Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Long-range commercial flying boat

Power Plant:

Four 1,194 kw (1,600 hp) Wright 709-C14-AC1 Cyclone nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

Pan American Airways was a pioneer of scheduled air services in the South Pacific in the 1940s and sought a large flying boat to meet its requirements, Boeing with its Model 314 known as the ‘Clipper’ obtaining the contract. The aircraft design involved the wing and engines of the XB-15 heavy bomber with a new fuselage and tail unit. The aircraft was able to provide accommodation for up to 74 passengers in three cabins. Six aircraft were ordered and the aircraft set new standards in comfort and speed for the time, the prototype flying for the first time in June 1938.

The Sikorky S-42B pioneered Pan American’s service in the south Pacific, Pan American ‘Clipper II’ arriving in Auckland in March 1937 on a survey flight. In the late 1930s Pan American was operating the Martin 130 in the Pacific to The Philippines but wished to expand with services to New Zealand. A Martin 130 NC1746 (‘China Clipper’) flew from Almeda in Houston Texas to Hawaii and on to New Zealand and return. The Martin 130 soldiered on for some years until replaced by the Boeing 314.

In November 1939 the first Model 314 arrived in Auckland, this being N18601 (‘Honolulu Clipper’), and scheduled services began on 12 July 1940, continuing on a fortnightly basis until the bombing of Pearl Harbour, a total of 36 flights being made before the attack on Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941.

Flights were made in the daytime, flying from San Francisco to Los Angeles in California, on to Hawaii and Canton Island in  the Phoenix Islands (now Kiribati), where the passengers and crew were accommodated in the airline’s own hotel. The next day flights continued to Noumea in New Caldedonia and arrived on Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, NZ after five days, returning two days later. By 30 October 1941 Suva, Fiji, was added to the schedule, a flying-boat facility having been built there.

The 37^th flight was scheduled for 3 December 1941 and was a routine flight, the crew of the aircraft NC18609 (‘Pacific Clipper’) being informed en-route that Hawaii had been bombed. Finally on 15 December the aircraft left Auckland, flying to Australia where American personnel and families were taken on board at Gladstone, QLD.  The aircraft then proceeded via Darwin, NT, Surabaya, East Java in Indonesia, and Trincomalee in Ceylon but had an engine problem after leaving there.  Repairs were made and on 29 December it reached Bahrain in the Middle East.  The aircraft flew on to the River Nile at Khartoum in Egypt. New Year’s Day saw it flying to Leopoldville on the Congo River in Belgian Congo.  Longest part of the journey was a  23 hours 35 minute trip across the Atlantic to Natal in Brazil, then to Trinidad in the Caribbean, arriving in New York, USA on 6 January 1942.

The first Model 314 was launched in May 1938 and the first flight was made in June that year.  Type Certificate for the Model 314 was issued on 25 January 1939 and they were all manufactured by the Boeing Aircraft Company at Seattle, Washington.  First lengthy flight was from San Francisco to Hawaii in 16 hours with 23 persons on board.  The fifth aircraft left Long Island, Port Washington on 28 June 1939 with 22 passengers and inaugurated the first commercial Trans-Atlantic air service carrying mail.  It arrived at Marseille in France after 42 hours, having made stops in the Azores and Lisbon  in Portugal.  By August 1940 some 200 Atlantic crossings had been completed.

The first batch of six aircraft were known as the Model 314 and could carry 34 passengers and cargo across the Atlantic Ocean, and 74 passengers and a crew of 15 on short flights.  These aircraft had the Wright two-row Twin Cyclone GR-2600-A2 engines rated at 895 kw (1,200 hp) at 2,100 rpm at 1,646 m (5,400 ft) and 1,119 kw (1,500 hp) at 2,300 rpm at take-off.

The fleet of Model 314s, which by 1941 had reached a total of 12 aircraft, was purchased by the American Government in December, becoming known as the C-98 transport, four being operated by the US Army and eight by the US Navy, although two were later returned to Pan American Airways.  During the war the military aircraft regularly visited New Zealand.  Twice President Roosevelt and his staff flew from Miami in Florida to Casablanca in Morocco in January 1943 in ‘Dixie Clipper’ for important conferences with world leaders.

After these meetings it was agreed President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and Premier Stalin would fly to Australia for a meeting with Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Sheck, but by this time it was felt the Japanese military might have learned of this proposed mission and the arrangements for the meeting were cancelled.

Power for the Model 314A was provided by four Wright Double Cyclone 709C-14AC1 engines which were rated at 1,007 kw (1,350hp) at 2,300 rpm at 1,524 m (5,000 ft), and 1,194 kw (1,600 hp) at 2,400 rpm for take-off.  The wing was built in five sections and was an all-metal truss-type structure, with companionways to each engine, the aircraft engineer being able to stand in the wing behind each engine.  Fuel was stored in the wing and in the sea wings, the latter providing stability for the aircraft on the water.  The tail was cantilever and all operating surfaces were covered with fabric.

