The History of the Boeing Model 40 a Contribution to Corporate and Air Line Growth

The History of the Boeing Model 40 A Contribution to Corporate and Air Line Growth Boeing Historical Archives Boeing Historical Archives 45th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit January 7-10, 2008 Grand Serra Resort Hotel Reno, Nevada Mike Lavelle, Associate Fellow AIAA Fellow, Royal Aeronautical Society Museum of Flight Seattle, Washington Dedication This paper is dedicated to Mr. William E. Boeing Jr. for his stewardship and continuous support of aviation/aerospace education. Author and Mr. William E. Boeing Jr. Boeing Model 40B Roll Out Wenatchee, WA. October 6, 2007 This paper is copy write by author and The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2008 2 Acknowledgements This paper has been supported in one way or another by many people with whom I work. I like to thank them all for their time, assistance and feedback they provided while the paper was in the process of being researched and written. The Museum of Flight Staff • Alison Bailey - Associate Director of Development Museum of Flight • Andrew Boike - Annual Fund Coordinator Museum of Flight • Meredith Downs – Photo Archivist Museum of Flight • John Little – Exhibits Technician and Aviation Historian • Ernst Marris – Security Officer Museum of Flight • Dennis Parks – Director of Collections Museum of Flight • Katherine Williams – Archivist Dahlberg Center for Military Aviation History, Museum of Flight The Boeing Company Archives Staff • Mike Lombardi - The Boeing Company – Corporate Historian • Tom Lubbesmeyer – Boeing Historian \Archivist Museum of Flight Trustee • Brien S. Wygle – Retired Boeing Vice President and Company Test Pilot I would especially like to thank Andrew Boike and Brien Wygle who spent their own time helping with the papers editing and format. This paper is copy write by author and The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2008 3 Outline The History of the Boeing Model 40 A Contribution to Corporate and Air Line Growth • Introduction and Background o Overview Post Office Operations until 1923 o Early Aircraft used o Need for Updated equipment • The Contenders for the de Havilland DH-4 Replacement o The industry response o Boeing Model 40 Overall Performance o Boeing’s Design approach • Establishing the Industry o Events leading to Model 40 redesign o The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company • Bringing the Boeing Model 40A into Production o Key events and Activities o The Boeing Model 40 Line Operations o United Aircraft and Transportation Corporation o How many were built and What Model 40 is it • Where are they now – The Boeing Model 40 survivors and replicas. • Pictures of the constructions of The Museum of Flight Model 40 replica under construction. • Summary and conclusion. • References • About the Author This paper is copy write by author and The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2008 4 The History of the Boeing Model 40 Introduction and Background Overview of Post Office Operations until 1923 Aviation historian called 1919 the “First Year of Air Transportation”. That year marked the advent of the postwar passenger-carrying airplane; it was born amidst the glut of surplus wartime airplanes from all the combatants’ air arms. Within two months of the armistice, on January 8, 1919, Germany authorized airline development. The first German airline was the Deutsche Luft Reederei (D.L.R.), which opened passenger service between Berlin and Weimar, via Leipzig with war-surplus A.E.G. and D.F.W. biplanes. While in France, the Farman Brothers, well known aircraft designers before and during World War I opened scheduled service between Paris and Brussels using the Farman F.60 Goliath (figure 1a) in March of 1919. The British soon followed in August of 1919 when Aircraft Transport and Travel Ltd flew a modified D.H. 4A,(figure 1b) from London to Paris carrying cargo and one passenger initiating the first scheduled international air service. (Hallion 1977 p8) As we shall see the DH-4 also played a major role in the U.S. air transportation system with the U.S Postal Air Service. Kenneth Munson Illustration Farman F.60 Goliath (1a) de Havilland D.H. 4A (1b) Figure 1 In the United States the development of schedule commercial aviation did not start with passenger service as in Europe but was tied closely with the efforts of the United States Post Office. When the US Army began flying the mail from New 5 York to Washington D.C with Philadelphia as an intermediate stop in May of 1918, few realized that within less than two and half years this nascent 215-mile route would grow into a 3000 mile transcontinental air mail line. The initial force and credit behind this growth was Assistant Postmaster General Otto Praeger who by August of 1918 transitioned Army mail flights