Boeing 307
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Boeing 307 | |
|---|---|
 A restored Boeing 307 ex-Pan Am on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center |
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| Type | Airliner |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Maiden flight | 31 December 1938 |
| Introduced | 8 July 1940 |
| Retired | 1970s |
| Primary users | TWA Pan Am |
| Number built | 10 |
| Unit cost | $315,000 (in 1937 when ordered)[1] |
| Developed from | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress |
| Variants | Boeing C-75 |
The Boeing Model 307 Stratoliner was the first commercial transport aircraft with a pressurized cabin. This feature allowed the plane to cruise at an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,000 m), well above weather disturbances. The Model 307 had capacity for a crew of five and 33 passengers. The cabin was nearly 12 feet across. It was the first plane to include a flight engineer as a crew member.
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[edit] Operational history
A total of 10 Stratoliners were built. The first flight was on December 31, 1938. Boeing 307 prototype NX 19901 crashed on March 18, 1939 during a test flight. By 1940 it was flying routes between Los Angeles and New York, as well as to locations in Latin America. Multi-millionaire Howard Hughes purchased a model for his personal use, and had it transformed into a luxurious "flying penthouse". This plane was later sold to oil tycoon Glenn McCarthy in 1949.[2]
Haiti and the United States have used the 307 in military operations.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Civilian operators
- Aigle Azur bought in 1951 ex-TWA aircraft with new engines and wings replaced with B-17G ones.
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- Air Laos received ex-Agile Azur aircraft.
- Pan Am received 3 aircraft.
- TWA received 5 aircraft.
- Howard Hughes bought 1 aircraft.
[edit] Military operators
- Haitan Air Force
- United States Army Air Force operated Boeing 307s designated as C-75
[edit] Survivors
The only surviving Boeing Model 307 (NC19903), operated by Pan Am, is preserved in flying condition at the Smithsonian Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. On March 28, 2002 this particular aircraft was subject to a dramatic crash in which it ditched into Elliott Bay in Seattle, Wash., on what was to be its last flight before heading to the Smithsonian.[3] Despite the incident, it has again been restored and is now on display.
The fuselage of Howard Hughes' personal 307 survives, although it has been converted into a boat.[1]
[edit] Specifications (Boeing 307)
Data from Boeing: History[4]
General characteristics
- Crew: 5, including two pilots and flight engineer
- Capacity: 33 passengers
- Length: 74 ft 4 in (22.66 m)
- Wingspan: 107 ft 0 in (32.61 m)
- Height: 20 ft 10 in (6.34 m)
- Wing area: 1,486 ft² (138.0 m²)
- Empty weight: 30,000 lb (13,608 kg)
- Loaded weight: 42,000 lb (19,050 kg)
- Powerplant: 4× Wright GR-1820 radials, 900 hp (671 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 222 mph (357 km/h)
- Range: 2,390 mi (3,846 km)
- Service ceiling 26,200 ft (7,985 m)
- Wing loading: 28 lb/ft² (138 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.09 hp/lb (140 W/kg)
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
[edit] References
- ^ Boeing 307 Stratoliner entry at The Aviation History Online Museum website
- ^ Houston's Aviation History Timeline at The 1940 Air Terminal Museum website
- ^ 4 escape injury as historic Stratoliner ditches in Elliott Bay article at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
- ^ History: Model 307 Stratoliner. Boeing. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
[edit] External links
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