Tuesday, February 5, 2013

the trans-Atlantic Pan Am flying boat "Yankee Clipper"


This was part of a fleet of 12 Boeing 314 flying boats introduced from 1939, one of which, Pacific Clipper, was for the LA to Auckland route, begun on 2 December 1941 - as it happened only 5 days before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor and the beginning of the Pacific War

The Yankee Clipper flew across the Atlantic on a route from New York to Southampton. The newsreel clip shows the inaugural trip on 24 June 1939.

During WW2 the Yankee Clipper was assigned to the navy and allowed to continue passenger service between the US and Portugal (indirectly serving all Europeans able to reach Lisbon) - until 22 February 1943, when after completing its 241st transatlantic flight, the Yankee Clipper circled for a landing on the Tagus River in Lisbon, Portugal. Her port wing tip skimmed the water, dug in, and she slammed into the river, breaking into several pieces, and sank inside 10 minutes.

Twenty-four persons died; 15 survived. The captain of the Yankee Clipper was blamed for the accident and dismissed by Pan Am.

Crew: 11, including 2 cabin stewards
Capacity: Daytime: 68 passengers Nighttime: 36 passengers
Payload: 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) of mail and cargo
Length: 106 ft 0 in (32.33 metres)
Wingspan: 152 ft 0 in (46.36 m)
Height: 20 ft 4½ in (6.22 m)
Empty weight: 48,400 lb (21,900 kg)
Loaded weight: 84,000 lb (38,000 kg)
Powerplant: 4× Wright R-2600-3 radial engines, 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 210 mph (180 knots, 340 km/h)
Cruise speed: 188 mph (163 knots, 302 km/h) at 11,000 ft (3,400 m)
Range: 3,685 mi (3,201 nm, 5,896 km) normal cruise
Service ceiling: 19,600 ft (5,980 m)

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