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Boeing Model 247

1933 GOLDEN AGE WORLD WAR 2 X-PLANE

History of the Boeing 247

With the explosive growth of commercial aviation in the 1930s, companies began to develop various types of aircraft to meet demand. For Boeing, this included the Type 247, a twin-engine all-metal product that first flew on February 8, 1933, and entered service in May of that year. Although fewer than 100 (75) were eventually built, the model was equipped with surface trim, anti-icing boots, retractable landing gear, metal skins, and autopilot.

In addition, it was the first twin-engine manned tugboat capable of operating on a single engine - all of which made the Type 247 a leader.

Variants of the series included the base Type 247 aircraft, the Type 247A and a Pratt & Whitney 'Wasp' 625 hp radial engine (special order 1934) for Lufthansa, the Type 247D racing car and the Type 247E test stand, Among them, the Type 247Y, an armed military experimental platform for China, and the C-73 were put into service by the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II.

The D-model race car is a one-off shape developed exclusively for the MacRobertson Air Race. This version features Hamilton's standard variable-pitch propeller setup, which increases speed by nearly 10 mph. This variant has a top speed of 200 mph, a cruise speed of nearly 190 mph, a range of up to 745 miles, and a range of up to 27,200 feet.

Power comes from 2 x PW R-1340 S1H1-G Wasp 500hp 9-cylinder radial piston air-cooled engines driving a twin-blade propeller unit.

In addition to the United States of America, other civil operators are Canada, the Republic of China (single example, private), Colombia and Germany. Military operators during this period became the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Specification

Base

Years in Service

1933

Origins

United States

Status

retirement

does not work.

Crew

Production

Manufacturer

Boeing - USA

Operators

United States

Roles

Ground attack (bombing, strafing)

The ability to conduct air strikes against ground targets using (but not limited to) artillery, bombs, rockets, rockets, etc.

Disable support (CAS)

Designed to operate near active ground elements with a wide range of air-to-surface weapon and ammunition options.

Transportation

General transport function for moving supplies/cargo or people (including casualties and VIPs) out of range.

Commercial Aviation

Used in roles serving the commercial aviation market, moving passengers and cargo over long distances.

VIP Service

Used in the VIP (Very Important Person) passenger role, usually with above-average amenities and luxury as standard.

X-Plane (development, prototype, tech demo)

Aircraft designed for prototyping, technology demonstration, or research/data collection.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

51.7 feet

(15.75m)

Width/span

74. 1ft

(22.58m)

Height

12. 1 feet

(3.70m)

Cured weight

8,918 lbs

(4,045 kg)

MTOW

13,658 lbs

(6,195 kg)

Wgt Difference

+4,740 lbs

(+2,150 kg)

Performance

Installed:

2 x Pratt & Whitney R-1340 S1H1 Wasp 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, each 500 hp driving a three-blade propeller unit.

Maximum speed

199 km/h

(320 km/h | 173 kn)

Maximum

25,262 feet

(7,700 m | 5 km)

Area

746 km

(1,200 km | 2,222 nautical miles)

rate of climb

1,150 ft/min

(351 m/min)

Armor

None.

VARIANTS

Model 247 Name of the base series. Type 280 - Originally proposed form, powered by 2 Pratt & Whitney "Hornet" engines, 700 hp each; fourteen seater. Type 247A - 1934 German Lufthansa model; powered by 2 625 hp PW Wasp engines. Type 247D - One0ff racing platform; variable pitch propeller unit. Type 247E - Test bench.

Type 247Y - Military limited edition armed variant; only example offered to the Chinese Army; second sample reserved for scoring/attempts. C-73 - USAAC/USAAF model drawn from inventory of Type 247D civilian airliners used in WWII; 27 copies procured.