View source for Boeing 247

{{Short description|Airliner family by Boeing}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= Boeing 247
 |image= File:Boeing, 247.jpg
 |caption= United Air Lines Boeing 247D in flight
 |type= [[Airliner|Passenger airliner]]
 |national_origin= United States
 |manufacturer= [[Boeing]]
 |designer=
 |first_flight= February 8, 1933
 |introduction= May 22, 1933<ref name= "Bryan p. 109"/>
 |retired=
 |status= Retired
 |primary_user= [[United Airlines|Boeing Air Transport]]
 |more_users=
 |produced=
 |number_built= 75<ref>[https://www.boeing.com/content/dam/boeing/boeingdotcom/history/pdf/Boeing_Products.pdf Boeing Products: Model 247/C-73 Transport], p.39</ref>
 |variants=
}}

The '''Boeing Model 247''' is an early American [[airliner]], and one of the first such aircraft to incorporate advances such as all-metal ([[Anodizing#Anodized aluminium|anodized aluminum]]) [[semimonocoque]] construction, a fully [[Cantilever#Aircraft|cantilevered wing]], and [[Landing gear|retractable landing gear]].<ref name="bhistory">[http://www.boeing.com/history/boeing/m247.html "Model 247 Commercial Transport."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118012758/http://www.boeing.com/history/boeing/m247.html |date=January 18, 2008 }} ''boeing.com,'' 2009. Retrieved: June 14, 2010.</ref><ref>van der Linden 1991, [https://books.google.com/books?id=2zTueJhXW0QC&pg=PP19 pp. xi–xii].</ref> Other advanced features included control surface [[trim tab]]s, an [[autopilot]] and [[deicing boot|de-icing boots]] for the wings and [[tailplane]].<ref>Bryan 1979, p. 110.</ref> The 247 first flew on February 8, 1933, and entered service later that year.<ref name="Gould p. 14">Gould 1995, p. 14.</ref>

==Design and development==
[[File:Boeing 247 factory.jpg|thumb|The Boeing 247 production line]]
[[File:United Airlines - NC13347 (7712658118).jpg|thumb|Early versions had the windshield raked forward, to avoid reflecting light off the cockpit instruments. It was later changed to a backward slope because it reflected landing lights on the ground.]]
Boeing introduced a host of aerodynamic and technical features into a new commercial airliner building on work with the earlier [[Boeing Monomail|Monomail]] (Models 200, 221, 221A) mailplanes and [[Boeing YB-9|B-9]] bomber designs. The Boeing 247 was faster than the best U.S. fighter of its day, the open-[[cockpit]] [[biplane]] [[Boeing P-12]].<ref>Serling 1992, p. 19.</ref> The low landing speed of {{cvt|62|mph}} avoided the need for flaps, and pilots learned that at speeds as low as {{cvt|10|mph}}, the 247 could be taxied "tail high" for ease of ground handling.<ref>Seely 1968, p. 58.</ref>

The 247 could fly on one engine. With controllable-pitch propellers, the 247 could maintain {{cvt|11500|ft}} at maximum gross weight on one engine.<ref name="Seely p. 56">Seely 1968, p. 56.</ref> Aside from its size, much lower wing loading, and the [[wing spar]] obstructing the cabin, many of its features became the norm for airliners, including the [[Douglas DC-1]], before [[World War II]].<ref name="Gould p. 14"/> Originally planned as a 14-passenger airliner powered by [[Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet]] [[radial engine]]s, the preliminary review of the design concept by United Air Lines' pilots had resulted in a redesign to a smaller, less capable configuration, powered by [[Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp|R-1340 Wasp engine]]s.<ref>Serling 1992, p. 20.</ref><ref name="Fernandez1983pp74-78_104-105">Fernandez 1983, pp. 74–78, 104–105.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=247D Type Certificate|url=http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/f3b460d1a16354e88525672200685c27/$FILE/ATTZIS6U/TC558.pdf|website=Federal Aviation Administration|publisher=FAA|access-date=5 May 2016|archive-date=28 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228091945/http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/f3b460d1a16354e88525672200685c27/$FILE/ATTZIS6U/TC558.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

