[10] P&W's president, Frederick Rentschler, faced with a tough decision, decided to acquiesce to the airline pilots' unanimous demand. ", "Cheyenne, WY United Airlines Plane Crashes. The crew included a pilot and co-pilot as well as a flight attendant who could tend to passenger needs. [6] Yet its flight envelope included a rather docile 62 mph landing speed which precluded the need for flaps, and pilots learned that at speeds as low as 10 mph, the 247 could be taxiied "tail high" for ease of ground handling. [14], Boeing considered safety features highly, building in structural strength as well as incorporating design elements that enhanced customer comfort and well-being, such as the thermostatically-controlled, air conditioned and sound-proof cabin. On October 10, 1933, a Boeing 247 was the victim of the first confirmed case of sabotage of a commercial airliner. Although the aircraft was sought by most American carriers, Boeing restricted sales of 247s until the order for its sister company, United Airlines, had been filled. The higher speed of the Boeing 247 meant that it could make a trip across seven and a half hours shorter than any previous airliner, making for a total flight of twenty hours. ". [20] The Lockheed Model 10 Electra had a similar configuration and while it was a more compact design, the Electra managed to carry the same number of passengers at a slightly better overall performance, and more importantly, at a lower cost-per-mile.

[4] Entering service on May 22, 1933, a Boeing Air Transport 247 set a cross-country record pace of 19½ hours on its San Francisco to New York inaugural flight. The same installation later was fitted to a 247Y owned by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek; this aircraft also featured a Colt .50 caliber machine gun in a flexible mount. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. A number of specially modified variants included a Boeing 247Y appropriated from United for Air Corps use as a test aircraft fitted with two machine guns in the nose. The Boeing 247 was a revolutionary aircraft, first flying on February 8, 1933, and is considered the first modern passenger airliner. The Boeing 247 was faster than the U.S. premier fighter aircraft of its day, the Boeing P-12, which was an open-cockpit biplane.Yet its flight envelope included a rather docile 62 mph landing speed which precluded the need f… [8] Its combination of features set the standard for the Douglas DC-1 and other airliners before World War II. October 7, 1935 – United Air Lines Trip 4, a 247D (c/n 1698), went down about 10 miles west of Cheyenne, Wyoming.
[10] [17] The 247, race number "57," was essentially a production model but all airliner furnishings were deleted to accommodate additional fuselage fuel tanks (eight in total).

[23] A 247D purchased by the British Royal Air Force became a test mule for new equipment, featuring a nonstandard nose, new powerplants and non-retracting gear. [9][10]
Western Airlines received some of ex-United Aircraft Corporation aircraft. While the Model 247 and 247A had speed-ring engine cowlings and fixed-pitch propellers, the Model 247D incorporated NACA cowlings and variable pitch propellers.[16].

With controllable pitch propellers (standard equipment on the 247D), the 247 could maintain 11,500 ft at maximum gross takeoff weight. A modified 247D was entered, flown by Col.Roscoe Turner and Clyde Pangborn. [19]