WHERE I WORKED: Boeing Field, The Ellis Avenue Building, Andy’s Diner and The Developmental Center

My position in the Boeing Commercial Airplane Division’s Engineering Test Laboratories was located at Boeing Field in South Seattle. The building was a one-story office facility almost under the takeoff path at the north end of the runway. We conducted tests on various airplane components and materials in outlying buildings and hangars between Ellis Avenue and the huge Flight Center hangar, Building 3-380. Here is a capability booklet that explains the kinds of structural tests we ran on various airplane components: BOEING’S ENGINEERING TEST LABORATORIES.

The Google map shows the location of the Ellis Avenue Building in relation to current activities at thenorth end of Boeing Field.

Here is a picture of the Ellis Avenue Building taken in 1992. My desk was located in this end of the building.

The Plant 2 Facility map below shows the location of the Ellis Avenue building (Building 3-280) and other Boeing Field facilities.

We conducted ground tests on 727 and 737 components, and the entire airplane structure. My office and most of my test operation and instrumentation system design were done at Building 3-280, the Ellis Avenue Building. I spent 15 to 18 months in 1963 and 1964 at a hangar at East Boeing Field where I worked 2nd shift (3{M to 11 PM) operating the 727 Fatigue Test. When the 727 Major Fatigue Test was completed I returned to my desk in the Ellis Avenue Building. Unit Chief, Jerome M. Taylor, assigned David L. Serres and me to conduct a Data System Standardization Study. The SDDS the project was one of two major assignments in which I had a major role that contributed to he successful ground testing of Boeing’s commercial airliners. The other big and hugely successful project was the design and development of the 747 Major Fatigue Test Control and Data System. These projects are discussed in detail on the following pages of this website: STANDARD DIGITAL DATA SYSTEMS and 747 MAJOR FATIGUE TEST. I received a nice letter of appreciation from Les Carpenter upon completion of tone life of the 747 Fatigue Test: LETTER FROM LES CARPENTER.

Many of our technical discussions and debates took place over lunch at Andy’s Diner. Once or twice a week four to six of us would pile nitro my 1947 Dodge commuting car and head for Andy’s Diner. It was located about three miles away on 4th Avenue South. Here is picture of our old lunch spot taken on a visit to Seattle in 1992.

And here is a 1947 Dodge “lunch-mobile” like mine (big bench seats, lots of leg room, back doors that open from the front).

RELOCATED TO THE DC

Jerry Taylor’s unit, of about 200 instrumentation and control engineers and technicians was moved from Ellis Avenue to the Boeing Developmental Center across Marginal Way from Boeing Field. We were located in Building 9-98. That’s where we implemented SDDS and conducted the design, construction and testing of the 747 Data and Control System.

Here is an excerpt from the Boeing phone directory that includes maps locating Boeing’s facilities in the Northwest: PHONE DIRECTORY.