One concern of the pilots was that in their view, few airfields could safely take an eight-ton aircraft.<ref name="Fernandez1983pp74-78_104-105"/> They also objected to the Hornet engines, which had a detonation problem when using the available low [[octane]] fuel, and suffered from excessive vibration.<ref name=McCutcheon>{{cite web|last=McCutcheon|first=Kimble D.|title=Pratt & Whitney Single-Row Radials (Wasp and Hornet)|url=https://www.enginehistory.org/Piston/P&W/SingleRow/SingleRow.shtml|publisher=Aircraft Engine Historical Society|date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> [[Pratt & Whitney]]'s chief engineer, [[George J. Mead|George Mead]], knew the problem would be resolved eventually,<ref name="Fernandez1983pp74-78_104-105"/> but P&W's president, [[Frederick Rentschler]] acquiesced to the airline pilots' demand. The decision created a rift between Mead and Rentschler.<ref name="Fernandez1983pp74-78_104-105"/> Despite the disagreements, the 247 would be Boeing's showcase exhibit at the [[Century of Progress|1933 Chicago World's Fair]].<ref>Serling 1992, p. 22.</ref>

The slope of the early 247's [[windshield]] was reversed from normal. This was a design solution, also used on other contemporary aircraft, to the problem of control panel instrument lights reflecting off the windshield, but the reversed windshield reflected ground lights instead, especially during landings, and it also increased drag.<ref>Pearcy 1995</ref><ref>van der Linden 1991, [https://books.google.com/books?id=2zTueJhXW0QC&pg=PA93 p. 93].</ref> By the introduction of the 247D, the windshield was sloped normally, and the glare was resolved with a glarescreen extension over the panel.<ref>Holcomb, Kevin. [http://www.airminded.net/b247/boe247.html "The Boeing 247."] Airminded.net webpage showing initial and final windshield angles and glare screen installation in the 247D, 2009. Retrieved: July 26, 2009.</ref>

Boeing incorporated design elements to enhance passenger comfort, such as the thermostat controlled, air conditioned, and noise-proofed cabin. The crew included a pilot and copilot, as well as a flight attendant (then known as a "steward"), who could tend to passenger needs.<ref>van der Linden 1991, [https://books.google.com/books?id=2zTueJhXW0QC&pg=PA1 p. 1].</ref> The main landing gear did not fully retract; the wheels extended slightly below the [[nacelle]]s, typical of designs of the time, as a means of reducing structural damage in a wheels-up landing. The tailwheel was not retractable. While the Model 247 and 247A had [[Townend ring|speed-ring]] engine [[cowling]]s and fixed-pitch [[Propeller (aeronautics)|propellers]], the Model 247D incorporated [[NACA cowling]]s and [[Variable-pitch propeller (aeronautics)|variable-pitch propeller]]s.<ref>[http://www.acepilots.com/pioneer/boeing_247.html "Boeing Model 247: First modern airliner."] ''acepilots.com'', 2007. Retrieved: July 26, 2009.</ref>

==Operational history==
[[File:Boeing 247 crew.jpg|thumb|[[United Airlines]] crew members and employees stand in front of a Boeing 247]]
[[File:Boeing 247 ad.jpg|thumb|A Boeing 247D in its MacRobertson Air Race markings, {{circa|1934}}: Note the dramatic pose in this fanciful 1935 illustrated card art.]]
[[File:Boeing 247 London Melbourne Race.jpg|thumb|A [[stewardess]] points to the markings on a Boeing 247 that commemorate finishing third in the [[MacRobertson Air Race]].]]

