Boeing 247D ...

[Mark Allen M]

The Boeing Model 247 was an early United States airliner, considered the first such aircraft to fully incorporate advances such as all-metal (anodized aluminium) semimonocoque construction, a fully cantilevered wing and retractable landing gear. Other advanced features included control surface trim tabs, an autopilot and de-icing boots for the wings and tailplane.

"Ordered off the drawing board", the 247 first flew on February 8, 1933, and entered service later that year. Subsequent development in airliner design saw engines and airframes becoming larger and four-engined designs emerged, but no significant changes to this basic formula appeared until cabin pressurization and high altitude cruise were introduced in 1940, with the Boeing 307 Stratoliner.

The 247 remained in airline service until World War II, when several were converted into C-73 transports and trainers. The Royal Canadian Air Force's 121 Squadron operated seven 247Ds as medium transports during the early part of the war. One of these aircraft was donated to the Royal Air Force (RAF) for radar testing, where it was renumbered DZ203. DZ203 was passed among several units in the RAF before being used to make the world's first fully automatic blind landing on 16 January 1945.

The warlord "Young Marshal" Zhang Xueliang ordered two Boeing 247Ds for his air force. He would use one of them, named Bai-Ying (White Eagle), during the Xi'an Incident in 1936, during which he flew into the opposing Nationalist army's camp at Sian (now rendered as Xi'an) under a secret truce, and had their leader, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, arrested, ending the civil war between the Communist and Nationalist armies so that they could fight together against the Japanese invaders.

A number of specially modified variants included a Boeing 247Y appropriated from United for Air Corps use as a test aircraft fitted with two machine guns in the nose. The same installation later was fitted to a 247Y owned by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. This aircraft also featured a Colt .50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun in a flexible mount. A 247D purchased by the British Royal Air Force became a testbed for new equipment and received a nonstandard nose, new powerplants and fixed landing gear.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_247

Below a series of pics of Boeing 247's in civil service.













Below a series of pics of Boeing 247D & C-73's in military service.


Boeing 247D at Trenton Air Station, Canada on June 21, 1940 with a Douglas B-18A (probably an RCAF Digby)


Boeing 247D with Wasp Engines in RAF service Aug 1941.


Boeing 247D OZ203 in flight.




Boeing C-73 (Model 247D impressed into USAAF), possible serials include 42-68336, 42-68363-73, 600hp R-1340

[hurricane_yank]

It was an absolute pleasure seeing one at Oshkosh a few years back...beautiful aircraft.

[Duggy009]

Also served with Lufthansa.

[JohnB]

Arguably the first "modern" (all-metal, retractable gear) airliner.
Today it is probably best remembered for being the impetus behind the development of the DC-2...the famous story of when TWA couldn't buy them in a timely fashion to compete with United, they turned to Douglas.

[CoastieJohn]

I see in Duggy's picture above, the 4 engine plane is called the Hindenburg. Any idea what year that pic could be?

[Mark Sampson]

It was always a pleasure to see the Roscoe Turner 247 hanging in the downtown Smithsonian Air&Space.
One of my favorites... I hope that it goes back on display there when they finish the renovations at that museum. (If they haven't already- haven't been keeping track since I moved to Tucson).

[Chris Brame]

What a beauty that was. Did it share many components with the Boeing B-9?
This one lasted until the late '60s when an encounter with a wayward C-46 in Miami wrote it off:

Earl Reinert told me he scrapped one (c/n 1692, reg. N1060M) in the late '50s/early '60s; it was so badly corroded the engines pretty much fell off when he tried to remove them.

Another was burned for firefighting practice in Fairbanks, AK (two F-82s met the same fate) in the mid-'50s per a reader's letter in the February 1975 Air Classics:

In the Summer of 1955, I watched as a perfect airframe of a Boeing 247 was destroyed in a demonstration. I was sad to watch it burn and fold into the ground.

Last edited by Chris Brame on Sat May 29, 2021 4:38 am, edited 2 times in total.

[Mike]

...when they finish the renovations at that museum. (If they haven't already- haven't been keeping track since I moved to Tucson).

Reopening July 30

[Duggy009]

I see in Duggy's picture above, the 4 engine plane is called the Hindenburg. Any idea what year that pic could be?

The Boeing was written off in a ground collision on 24 May 1935, so late 34 or early 35.

[Pat Carry]

It was an absolute pleasure seeing one at Oshkosh a few years back...beautiful aircraft.

Yes it certainly was!

[Pat Carry]

Great stuff Mark, thanks

[hurricane_yank]

I see in Duggy's picture above, the 4 engine plane is called the Hindenburg. Any idea what year that pic could be?

Junkers G-38...I am guessing 1939?

[Randy Wilson]

Just an FYI, the OP's image is also found here:

https://www.airhistory.net/photo/136062/D-AGAR

Randy

[LysanderUK]

The photo with the G.38 "von Hindenburg" shows it with the earlier registration of D2500. I'm having trouble finding the exact date for the change, but the registration system was changed in Nazi Germany in the mid 30's (I think 1935, but as I say I can't confirm that at the moment). D2500 became D-APIS, so the photo must pre-date the registration changes.

[Archer]

Boeing 247A D-AGAR used to be NC91Y, a registration that was cancelled in February 1934. The Boeing was written off after a ground collision at Nürnberg on May 24th, 1935. Sometime between those two dates then. The G.38 registration changed to D-APIS sometime in 1934, but as the photo shows the last two zeros under the wing, I guess the photo was before that change (as LysanderUK mentioned above). That would put the date for the photo sometime in mid to late 1934 I would guess.