I Boeing 314 74 seats • 180 mph • Lorge American flogs first appeared on the 314's bow on August 28, 1939. Wright Double Cyclone (1500 hp) x 4 • 82,500 lb. max. gross take-off weight • 3500 statute miles range Pan Am rco~~tRegisl Nome Region Remarks I i No No. Del. Dole Length 106 feet • Span 152 feet • Height 28 feet i B.314 1988 NC 18601 Honolulu Clipper 27.J.39 Pacific Sunk 01 sea by U.S. Navy, 4 Nov. 1945. 1989 NC18602 California Clipper 27.1.39 Pacific Renamed Pacific Cllppe~ Purchosed by WOr Assets I Departmenl1946. Said 10 World Airways. Scropped 1950. 1990 NC18603 Yankee Clipper 4.2.39 Atlantic Inaugurated firsl transoflanlic moil service, New York· Marseilles 20 May 1939; lirsl air mail New York· Soutl1Ompton 24 June 1939; Sank in River To gus. lisbon, 22 February 1943. 1991 NC 18604 Atlanlic Clipper 203.39 Allantic Purchased by War Assets Deportment 1946, and salvaged for porls. 1992 NC18605 DIxie Clipper 4.39 Allantic Inaugurated lirst transallantic passenger sefVIce, New York·Marseilles, 28 June 1939. Purchased by War Assets Department 1946. SOld to World Airways. I Scropped 1950. I 1993 NC18606 American Clipper 639 Allantic Purcl10sed by War Assels Departmenl1946. Sold to World Airways. Scrapped 1950. ~4A ; 2081 NCI8607 Bflstal 4.41 Atlantic Sold before delivery to 8ritish purchasing Commission, (U.K.) 1940, and used by 8.0.A.C. (G·AGBI). Sold to World I Airways, 1948. I 2082 NCI8608 Berwick 5.41 (U.K.) As above (G·AGCA). Sold to World Airways, 1948. 2083 NC18609 Pacific Clipper 5.41 Pacific Purchased by Wor Assets Department 1946. Sold to Universal Airlines. Damaged by storm and salvaged for ports only. I 2084 NC 18610 Bangor 6.41 (UK) See NC 18607 (G·AGC8). Sold to World Airways, 1948. I 2085 NC 18611 Anzac Clipper 6.41 Pacific' Purchased by War Assels Department 1946. To AllonTic Universal 1946, American Inlernotionol1947, World 1948. Sold privately 1951, destroyed at 8altimore 1951. Onen forgotten is the number of crew members needed for the pre-war Ilying Len 10 righl: Captains.. "­ Harold Gray, I bOOIS. Captain R. O. D. Sullivan is pictured here (cenler) as leader of alive-man J Walker, and E E. LaPorte. I 2086 NC 18612 Capetown Clipper 841 AtlantiC Purchased by War Assets Deparlment1946 Am Int 1947. Sunk at sea by U.S. Coasl Guard 14 Oclober 1947. Boeing 314 llight deck team. Four pursers (standing) complete Ihe crew. Pan ------ American did not employ air hostesses unlil aner World War II. 43 The Greatest Flying Boat When Juan1):ippe turned his eyes towards the Atlan­ Other airlines could only marvel at the accomplish­ tic. and even while the Martin Clippers were going into ment now being carried out as routine, on a miSSion service in the Pacific. Pan American engineers pre­ which only a year or two previously would have been pared specilicalions lor a lIying boat capable 01 carry­ regarded as an adventure. ing large.loads on longer equivalent ranges. Not that the Atlantic segments were longer, but the severe headwinds could make the equivalent ranges longer. The outbreak 01 the Second World War in Europe on Boeing won the design competition and signed a 3 September 1939 curtailed Pan American's oppor­ contract with Pan Am on 21 July 1936 lor six Boeing 314s. tunity to build on its success. The northern route was It outstripped all rivals in size. with twice the power 01 abandoned alleronlythree months. on 3 October. Sub­ the Martin M-130 The 14-cylinder double-row Wright sequently the Boeing 3145 continued Hying all over the Cyclones were the tirst to use 100-octane luel. The tinest globe, maintaining especially the Atlantic crossing by flying boat to go into regular commercial service, the the central route. or via Brazil and West Atrica. They Boeing 314 weighed 40 tons, and the tirst batch cost made manyimportantflights during the war. insupport $550,000 per aircral! This BOling 314 was the los! one delivered 10 Pan American, anlv three months 01 military operations aslar atield as southeast Asia. But At !lrst Boeing had problems with the single vertical before the Pearl Harbor allack. It worked with the U.S. Naval Air Service they were overtaken by the progress made in develop­ stabilizer. It tried a twin-tail arrangement, and tinally Captain Harold Gray, openedthe northern mailservice ing long-range landplanes, and the last Boeing 314 settled on the three tins which became a leature 01 the to Southampton on 24 June was soon retired in 1946 design. Originally due lor delivery on 21 December Captain R. O. D. Sullivan had the honor 01 carrying The Boeing 314's service Iile was all too short. consid­ 1937. the tirst B 314 was not handed over to Pan Ameri­ the tirst scheduled passengers across the North Atlantic ering its importance as a technical landmark in aero­ can until 27 January 1939 It wasplaced into service on on 28 June with the Dixie Clipper. Twenty-two privi­ nautical achievement. A lew months belore the war. the Pacitic almost immediately Even then. lurther mod­ leged persons had the option 01 paying $375 one-way a lew months atter, and sporadic missions in between ifications were necessary but the 314 tinally got rid 01 its (about $4000 in today's money) or $675 return (say -a modest record. statistically. But on one occasion, in bugs and was ready lor its tinal test. the North Atlantic. about $7000 or $8000, or twice Concorde levels). The January 1942. the Pacific Clipper made a 3L500-mile For the record, the Boeing 314 Yankee Clipper inau­ Yankee Clipper opened the northern passenger route t1ight around the world. The B 314 lIying boat put UP all gurated the world's tirst transatlantic airplane sched­ on 8 July, carrying 17 passengers at the same lare. kinds 01 records, but none could compare , uled service on 20 May 1939. Under the command 01 The whole operation had been carried out with establishment 01 theNorth Atlantic service in 19391n the Captain A E. LaPorte. almost a ton 01 mail was carried admirable precision. the result of disciplined opera­ epoch-making series 01 inaugural tlights which were. lrom Port Washington to Marseilles. via the Azores and tional procedures, carelully relined and perfected over perhaps. Pan American's greatest contribution to all Lisbon, in 29 hours. The same aircrat!, commanded by Pan American's years 01 ocean lIying experience. transport in all its distinguished history. Boeing 314 Services THE PACIFIC BOATS 1939-1945 1936 outhampton ~~'--'W~ Mar.",nes Douglas DC-3 Karachi Co ",e I <$'0 ~ \ ,.,0 I I Martin M-1~ \. i.'<' I I .. .<.: I I "0.. I I I ............ _..t::J--- ......., 1939 I . I '"0'> ""II> ,'\. I _______ Route of I s", Nou\oea I I SydneyC'o. Pacific Clipper on first I I .... Boeing 314 l"'Ound·tne..rworld --_ --African ~ ~ =r- : : Boel~g B-314 Auckland fli'3ht. January 1942 I I t I I I' I t I sil!rvjc~ opf!ned on o to 10 30 -40 50 60 10 80 90 100 HO 120 I I I I ! I ! t ! , , t c {:) De<emb~r t941 Scale in Feet REG!) ~EC/) 42 .