to civilian Post Office operations. Praeger, a self-taught former Washington D.C. correspondent from Texas was a demanding chief. During the summer of 1918, he appointed personnel to key management positions. One such person was Captain Benjamin Lipsner who resigned from the Army to become the first Superintendent of the Air Mail. Lipsner in turn hired qualified pilots, selected aircraft, and established logistical support along the Post Office’s route structure. Post Office Air Mail Routes 1918-1921 From R.E.G. Davies Airlines of the United States Since 1914 Figure 2 During the first year of operations, the Post Office realized an operational profit of $19,000. Postal revenues for the year totaled $162,000, while the cost to fly the mail was $143,000. The initial year of operations would be the only time that the airmail service generated a profit. Early Aircraft Used 6 However, this is understandable given the swift route expansions illustrated by Figure 2. During this growth period, the Post Office was trying to find the optimum aircraft for the route as the line expanded west. The Post Office utilized mostly World War I surplus aircraft that included the Curtiss JN-4H and, Army surplus de Havilland DH-4s. There was also a mix of new post war aircraft. Such as the seven Standard Aircraft Company’s JR-1Bs (figure 3a) and a new post World War I design, the all-metal German Junkers JL-6. (figure 3b). www.postalmuseum.si.edu Standard Aircraft Company JR-1B (3a) www.postalmuseum.si.edu All-Metal Junker JL-6 (3b) Figure 3 As a point of interest the Standard’s were the first non-military aircraft the U.S. Government purchased for $3500 each. They had 150 H.P. Hispanso-Suiza engines and could climb to 6000 feet faster than the Curtiss Jenny JN-4Hs. This would be an important performance consideration along the mountainous sections of the route. Early in fiscal year 1921 the Post Office paid aircraft manufactures $476,000 for new and modified aircraft. However, when they could not find the ideal aircraft for 7 their operational needs they selected what was considered to be best of what they had and began a program of standardization. The specific reasons for retiring these aircraft varied but generally included one or more of the following reasons, high cost of maintenance, safety, efficiency and/or overall aircraft performance. Figure 4 lists the aircraft types phased out. Aircraft Phased out • 7 Curtiss JN-4Hs 3 Glenn Martin Mailplanes • 7 Standard JR-1Bs 4 Junker JL 6s (F-13) • 17 Curtiss R-4ls 1 L,W.F. Type V • 20 Twin DH’s 2 Curtiss H-as Figure 4 Boeing Historical Archives de Havilland DH-4 Figure 5 Although a World War I British design the de Havilland DH-4 (figure 5) emerged from this pack of mixed aircraft a reliable work horse along the transcontinental route until the Post Office would turn their routes over to industry contractors at the beginning in 1926. During World War I the DH-4 was built for the Army Air Service by the Dayton- Wright Aircraft Company under license agreement from the Airco consortium of Great Britain. The American version of the aircraft was powered by a 12 cylinder 400 HP Liberty Engine. After World War I the Army Air Service had several 8 aircraft manufactures modernize the DH-4 airframe. For example, Boeing modernized one hundred airframes between March 6 and July 1, 1920 by repositioning the fuel tanks and pilot’s cockpit. This improved the safety of flight in the event of an engine fire. Additionally, the landing gear was also moved forward slightly to improve ground handling. In 1923 Boeing further improved DH- 4s by converting several airframes from wood to steel. Intended primarily for the Army, many of the modernized (DH-4M’s) were transferred to the Post Office, remaining in service until it ceased flying the mail in 1927. By mid-1924, using primarily the DH-4, regularly scheduled transcontinental mail service became a reality. In addition, to day flights, the Post Office pilots began regular night flights. They were guided by a lighted airway system with rotating beacons and brightly lit emergency landing fields, timing their night flying to reach the end of the lighted airway by daybreak. The Post Office resumed using special airmail postage, which it had discontinued in 1919. By 1924 Airmail now cost eight cents to travel in any of the three zones comprising the transcontinental route and could travel across the country for 24 cents. By the end of 1924, airmail planes were routinely completing the New York to San Francisco route within 34 hours. Need for Updated Equipment On April 7, 1924 realizing the need to replace the aging DH-4 fleet, the Post Office requested proposals from interested companies for an aircraft based on the following specifications: • Liberty Motor • Cruising Speed at least 95 M.P.H.

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