BOEING 247

Boeing's 'Model 247' was one of the earliest examples of a truly modern passenger airliner. The aircraft incorporated many revolutionary features such as an all-metal monocoque fuselage, autopilot, a cantilevered wing, retractable landing gear, NACA cowlings for engines, trim tabs on control surfaces, variable pitch propellers, and deicing boots for the wings and tail. Its first flight was on February 8, 1933 and entered service that same year.

Contents

Design and development

Operators

Civil operators

Military operators

Survivors

Specifications (247-D)

References

Related content

Design and development

This revolutionary design combined speed and safety. It was faster than the fighter aircraft of its day. In addition, it was the first twin engine passenger aircraft that could fly on just one engine. The combination of features became the standard list for all subsequent passenger aircraft. Although engines and aircraft became ever larger, no additional features became passenger aircraft standards until pressurized cabins were introduced in the late 1940's.
Since Boeing sold the first sixty off the production line to its affiliated airline (Boeing Air Transport), TWA (Transcontinental & Western Air) then tasked and funded Donald Douglas, Sr. to design and build the Douglas DC-1 prototype, which Douglas eventually developed into the historic and enormously popular DC-3.
Seventy-five 247s were built. Boeing Air Transport flew sixty, United Aircraft Corp. flew ten, and the other five went to Lufthansa and a private owner in China.
Many of United's aircraft were later purchased by Western Air Express. The new 247s were capable of crossing the United States from east to west eight hours faster than their predecessors, such as the Ford Trimotor and Curtiss Condor.
The 247 carried ten passengers in five rows with a seat on each side of the aisle, as well as a flight attendant. The wing's main spar went right through the cabin, so some passengers had to step over a large hump in the middle of the aisle to reach their seats.
On October 10, 1933, a United Airlines Boeing 247 was the victim of the first proven case of sabotage of a commercial airliner. The aircraft, en route from Cleveland to Chicago, was destroyed by a nitroglycerin-based explosive device over Chesterton, Indiana.
The 247s remained in airline service until World War II, when several were converted into C-73 transports and trainers. Some were still flying in the late 1960s.
Although Boeing led the way with its revolutionary design, it only built 75 examples. Douglas produced over 10,000 DC-3s. The Boeing 247 was capable of carrying 10 people.

Operators

Civil operators

;

★ Private owner operated 1 aircraft.
;

★ SCADTA operated 10 aircraft.
;Germany

★ Lufthansa operated 4 aircraft.
;United States

★ Boeing Air Transport (later United Air Lines) operated 60 aircraft.

★ United Aircraft Corporation operated 10 aircraft.

★ Western Airlines received some of ex-United Aircraft Corporation aircraft.

Military operators

;Canada

★ Royal Canadian Air Force
;

★ Royal Air Force
;United States

★ United States Army Air Corps

Survivors

;c/n 1699, CF-JRQ
:Exhibited in Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa. Donated to the museum in 1967 by California Standard Oil of Calgary, Alberta.
;c/n 1722, N18E
:Exhibited in the National Museum of Science and Industry, Wroughton, UK
;c/n 1729, N13347
:Still airworthy, exhibited in the Museum of Flight, Paine Field, Snohomish County, Washington, USA.
;c/n 1953, NC13369
:Exhibited as NR257Y in the National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC, USA.

Specifications (247-D)

References

Related content