As the 247 emerged from its test and development phase, the company further showcased its capabilities by entering a long-distance air race in 1934, the [[MacRobertson Air Race]] from [[England]] to [[Australia]]. During the 1930s, aircraft designs were often proven in air races and other aerial contests. A modified 247D was entered, flown by Colonel [[Roscoe Turner]] and [[Clyde Edward Pangborn|Clyde Pangborn]].<ref name= "NASM 247D"/> The 247, race number "57", was essentially a production model, but all airliner furnishings were removed to accommodate eight additional fuselage fuel tanks.<ref name="Pedigree p. 35"/> The MacRobertson Air Race attracted aircraft entries from all over the globe, including both prototypes and established production types, with the grueling course considered an excellent proving ground, as well as an opportunity to gain worldwide attention. Turner and Pangborn came in second place in the transport section (and third overall), behind the Boeing 247's eventual rival, the new [[Douglas DC-2]].<ref name="Boeing">[http://www.aviation-history.com/boeing/247.html "Boeing Model 247- USA."] ''The Aviation History On-Line Museum'', November 19, 2004. Retrieved: July 26, 2009.</ref>

Being the winner of the 1934 U.S. [[Collier Trophy]] for excellence in aviation design, the first 247 production orders were earmarked for William Boeing's airline, [[Boeing Air Transport]].<ref name="Pedigree p. 35">Boeing Company 1969, p. 35.</ref> The 247 was capable of crossing the United States from east to west eight hours faster than its predecessors, such as the [[Ford Trimotor]] and [[Curtiss T-32 Condor II|Curtiss Condor]]. Entering service on May 22, 1933, a Boeing Air Transport 247 set a cross-country record of {{frac|19|1|2}} hours on its [[San Francisco]] to New York City inaugural flight.<ref name= "Bryan p. 109">Bryan 1979, p. 109.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://internationalaviationhq.com/2019/09/11/boeing-247-first-of-firsts/|title= Boeing 247: The First of Monoplane Firsts|last=Pask|first=Alexander|website=internationalaviationhq.com|date= 11 September 2019}}</ref>

Boeing sold the first 60 247s, an unprecedented $3.5 million order, to its affiliated airline, Boeing Air Transport (part of the [[United Aircraft and Transport Corporation]], UATC), at a unit price of $65,000.<ref name="Gould p. 14"/><ref name="Seely p. 56"/> TWA (Transcontinental & Western Air) also ordered the 247, but UATC declined the order, which resulted in TWA President [[Jack Frye]] setting out requirements for a new airliner and funding [[Donald Wills Douglas Sr.|Don Douglas]] to design and build the [[Douglas DC-1]] prototype. Douglas eventually developed the design into the DC-2 and [[Douglas DC-3|DC-3]].<ref name="Gould p. 14"/>

The Boeing design had been the first to enter series production, but the 247 proved to have some serious deficiencies. Airlines considered its limited capacity a drawback, since it carried only 10 passengers, in five rows with a seat on each side of the aisle, as well as a [[stewardess]]. Compared to the more spacious DC-2 and later DC-3, the passenger count was too few to make it a commercially viable airliner.<ref name="Boeing"/> Another feature influencing passenger comfort was that the 247's main wing spar ran through the cabin, so persons moving through the cabin had to step over it.<ref>Serling 1992, p. 21.</ref> The [[Lockheed Model 10 Electra]] had a similar configuration, and while it was a more compact design, the Electra managed to carry the same number of passengers at a slightly better overall performance, and at a lower cost-per-mile.<ref name="Boeing"/>

Seventy-five 247s were built; Douglas collected 800 civil orders for DC-3s before the [[Pearl Harbor]] attack, and produced over 10,000 DC-3s, including wartime production of [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|C-47s]], while the rival Lockheed Electra "family" was eventually to reach over 3,000 in its various civil and military variants. Boeing Air Transport bought 60 examples, [[United Aircraft and Transport Corporation|United Aircraft Corp.]] 10, [[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Lufthansa]] ordered three, but only two were delivered,<ref name="Stauch">'Das Große Buch der Lufthansa' Günter Stauch(Hrsg.) GeraMond Verlag 2003 {{ISBN|3-7654-7174-7}} pp. 70–73</ref><ref name="Seifert">'Der Deutsche Luftverkehr 1926–1945' Karl-Dieter Seifert Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Bonn 1999 {{ISBN|3-7637-6118-7}} pp.330–331</ref> and one went to a private owner in China. While the industry primarily standardized on Boeing's competitors, many of United's aircraft were later purchased by [[Western Airlines|Western Air Express]] at "bargain-basement prices".<ref>Serling 1992, p. 23.</ref>
[[File:RCAF Boeing 247d.jpg|thumb|left|No. 121 [[RCAF]] Squadron Boeing 247D, c. 1939]]