As noted production, totalled 12 aircraft and these were: Model 314s NC18601 (c/n 1988 ‘Honolulu Clipper’); NC18602 (c/n 1989 ‘California Clipper’); NC18603 (c/n 1990 ‘Yankee Clipper’); NC18604 (c/n 1991 ‘Atlantic Clipper’); NC18605 (c/n 1992 ‘Dixie Clipper’); and NC18606 (c/n 1993 ‘American Clipper’) and Model 314As NC18607 (c/n 2081 – later G-AGCA ‘Berwick’);  NC18608 (c/n 2082 – later G-AGCB ‘Bangor’); NC18609 (c/n 2083 ‘Pacific Clipper’); NC18610 (c/n 2084 – later G-AGBZ ‘Bristol’); NC18611 (c/n 2085 ‘Anzac Clipper’); and NC18612 (c/n 2086 ‘Capetown Clipper’).

 When Universal Airlines acquired the survivors from the American War Assets Administration they had flown 1,335,725,552 km (8,300,000 miles) on 3,650 ocean flights with each aircraft averaging 3,653 km (2,270 miles) per flight and 18,000 hours of flying time.  They had been flown to the Naval Air Station at San Diego in California, anchored in the harbour and were offered for sale.  However, Universal Airlines failed, not being able to maintain the aircraft, and they were again offered for sale.  NC18604 ‘Atlantic Clipper’ provided parts to make the others airworthy and American-International Airways of New York obtained the fleet of five.

These aircraft were to be refurbished but only NC18612 ‘Capetown Clipper’ was overhauled.  In July 1947 it was flown to Baltimore, Ohio and inspected for airworthiness.  Three months later it landed on the Hudson River on 2 October.  At this time it was renamed ‘Bermuda Sky Queen’ and was flown to Poole in England for a contract with Air Liaison Ltd of London, England to fly 62 British emigrants to New York.  On the return trip against strong head-winds it ran short of fuel and landed on the open sea, the passengers and crew being rescued by the US Coast Guard.  During the subsequent attempts to rescue the aircraft it was badly damaged by a rescue ship and was considered to be derelict, so it was shot-up by incendiary bullets, set on fire and sank.

For the rest of 1947 and into 1948 the survivors were stored in a dry-dock in San Diego.  World Airways then took control of the last four, NC18606 ‘American Clipper’, NC18611 ‘Anzac Clipper’, NC18602 ‘California Clipper’ and NC18605 ‘Dixie Clipper’, and announced it proposed to operate the aircraft on the routes that were to be operated by Universal Airlines carrying cargo and commercial charter.  However, this plan did not get off the ground.

As noted above, three examples were obtained by British Overseas Airways Corporation in 1941 and these were Model 314As, which had a few changes to the hull and more powerful engines, being fitted with the Wright Double Cyclone GR-2600-A5 driving Hamilton Hydromatic propellers of larger diameter. This model had increased fuel capacity increasing range from 4,989 km (3,100 miles) to 6,437 km (4,000 miles), the all-up weight being increased to 38,102 kg (84,000 lb) and Goodrich de-icing equipment being installed.  Standard accommodation for passengers was 64 but the BOAC aircraft had seating for 44 for day flights and 20 bunks and 16 seats for night flights, a crew of 11 being carried.  Although originally destined for Pan American Airways, these three aircraft were never delivered to that company.

The three aircraft for BOAC were withdrawn from service in 1948 and sold to Baltimore Lumber Co, having flown 6,821,795 km (4,238,867 miles) carrying 42,042 passengers.  ‘Berwick’ was scrapped after being beached and ‘Bangor’ soon joined it, the metal in the aircraft producing 22,680 kg (50,000 lb) for the Tomke Aluminium Company.  In 1951 ‘Bristol’ survived in Baltimore Harbour.  Reports have stated it had been purchased at a Sheriff’s sale, the new owner planning to fly the aircraft to Moscow in Russia to hold ‘peace talks’ with Josef Stalin.  The aircraft never left Baltimore and during a sudden storm it broke free from moorings, drifted into the harbour and sank in 6.09 m (20 ft) of water after the hull was torn open.

There was a couple of losses during service.  On 22 February 1943 NC18603 ‘Yankee Clipper’ was destroyed when it crashed preparing to land on the Tagus River near Lisbon and only 15 survivors escaped through emergency exits.  On 3 November 1945 on a flight from Honolulu to San Francisco the ‘Honolulu Clipper’ was forced down in mid-ocean when two of its engines failed.  It was undamaged and the Aircraft Carrier ‘USS Manila Bay’ rescued the passengers and crew.  Attempts were made to tow the aircraft but the nose was badly damaged against the hull of the seaplane tender ‘USS San Pablo’ and the starboard wing tip was torn off.   The aircraft was then considered a floating menace and 1,300 rounds of 20 mm ammunition sank the aircraft.