Which aerospace company was founded by William Boeing in 1916? Boeing.
Boeing was founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. The company began as Pacific Aero Products after Boeing and U.S. Navy officer George Conrad Westervelt developed the B&W seaplane. Boeing had entered aviation after building a personal interest in aircraft and deciding that he and Westervelt could construct a better plane themselves.
The B&W, also called the Boeing Model 1, first flew in June 1916. In 1917, Pacific Aero Products was renamed Boeing Airplane Company, giving the business the name now associated with commercial aircraft, defense systems, spacecraft, and satellites. Early Navy orders during World War I helped establish its manufacturing base.
The modern company’s history includes major corporate reorganizations. Boeing became part of United Aircraft and Transport Corporation in 1929, was separated from airline operations after the Air Mail Act of 1934, and later expanded beyond airplanes into aerospace and defense. It is sometimes confused with Airbus, Northrop Grumman, or Lockheed Martin, but those are distinct companies with different founders and histories.