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Lavos
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01 May 2016 14:07 #302911
by Lavos
CNN source:
edition.cnn.com/2016/04/27/aviation/olde...-airliner/index.html
(Click to read the article)
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With the final flight of the oldest flyable twin-engine Boeing, the world has witnessed a little piece of aviation history. Welcomed by aviation enthusiasts, the crowd broke out in applause as the plane -- sporting a mid-1930s United Air Lines livery -- went wheels down after a 15-minute hop from nearby Paine Field in Everett. It certainly was a special delivery that was years in the making.
The ten-seat plane was under restoration since 1979. Of the 75 total 247s built, it's one of only four remaining 247Ds on the planet. From now on, it will be on display at the Museum of Flight as an example of one of the first modern airliners. It was one of the first airliners to have retractable landing gear, de-icing equipment and auto-pilot, Boeing said.
What really set this airliner apart in the 1930s was its top speed: about 200 miles an hour.
With seven stops between New York and Los Angeles, the 247 could make the trip as quickly as 20 hours, cutting previous airliners' record time by 7.5 hours. Also,the popular Ford Tri-Motor -- which debuted in 1928 -- had one more engine than the 247, but it could only muster a top speed of about 135 miles an hour. And featured an aerodynamic design very fitting for modern standards.
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CNN: Boeing's oldest flyable twin-engine airliner makes last flight
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