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 [[No. 121 Squadron RCAF|121 Squadron]] operated seven 247Ds as medium transports during the early part of the war.<ref>{{cite web|title=Boeing 247D|url=http://www.rcaf.com/aircraft/transports/247d/index.php?name=Boeing%20247D |website=rcaf.com|date=2009|archive-date=21 May 2006|access-date=13 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060521031633/http://www.rcaf.com/aircraft/transports/247d/index.php?name=Boeing%20247D
}}</ref> 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 [[Instrument approach|blind landing]] on 16 January 1945.<ref name=Worcestershire44>{{cite book|first1=Stephen |last1=Burrows|first2=Michael |last2=Layton|title=Top Secret Worcestershire|publisher=Brewin Books|date=2020|isbn=978-1858586151|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HWzNDwAAQBAJ&pg=PP45|page=44}}</ref>

Warlord [[Chang Hsueh-liang|"Young Marshal" Zhang Xueliang]] ordered two Boeing 247Ds for his [[List of aircraft used in China before 1937|air force]]. He  used 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 [[Xi'an|''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 they could fight together against the Japanese invaders.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Robert Craig|date=1996|title=China's Air Forces in the Struggle Against Japan|url=http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v2/v2n2/china30s.html|access-date=2021-01-20|website=worldatwar.net}}</ref>

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 {{cvt|.50|in|1}}  machine gun in a flexible mount.<ref name="Seely p. 63">Seely 1968, p. 63.</ref> A 247D purchased by the British RAF became a testbed for [[instrument approach]] equipment and received a nonstandard nose, new powerplants, and fixed landing gear.<ref>Seely 1968, p. 69.</ref> Some 247s were still flying in the late 1960s as cargo transports and business aircraft.<ref name="Boeing"/>

The Turner/Pangborn 247D still exists. Originally flown on September 5, 1934, it was leased from United Airlines for the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race and returned to United, where it served in regular airline service until 1937. Subsequently, the 247D was sold to the Union Electric Company of St. Louis for use as an executive transport. The Air Safety Board purchased the aircraft in 1939 and it remained in use for 14 years before it was donated to the [[National Air and Space Museum]], [[Washington, DC]]. It is displayed today with two sets of markings, the left side is marked as NR257Y, in Colonel Turner's 1934 MacRobertson Air Race colors, while the right side is painted in United Airlines livery, as NC13369.<ref name="NASM 247D">[http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/boeing_247.htm "NASM Boeing 247D."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124055522/http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/boeing_247.htm |date=November 24, 2007 }} ''Wayback archive'' of NASM Boeing 247D, originally revised May 5, 2001. Retrieved: July 26, 2009.</ref>

==Variants==
[[File:Boeing 247 1933.jpg|thumb|Boeing 247 prototype at [[Boeing Field]], ''circa'' 1933]]
[[File:Boeing 247 N3977C.jpg|thumb|right|A 247 in the 1950s]]
<ref>Yenne 1989, pp. 54–59.</ref>
;Model 247
:Twin-engined civil transport airliner, initial production version
;247A
:Powered by new {{cvt|625|hp}} P&W Wasp, on special order for Deutsche Luft Hansa in 1934
;247E
:This designation was given to the first Boeing 247 aircraft, it was used to test a number improvements that were later incorporated into the Boeing 247D.
;247D
:Original one-off was a race aircraft designed for the [[MacRobertson Air Race]]; use of Hamilton Standard  variable-pitch propellers allowed for a {{cvt|7|mph}} gain; the 247D configuration incorporated in production series bearing the same name.
;247Y
:Armed version, one exported to China, second used for trials
;C-73
:Designation for Boeing 247D airliners impressed into military service in USAAF, 27 in total
;Model 280
:Proposed development of Boeing 247 with 14 seats and {{cvt|700|hp}} P&W Hornet engines

