Last Ever Boeing 247D Flight Took Place Today!

The Boeing 247D took off under partly cloudy skies shortly before noon local time. (photo by Joe A. Kunzler)
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Nepal Airlines Boeing 747
Nepal Airlines Boeing 747

The Boeing 247D took off under partly cloudy skies shortly before noon local time. (photo by Joe A. Kunzler)
The Boeing 247D took off under partly cloudy skies shortly before noon local time. (photo by Joe A. Kunzler)

In what is most likely the last flight of her entire type, the Museum of Flight’s ultra-rare Boeing 247D flew one last time today. The short hop from the museum’s restoration and storage facility at Paine Field in Everett, Washington to the main museum site at Boeing Field in Seattle took place at roughly 11:30am local time today, with 787 Dreamliner test pilots Mike Carriker and Chad Lundy at the controls. The soft growl of the airliner’s two 550hp Pratt&Whitney Wasp engines sat in stark contrast to the more normal howl of the 100,000lb+ thrust jet engines commonly found on Boeing’s more modern products, rolling off the production line just a few hundred yards from the runway at Paine Field. Hundreds of people gathered to witness the historic moment as the Boeing’s oldest airworthy airliner made her final flight.

A great close-in shot of the Boeing 247D as she climbs away from Paine Field. (photo by Joe A. Kunzler)
A great close-in shot of the Boeing 247D as she climbs away from Paine Field. (photo by Joe A. Kunzler)

The Boeing 247D as she departs the area on her way to Boeing Field in Seattle. (photo by Joe A. Kunzler)
The Boeing 247D as she departs the area on her way to Boeing Field in Seattle. (photo by Joe A. Kunzler)

Here is some video of the engine and fast-taxi tests conducted a couple of days ago…

The Museum of Flight's Boeing 247D seen here in outside storage at Paine Field in August, 2015. (photo by Richard Mallory Allnutt)
The Museum of Flight’s Boeing 247D seen here in outside storage at Paine Field in August, 2015. (photo by Richard Mallory Allnutt)

The Museum of Flight's Boeing 247D seen here in here old United Airlines livery at Paine Field in August, 2015. (photo by Richard Mallory Allnutt)
The Museum of Flight’s Boeing 247D seen here in here old United Airlines livery at Paine Field in August, 2015. (photo by Richard Mallory Allnutt)

There are just four extant Boeing 247s of the seventy five built. The Museum of Flight’s example rolled out of the Boeing factory as construction number 1729 in 1933, and is currently registered as N13347. The other three survivors are on display in static condition at  museums around the world: c/n 1699 at the Canada Aviation & Space Museum in Ottawa, Canada, c/n 1722 at the Science Museum’s reserve collection in Wroughton, England and c/n 1953 at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC.

The Boeing 247D made a safe landing at Boeing Field, and will now take her place in the Aviation Pavillion. It is an exciting day for the museum, and all involved are to be heartily congratulated!

The Museum of Flight's Boeing 247D seen here in outside storage at Paine Field in August, 2015. The prototype Boeing 727 can be seen behind. As readers will remember, the 727 made her final flight just a few weeks ago. Both aircraft will now reside in the soon-to-be-opened Aviation Pavillion alongside the prototype Boeing 747 and other historic airframes. (photo by Richard Mallory Allnutt)
The Museum of Flight’s Boeing 247D seen here in outside storage at Paine Field in August, 2015. The prototype Boeing 727 can be seen behind. As readers will remember, the 727 made her final flight just a few weeks ago. Both aircraft will now reside in the soon-to-be-opened Aviation Pavillion alongside the prototype Boeing 747 and other historic airframes. (photo by Richard Mallory Allnutt)

The rear fuselage of the Museum of Flight's Boeing 247D framed here against the rear fuselage of their deHavilland Comet 4 at Paine Field in August, 2015. (photo by Richard Mallory Allnutt)
The rear fuselage of the Museum of Flight’s Boeing 247D framed here against the rear fuselage of their deHavilland Comet 4 at Paine Field in August, 2015. (photo by Richard Mallory Allnutt)

With many thanks to Joe A. Kunzler… our man on the ground in Seattle… for the shots of the Boeing 247D’s final take off!

 

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