Father of 747 dies

[cowpatz]

Aug 30

Boeing and aviation legend Joe Sutter has died at age 95.

The father of the 747, and instrumental in the development of the 727 and 737, Sutter remained active in Boeing well into his 90s.

Boeing issued the following statement today:

Remembering an ‘Incredible’ legend

This morning we lost one of the giants of aerospace and a beloved member of the Boeing family. Joe Sutter, the “Father of the 747,” passed away at the age of 95.
Joe lived an amazing life and was an inspiration – not just to those of us at Boeing, but to the entire aerospace industry. He personified the ingenuity and passion for excellence that made Boeing airplanes synonymous with quality the world over.

Early in Joe’s career, he had a hand in many iconic commercial airplane projects, including the Dash 80, its cousin the 707 and the 737. But it was the 747 – the world’s first jumbo jet – that secured his place in history.

Joe led the engineering team that developed the 747 in the mid-1960s, opening up affordable international travel and helping connect the world. His team, along with thousands of other Boeing employees involved in the project, became known as the Incredibles for producing what was then the world’s largest airplane in record time – 29 months from conception to rollout. It remains a staggering achievement and a testament to Joe’s “incredible” determination.

Long after he retired, Joe remained very active within the company. He continued to serve as a consultant on the Commercial Airplanes Senior Advisory Group, and he was still a familiar sight to many of us working here. By then his hair was white and he moved a little slower, but he always had a twinkle in his eye, a sharp mind and an unwavering devotion to aerospace innovation and The Boeing Company. Fittingly, he was on hand to celebrate our centennial at the Founders Day weekend. He was one of a kind.

Joe was loved. He made a difference in the world. He made a difference to us. We will miss him and cherish our time with him.

Ray Conner, CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes


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[Fozzer]

Father of 747!.... .....!

..I wish I lived to be 747...

..and/or had 747 Offspring...

Either way, my life would have been very long, and very fruitful!..... ....!

Paul...still taking the Tablets, in eager anticipation.... ...!

...sorry Chums.... ....!

[Ian Warren]

A couple of documentary's I have here about the 747, guess they are readily available on Utube now has a lot about Joe Sutter, almost be worth having a history life documentary on that guy alone, It is amazing the one 'Doc' is a 'Discovery' 747 and the one thing mentioned other than the share size of it for the period was its very docile handling and tho empty during tests it simply would leave the ground with ease, one hell of an aircraft..LOVE EM!

[Splitpin]

Nice post CP ... 95 isn't a bad innings , what an amazing guy.

[Ian Warren]

Nice post CP ... 95 isn't a bad innings , what an amazing guy.

Weird thing is, well Hmm is the 747 going to reach 100 years, such a great aircraft even the early variants .. the cycle times , the updates and even the new aircraft .. really stretched BOEING