05/04/2026
From Boeing to a galaxy far, far away ✨
Before helping to bring Star Wars to life, Ralph McQuarrie began his career as an artist and design illustrator at Boeing in the 1950s and 1960s, sketching assembly diagrams for the 747 and creating project illustrations. Fascinated with flight and outer space exploration, McQuarrie was later commissioned by filmmaker George Lucas as a concept artist of the original trilogy, designing iconic scenes, settings, and characters like Darth Vader, R2‑D2 and C‑3PO.
be with you as you find your own out-of-this-world inspiration! Visit today: www.BoeingFutureofFlight.com/experiences
📸 1: Painting by Ralph McQuarrie of a Model 733, an early version of the Boeing Supersonic Transport (Boeing image)
📸 2: Ralph McQuarrie in his home studio (1996), courtesy The Ralph McQuarrie Archives - ralphmcquarrie.com