...
, were built in Plant 2.
In the late 1940s, the first two B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
s, the first swept-wing bomber was built at the plant. After this, 278 B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
es were also built in the facility. Due to the roof being thirty-five feet high, early jets had a hinge on their tail to fit inside the building since their tails were 48 feet (14.6 m) high. B-52 production later moved to Wichita Kansas. In addition, 58 Boeing 377 airliners were built in the plant.
In the 1960s the first three Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s were assembled in Plant 2, but finished in the neighboring Thompson Site. The Thompson Site was then used to produce another 268 737s. Production of the 737 was moved to the Boeing Renton Factory
Boeing Renton Factory
The Boeing Company's Renton, Washington Factory is a facility where Next-Generation Boeing 737 airliners are built. Current production includes the 737-600, 737-700, 737-800, and 737-900 models.The factory lies adjacent to Renton Municipal Airport....
in 1970, where production continues to this day.
In the 1980s, the plant was used as a machine shop but that discontinued as work shifted to more modern facilities. The National Air and Space Museum's Boeing 367-80
Boeing 367-80
The Boeing 367-80, or "Dash 80" as it was called within Boeing, is an American prototype jet transport built to demonstrate the advantages of jet aircraft for passenger transport over piston-engine airliners....
and the museum's Boeing 307 were restored in the facility in 1990-2002. The Museum of Flight
Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight is a private non-profit air and space museum at King County International Airport , south of downtown Seattle, Washington. It was established in 1965 and is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums...
's Boeing B-17F and Boeing B-29 were restored in Plant 2 and the museum's Lockheed Super Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
was stored in the facility. A Douglas World Cruiser
Douglas World Cruiser
-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I. London: Putnam, 1979. ISBN 0-87021-428-4.* Swanborough, F.G. and Peter M. Bowers. United States Military Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam, 1963....
reproduction project was also underway in the plant. All remaining aircraft were removed from Plant 2 on September 18, 2010.
Eventually the building fell into decay due to lack of adequate maintenance and earthquakes. Broken water mains sometimes flood the tunnels which lead to other buildings on the site.
In 2010, plans were announced by Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
to demolish the plant. Under an agreement with both state and federal governments as well as local Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
tribes, the company will tear down the factory and restore more than five acres of wetlands along the Duwamish River
Duwamish River
The Duwamish River is the name of the lower of Washington state's Green River. Its industrialized estuary is known as the Duwamish Waterway.- History :...
. Demolition began in late 2010.
Known workers
In 1940, Joe SutterJoe Sutter
Joseph F. "Joe" Sutter was an engineer for the Boeing Airplane Company and chief engineer for the development of the Boeing 747 under Malcolm T. Stamper.-Early life:...
took a summer job at the plant while studying aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. He eventually ended up becoming the "father of the 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
".