==Operators==

===Civil operators===
[[File:Boeing C-73.jpg|thumb|right|A C-73 during World War II]]
;{{BRA}}
* [[Viação Aérea Bahiana]] operated one aircraft.
;{{flag|Canada|1921}}
* [[Canadian Pacific Airlines]]
* [[Quebec Airways]]
;{{ROC}}
* Private owner operated one aircraft.
;{{COL}}
* [[Avianca]] as [[SCADTA]] operated 10 aircraft.
;{{flag|Germany|}}
* ''[[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Lufthansa]]'' operated one aircraft and used a second for spares/testing.<ref name="Stauch"/><ref name="Seifert"/>
;{{flag|United States|1912}}
* [[Boeing Air Transport]] (later [[United Air Lines]]) operated 60 aircraft.
* [[Empire Air Lines]]
* [[National Parks Airways]]
* [[Pennsylvania Central Airlines]]
* [[United Aircraft]] Corporation operated 10 aircraft.
* [[Wien Air Alaska]]
* [[Western Air Express]], the predecessor of [[Western Airlines]], received some of ex-United Aircraft Corporation aircraft.
* [[Woodley Airways]]
* [[Inland Air Lines|Wyoming Air Service]]

===Military operators===
;{{flag|Canada|1921}}
* [[Royal Canadian Air Force]]
;{{GBR}}
* [[Royal Air Force]]
;{{flag|United States|1912}}
* [[United States Army Air Corps]]

