Tex Johnston rolls a 707

On August 7, 1955, Alvin M. "Tex" Johnston stuns the crowd at the Seafair Gold Cup hydroplane race on Lake Washington by barrel (or aileron) rolling the prototype Dash-80, the precursor to the Boeing 707, thus launching the era of the modern commercial jet. Johnston's co-pilot was Boeing test pilot James R. Gannett (1923-2006). (What Johnston did with the airplane was called a barrel-roll but some consider it an aileron roll in which a plane rotates on its long axis, rather than describing a "barrel" loop. However, unlike a conventional aileron, or snap, roll, Johnston maintained positive gravity through the maneuver.) Even Boeing President William Allen is taken by surprise as he escorts potential customers who are seeing the jet for the first time.

Flying at more than 400 miles per hour just 400 feet above the water, Johnston commenced a sudden ascent. The jet's swept-back wings spiraled as the 128-foot-long, 160,000 pound plane rolled, flying for a short time upside down. Then, for extra measure, Johnston performed a second barrel-roll. Boeing President Allen asked a guest with a heart problem if he could borrow his pills. The potential jet buyers were duly impressed.

By the time Johnston broke the transcontinental speed record in 1957 by flying from Seattle to Baltimore in three hours, 48 minutes, orders for the new 707 were pouring in.

• Category

  Autos & Vehicles

[roaklin]

"This is your Captain speaking, Chuck Norris wants to pour his soda in his glass, please stand by and fasten seatbelts."

[TV843]

You are absolutely correct, no matter what these schmucks say. It is possible to roll at a constant 1g . The funny thing is that if you were a passenger on this plane when it rolled and you didn't look out the window to see everything momentarily upside down, you wouldn't even know you were rolling, because you would be under a constant 1g load (which we obviously experience all the time--so it's not an unnatural sensation).

[SpandexAttack]

just like I do in flight simulator

[i7887]

So therefore its not a aileron roll, but a barrel roll.

[TheMissingno]

See how the airplane quickly loses altitude while it is upside down? there's your missing force.

[jose cadenas]

WTF........totally speech less

[csween86]

How does someone dislike this?

[i7887]

The burden of proof is on the person making the claim. And you cant back it up because you know you are wrong.

[4fifty8]

You've gotta be a teenage little shit. The burden of proof is not on me! You don't even understand what "burden of proof" means. It's not that I can't answer your question, I choose not to go further with it. I've already explained how you're wrong but you don't have the education or intellect or whatever to understand, so why should I bother? If you want you can go on believing whatever you'd like to! I couldn't care less what you think is correct.

[i7887]

The burden of proof is on you and you can't explain it. Anecdotal evidence is no evidence that you are right. Actually, the fact that you cant answer my question further proves my point that im correct.

[i7887]

You have yet to answer my question.

[4fifty8]

See, you constantly illustrate your lack of any physics knowledge, whatsoever!

I give up, call it what you want! Go troll somewhere else.