When I was in Key West, Florida, I visited a museum that had a small corner dedicated to early airlines of the area. A model of the first Pan Am aircraft and pictures of the luxurious Clippers were displayed. As I looked over the promotional photos of 1930's families being served lunch in the airplane's lounge, on china and by handsomely dressed waiters, I wondered what it was really like to fly in those days. Of course, these Flying Boats, as they were nick-named, were unique in their day and a step up from the ocean liners commonly used for trans-oceanic travel. It was not like domestic flights of the same period. However, Pan Am led the way to world travel that had never been open to the general public. Although palatial, it was a relatively economical way to journey by air.
Pan American Airways started in the 1920's with a Tri-Motor Fokker F-10, boasting flights from Miami to such exotic destinations as Nassau, Cuba, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. By 1935 they had expanded their schedules and acquired several Sikorsky S-42's and Martin M-130's. Among these was the famous
China Clipper that flew from San Francisco to the Orient. The Depression was only half over, but there was a general feeling of hope with the inauguration of President Franklin Roosevelt and his promise of the New Deal. Romantic and grandiose methods of travel were appealing to escape the economic reality.
Then came the Boeing B-314's in 1939. This new model, made especially for Pan Am, was a combination of Wellwood E. Beall's design and the Boeing XB-15 bomber. Only 12 such aircraft were ever built; for the price of $618,908 each.
The Clipper fleet consisted of a few S-42's, three M-130's, and nine
B-314's. All were named after their designated routes.
M-130 -
Hawaii Clipper, Philippine Clipper, China
Clipper.
B-314 -
Honolulu Clipper, California Clipper, Yankee
Clipper, Atlantic Clipper, Dixie Clipper, American
Clipper, Pacific Clipper, Anzac Clipper, Capetown
Clipper.
Travel time was much longer than the present standards, but at the time served as a legitimate means of "shrinking" the world. For example, the China Clipper San Francisco to Manila trip took a total of six days, compared with a two-and-a-half-week sea voyage. Total flight time was 59 hours, 48 minutes, but the trip included overnight stays in Honolulu, Midway, Wake Island, and Guam.
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Boeing B - 314 Clipper -
Dixie Clipper
- Crew: 6-10
- Wingspan: 46.3 m
- Length: 32.3 m
- Height: 8.4 m
- Gross weight: 38300 kg
- Engines: 4xWright GR-2600-A2 Double
Cyclone
- Max. speed: 318 km/h
- Cruise speed: 294 km/h
- Cruise ceiling: 6030 m
- Range: 8320 km
- Payload: 40-74 passengers
Flying as a Passenger
It must have been thrilling to walk down the dock toward the impressive double-deck seaplane . . . .
You are greeted by a stewardess, who is probably also a Registered Nurse, (in the early days, flight attendants were required to be RNs also) as you mount the stairs and enter the inner cabin. The lower deck consists of six compartments, a kitchen, Main Lounge, bathrooms, and a Deluxe Suite. Stairs near the kitchen lead to the upper deck cockpit, flight cabin, and cargo hold. Walking through the compartments, back to your seat, you find each distinguished by a different, rich décor. First, turquoise carpeting with pale blue walls, then rust- red carpet and beige walls, then turquoise again. Each compartment is a few steps higher than the last, contouring to the plane's fuselage. The Main Lounge sets between the 2nd and 3rd compartments and also serves as the dining room during meal times. The Deluxe Suite, private and spacious, is the last room on the deck.
The layout of these flying boats is reminiscent of trains, as in their reference to "compartments". People were use to roomy seats, couches, dining cars, and being able to move about freely. The aircraft accommodated the expected standard of amenities carried over from the old form of travel, plus some. Each compartment has six plush seats facing each other (three a side) and two couches opposite the isle. Thick, sound-deadening walls absorb the vibrations of the four roaring engines.
Once safely secured in your seat, you wait for takeoff as you look out the glass window over the sea. How could a plane so big become airborne? Well, a wingspan of 46.3 m and four 1,500 hp engines certainly help. The propellers
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