==Accidents and incidents==
;October 10, 1933:[[United Airlines|United Air Lines]] 247, ''NC13304'' (c/n 1685) [[United Air Lines Flight 23]], was probably the first victim of [[1933 United Airlines Boeing 247 mid-air explosion|sabotage of a commercial airliner]]. The aircraft, en route from [[Cleveland]] to [[Chicago]], was destroyed by a [[nitroglycerin]]-based explosive device over [[Chesterton, Indiana]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1933/10/11/99936550.html |title=Seven die as plane crashes in flames |work=The New York Times |date=October 11, 1933 |page=1}}</ref> All seven on board were killed.
;November 9, 1933:A [[Pacific Air Transport]] 247, ''NC13345'' (c/n 1727), crashed on takeoff after the pilot became disoriented in fog and low visibility; four of ten on board died.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=26413|title=Accident Boeing 247 NC13345|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=20 January 2018}}</ref>
;November 24, 1933:A [[National Air Transport]] 247, ''NC13324'' (c/n 1705), was being ferried from Chicago to Kansas City when it crashed near Wedron, Illinois, killing all three crew.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=197031|title=Accident Boeing 247 NC13324|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=20 January 2018}}</ref>
;February 23, 1934: A United Air Lines 247, ''NC13357'' (c/n 1739), [[1934 United Airlines Utah crash|crashed]] in Parley's Canyon in fog near Salt Lake City, killing all eight on board.
;December 20, 1934: United Air Lines Flight 6, a 247 (''NC13328'', c/n 1709), struck a tree and crashed near Western Springs, Illinois, due to carburetor icing; all four on board survived. The aircraft involved was repaired and converted to 247D standard in July 1935 and returned to service;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=26022|title=Incident Boeing 247 NC13328|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=8 April 2022}}</ref> the aircraft was pressed into USAAF service in 1942 and redesignated as C-73 with tail number ''42-57210''. The aircraft was damaged in a wind storm at Duncan Field, Texas, on August 30, 1942, and was written off.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=73584|title=Incident Boeing 247D (C-73) 42-57210|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=20 January 2018}}</ref>
;March 24, 1935: The sole 247 operated by [[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Lufthansa]] (''D-AGAR'', c/n 1945) was damaged beyond economical repair in a collision with an [[Air France]] aircraft on the ground at [[Nuremberg]] and then scrapped<ref name="Seifert"/>
;September 1, 1935:[[Western Airlines|Western Air Express]] 247, ''NC13314'' (c/n 1695), was being ferried from Burbank, California, to Saugus, California, when it struck high tension power lines after takeoff, killing all three on board.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=26875|title=Accident Boeing 247 NC13314|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=20 January 2018}}</ref>
;October 7, 1935: [[United Airlines Flight 4]], a 247D (c/n 1698), went down about {{cvt|10|mi}} west of Cheyenne, Wyoming due to pilot error. Three crew and nine passengers killed, there were no survivors.<ref>van der Linden 1971, p. 174.</ref>
;October 30, 1935:United Air Lines Boeing 247D, ''NC13323'' (c/n 1704), crashed during an instrument checkflight near Cheyenne, killing the four crew members aboard.<ref>[https://www.gendisasters.com/wyoming/18518/cheyenne-wy-united-airlines-plane-crashes-oct-1935 "Cheyenne, WY United Airlines Plane Crashes."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222203226/http://www3.gendisasters.com/wyoming/18518/cheyenne-wy-united-airlines-plane-crashes-oct-1935 |date=2014-02-22 }} ''Associated Press'' for ''[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)|Centralia Daily Chronicle]] (Washington),'' October 31, 1935. Retrieved: December 5, 2011.</ref>
;December 15, 1936:Seven died when [[Western Air Lines|Western Air Express]] Flight 6, a 247D,<ref name=1936crash>[http://ntl1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?file&fn=8&name=*S%3A\DOT_56GB\airplane%20accidents\websearch1536.pdf "Aircraft Accident Report, December 15, 1936 crash."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823113556/http://ntl1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?file&fn=8&name=%2AS%3A%5CDOT_56GB%5Cairplane%20accidents%5Cwebsearch%5C121536.pdf |date=August 23, 2011 }} ''Department of Commerce''. Retrieved: November 8, 2009.</ref> en route from [[Burbank, California]], to [[Salt Lake City]] via [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], crashed just below Hardy Ridge on [[Lone Peak]] in [[Utah]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120125033113/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,757991,00.html "Confetti on Lone Peak."] ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', June 21, 1937. Retrieved: November 8, 2009.</ref> The major parts of the aircraft were hurled over the ridge and fell over {{cvt|1000|ft}} into a basin below.<ref name=1936crash />
;December 27, 1936: [[United Airlines Trip 34]], a 247D (c/n 1737), crashed at the head of Rice Canyon, [[Los Angeles County, California]], due to pilot error; all 12 on board died.
;January 12, 1937 :[[Western Air Express Flight 7]], a 247D (c/n 1696) flight from Salt Lake City to Burbank, crashed into a mountain near [[Newhall, California]], killing five. Among the dead was Martin Johnson of [[Martin and Osa Johnson]] fame (adventurers, authors, and documentary filmmakers).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kansastravel.org/safarimuseum.htm|last1=Stokes|first1=Keith|title=Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum|publisher=kansastravel.org|access-date=July 26, 2009}}</ref>
;August 13, 1937 :A 247 being operated by the [[Luftwaffe|Luftwaffe's]] proving ground at [[Rechlin]] (formerly ''D-AKIN'' of [[Deutsche Luft Hansa|Lufthansa]], c/n 1944) crashed at Hannover, Germany, during a test flight,<ref name="Seifert"/> killing seven of eight on board. The aircraft was being used as a testbed for an experimental autopilot.
;March 13, 1939: A SCADTA 247D, ''C-149'', crashed near [[Manzanares, Caldas]], Colombia, killing all eight on board.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=28827|title=Accident Boeing 247D C-149|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=20 January 2018}}</ref>
;February 27, 1940 :A SCADTA 247D, ''C-140'', struck El Mortino mountain near [[Tona, Santander]], Colombia, killing all 11 on board.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=27865|title=Accident Boeing 247D C-140|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=20 January 2018}}</ref>
;July 30, 1942:A Northwest Airlines C-73, ''42-68639'' (c/n 1717, former NC13335), crashed and burned on takeoff from [[Wold Chamberlain Field]], near [[Minneapolis]], Minnesota, killing all 10 on board.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=73554|title=Accident Boeing 247 (C-73) 42-68639|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=20 January 2018}}</ref>

