Boeing 707 barrel roll, 1955.

[bob10]

Glad I wasn't on it.Or in it.

Boeing 707 Barrel Roll - Pilot Tex Johnston Performs Roll In Dash-80 Prototype Aircraft In 1955 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaA7kPfC5Hk)

[Tins]

Imagine what the Hi Vis and clipboard mob today would make of it.

[cjc_td5]

It was only a +1G roll so no different to normal flight. The old war birds do these all of the time during displays to look good without stressing the old airframes.

[cripesamighty]

What wasn’t mentioned in the clip was that the head of the Boeing 707 programme was on the lake that day with some other airplane manufacturers. When Tex rolled the 707 he got very angry and was fixing to fire him on Monday. The Douglas aircraft company rep who was there laughed and said not to be so stupid. That was the best advertising that money could buy and he just sold your aircraft. So Tex got his reprieve!

[Hugh Jars]

It was only a +1G roll so no different to normal flight. The old war birds do these all of the time during displays to look good without stressing the old airframes.

My sentiments exactly :)

The Rocket is a tough bird anyway

[JDNSW]

Perhaps it should be pointed out that the aircraft in that video is not a 707, but the 367-80 prototype, designed primarily as an aerial tanker (leading to the production KC-135), but also with half an eye to a possible airliner, although at the time Boeing was doubtful, having lost money on their previous 307 Stratoliner, and being primarily a military contractor.

Given this, the airframe would have been designed primarily with military operations in mind.

The major difference between this and the first production 707 was that the 707 had a wider fuselage.