Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Commercial transport

Power Plant:

One 392 kw (525 hp) Pratt & Whitney Hornet nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

History:

The Boeing Model 40 series of light commercial biplanes was one of the first successful transport aircraft produced by the Boeing Airplane Company. The Model 40-H-4 was the culmination of this series and, in addition to the examples built in the United States, a production line was set up by Boeing-Canada in Vancouver, Canada in December 1929 to build five aircraft. These aircraft differed from the American-built aircraft in having provision made for the attachment of wheels, skis, or floats but otherwise were similar to the American 40B-4 series, only having a change of designation to indicate their origin. Only four were built, a fifth not being completed. The series was constructed of welded steel tube with mixed wood and fabric covering. The cabin accommodated four passengers or freight.

The five Canadian built examples were ordered by New Zealand Airways Ltd and registrations ZK-ADX, ZK-ADY, ZK-ADZ, ZK-AEA, and ZK-AEB were allocated, the plan being to operate them on an Auckland to Invercargill service. However, it would seem only three were imported, and only one of these was flown in New Zealand.

Two registered were ZK-ADY (c/n CB.7 – ex CF-AMR) and ZK-ADX (c/n CB.8 – ex CF-AMS). They had previously operated with Eastern Canadian Airways from 1932 to 1934. They arrived in Auckland from Vancouver, Canada on 2 July 1935. One ZK-ADX was erected and test flown in Dunedin, receiving its Certificate of Airworthiness on 9 August 1935, when it was flown to Christchurch. However, the other ZK-ADY was not erected at that stage and soon after the New Zealand company went into liquidation. They were then sold, ZK-ADX only flying a total of 14 hours in New Zealand, being sold to Mr C Gross of Timaru for £55 ($110). Photographs show ZK-ADZ was completed with the registration and airline name on the aircraft but was it never delivered and was sold in Canada.

The two aircraft ZK-ADY and ZK-ADX (c/ns CB.7 and CB.8) were exported to Australia. One became VH-ADX (c/n CB.8) with K R M Farmer of Melbourne, VIC on 28 December 1937 and was used for joy-riding and general charter work, this including the carriage of fish from King Island to the mainland. In February 1939 an application was made to install seats in the forward freight compartment but this was refused. Later a bench seat for two passengers with a cockpit opening and windscreen was fitted. In 1939 Raymond Parer flew the aircraft to Sydney, NSW where a 227 litres (50 Imp gals) fuel tank was fitted in the freight compartment and it was flown to New Guinea for Pacific Aerial Transport.

Six weeks later Raymond Parer returned to Australia, had the long-range tank installed in VH-ACL (c/n CB.7 – ex ZK-ADY) and flew to New Guinea where it entered service with Pacific Aerial Transport of Wau in August 1940 but it was not particularly successful. It was said the aircraft had a payload of 1,043 kg (2,300 lb). Records show in April 1942 it was sought to sell it to Mandated Airlines but this did not occur. In January 1942 it was destroyed by enemy action.

By April 1941 any aircraft which survived the Japanese onslaught in New Guinea had either been evacuated to Australia or had been destroyed. It seems the third of these aircraft, although not erected in New Zealand, was also exported to Australia. This machine (c/n CB.9 – ex CF-AMT), which was expected to become ZK-AEA, arrived in Sydney at some stage but when inspected was condemned due to faulty welding and was exported.

On 21 September 1939 Hugh Bond, flying from Salamaua to Wau with a cargo of freight in VH-ADX, ran into bad weather along the Kuper Range in the Bitoi Gap and crashed into the rainforest near the heart of the Black Cat and White Cat Creeks at an altitude of 1,829 m (6,000 ft), the aircraft bursting into flames and being destroyed. Bond was located five days later and transported to hospital.

There have been two survivors of the type in museums. NC285 (c/n 896), a 40B-4, has been placed on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, USA. NC288 (c/n 899), a 40B-2, was donated in 1935 by United Airlines to the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry in Illinois, USA where it has been on display since.  Two replicas are being built in the US by Pemberton & Sons Aviation using parts from a Model 40C which crashed in 1928.