==Surviving aircraft==
[[File:NASM-A19540069000-NASM2018-10580.jpg|thumb|right|Boeing 247D at the [[National Air and Space Museum]] showing [[United Air Lines]] markings in this view.<ref name= "NASM 247D"/>]]

;c/n 1699, ''CF-JRQ''
:Exhibited in [[Canada Aviation and Space Museum]], [[Ottawa]]. Donated to the museum in 1967 by [[Standard Oil|California Standard Oil]] of [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]].<ref>[http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/collections/artifacts/aircraft/Boeing247D/ "Boeing 247D."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422131411/http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/collections/artifacts/aircraft/Boeing247D/ |date=2009-04-22 }} ''Canada Aviation and Space Museum Collection'', 2009. Retrieved: July 26, 2009.</ref>

;c/n 1722, ''N18E''
:Exhibited in the [[Science Museum Group|National Museum of Science and Industry]], [[Wroughton]], UK

[[File:Boeing 247 "City of Renton" (c-n 1729, N13347) viewed from above.jpg|thumb|The Boeing 247 at the Museum of Flight in the city of Tukwila, just south of Seattle]]
;c/n 1729, ''N13347''
:Static display, flown after restoration at the [[Museum of Flight]] Restoration Center, [[Paine Field]], [[Snohomish County, Washington]], USA, to the Museum of Flight main facility on 26 April 2016 where it was subsequently installed in that museum's Air Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.warbirdsnews.com/uncategorized/flight-rare-1933-boeing-247d-airliner.html|title=Last Flight for Rare 1933 Boeing 247D Airliner|date=14 April 2016|website=warbirdsnews.com|access-date=4 April 2018}}</ref>

;c/n 1953, ''NC13369'' / ''NR257Y''
:Exhibited in the Hall of Air Transportation at the [[National Air and Space Museum]], [[Washington, D.C.]], USA, with [[United Air Lines]] colors and registration as ''NC13369'' on its right fuselage and wing and as ''NR257Y'' with [[MacRobertson Air Race]] markings on its left side.<ref name= "NASM 247D"/>

==Specifications (Boeing 247D)==
[[File:Boeing 247.svg|right|300px]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Boeing aircraft since 1916<ref name="Bowers">{{cite book |last1=Bowers |first1=Peter M. |title=Boeing aircraft since 1916 |date=1989 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis |isbn=978-0870210372 |pages=207–213 |edition=3rd}}</ref>
|prime units?=imp
|crew=Three
|capacity=10 passengers + baggage and {{cvt|400|lb|0}} of mail
|length ft=51|length in=7
|span ft=74|span in=1
|height ft=12|height in=1.75
|wing area sqft=836.13
|airfoil=Boeing 106B<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight lb=8921|max takeoff weight lb=13650
|fuel capacity={{cvt|273|USgal|impgal l}}
<!-- Powerplant -->
|eng1 number=2|eng1 name= [[Pratt & Whitney R-1340 S1H1-G Wasp]]|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines|eng1 hp=500|eng1 note=at 2,200 rpm at {{cvt|8000|ft}}

|prop blade number=2 |prop name=variable-pitch propellers (3-bladed propellers shown in line drawing)
|prop dia ft=|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed mph=200
|cruise speed mph=189
|cruise speed note=at {{cvt|12000|ft}}
|range miles=745
|ceiling ft=25400
|ceiling note=<br>
*'''Absolute ceiling:''' {{cvt|27200|ft|0}}
|climb rate ftmin=1150
|more performance=
}}

