The first B & W, completed in June 1916, was made of wood, linen, and wire. Similar to the Martin trainer that Boeing owned, the B & W had, among other improvements, better pontoons and a more powerful engine.
The two B & Ws were offered to the U.S. Navy. When the Navy did not buy them, they were sold to the New Zealand Flying School and became the company’s first international sale. The B & Ws later were used for New Zealand express and airmail deliveries, set a New Zealand altitude record of 6,500 feet on June 25, 1919, and made that country’s first official airmail flight on Dec. 16, 1919.
| First flight: | June 15, 1916 |
| Model number: | 1 |
| Classification: | Utility seaplane |
| Span: | 52 feet |
| Length: | 27 feet 6 inches |
| Gross weight: | 2,800 pounds |
| Top speed: | 75 mph |
| Cruising speed: | 67 mph |
| Range: | 320 miles |
| Power: | 125-horsepower Hall-Scott A-5 engine |
| Accommodation: | 2 crew |