==Notable appearances in media==
<!-- All content about the aircraft in fictional and gaming use has been moved to [[Aircraft in fiction]], please see [[WP:AIRPOP]] -->
{{Main|Aircraft in fiction#Boeing 247}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
|related=
* [[Boeing 307 Stratoliner]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[Douglas DC-2]]
* [[Douglas DC-3]]
* [[Junkers Ju 52]]
* [[Lockheed Model 10 Electra]]
* [[Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra]]
* [[Tupolev ANT-35|ANT-35/PS-35]]
|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of World War II]]
|see also=

}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite magazine|last=Boughton|first=Trevor W.|title=Talkback|magazine=[[Air Enthusiast]] |date=April–July 1980|issue=12 |page=49 |issn=0143-5450}}
* Bowers, Peter M. ''Boeing aircraft since 1916''. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1989. {{ISBN|0-85177-804-6}}.
* Bryan, C.D.B.  ''The National Air and Space Museum''. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1979. {{ISBN|0-8109-0666-X}}.
* Fernandez, Ronald. ''Excess Profits: The Rise of United Technologies.'' Boston, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley, 1983. {{ISBN|978-0-201-10484-4}}.
* Gould, William. ''Boeing'' (Business in Action). Bath, Avon, UK: Cherrytree Books, 1995. {{ISBN|0-7451-5178-7}}.
* Mondey, David, ''The Concise Guide to American Aircraft of World War II''. London: Chancellor, 1996. {{ISBN|1-85152-706-0}}.
* Pearcy, Arthur. ''Douglas Propliners: DC-1–DC-7''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1995. {{ISBN|1-85310-261-X}}.
* ''Pedigree of Champions: Boeing Since 1916, Third Edition''. Seattle, Washington: The Boeing Company, 1969. No ISBN. [http://worldcat.org/oclc/11569612 WorldCat].
* Seely, Victor. "Boeing's Grand Old Lady." ''Air Classics'', Vol. 4, No. 6, August 1968.
* Serling, Robert J. ''Legend & Legacy: The Story of Boeing and its People''. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. {{ISBN|0-312-05890-X}}.
* Taylor, H. A. "Boeing's Trend-Setting 247". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', No. 9, February–May 1979, pp.&nbsp;43–54. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* Taylor, H. A. "Talkback". ''Air Enthusiast'', No. 10, July–September 1979, p.&nbsp;80. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}
* van der Linden, F. Robert. [https://books.google.com/books?id=2zTueJhXW0QC&pg=PP1 ''The Boeing 247: The First Modern Airliner''.] Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press, 1991. {{ISBN|0-295-97094-4}}. Retrieved: July 26, 2009.
* Yenne, Bill. ''Boeing: Planemaker to the World''. New York:, Crescent Books, 1989. {{ISBN|0-517-69244-9}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Boeing 247}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgBf4QJK73Y Film of United Airlines Boeing 247 NC13364 taking off from Vancouver Airport 1934 ]
* [http://www.airminded.net/b247/boe247.html Gallery: Boeing 247 Images, including two of the interior and one of the retracted main gear]
* [http://www.acepilots.com/pioneer/boeing_247.html Boeing Model 247: First modern airliner]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=YeIDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA521 "From Mock Up To Latest Airliner," ''Popular Mechanics'', October 1932, early article on future Model 247]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=td4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9 "Keeping Them In The Air" ''Popular Mechanics'', July 1935 photos and colored artwork of 247 pp.9–16]
* [https://digitalcollections.museumofflight.org/nodes/view/2810 Maintenance & service manual for the Boeing Model 247 transport airplane] 

{{B-17 family}}
{{Boeing airliners}}
{{Boeing military aircraft}}
{{Boeing model numbers}}
{{USAF transports}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Boeing aircraft|247]]
[[Category:1930s United States airliners]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1933]]
[[Category:Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear]]