Last flying Boeing 247 to finally retire at age 83

[Wayland]

https://www.museumofflight.org/content/last-flight-museums-rare-1933-boeing-247d-airliner-april-26

 

[Moses03]

Wish I could be there to see that.

 

[txnetcop]

Wish I could be there to see that.

Wish I could be on it...

 

[Moses03]

End of an era.

 

[n4gix]

Sweet yet sad at the same time. I've always wondered why the designers opted for such a strange angle for the forward cockpit windows though...

 

[Moses03]

I've always wondered why the designers opted for such a strange angle for the forward cockpit windows though...

I have the book "The Boeing 247" by F. Robert van der Linden, and it says the idea of the forward raked windscreen was to reduce daytime glare and to to keep the gauges from reflecting off the glass at night. It also created extra drag and tended to reflect light off the ground at night so the idea did not stick.

Attached are three contemporaries of the 247 that I can think of that have the forward design. The Lockheed 10 prototype, Stinson Model A and Air Couzinet 10 v2.

 

[SSI01]

At about the two-minute mark into that video there is offered a stunning contrast between what was, and what now is. Take a look.

 

[n4gix]

Attached are three contemporaries of the 247 that I can think of that have the forward design. The Lockheed 10 prototype, Stinson Model A and Air Couzinet 10 v2.

Ah I see now. Thanks for the detailed information. I was thinking mostly about the increased drag, but never considered the instrument reflections.

 

[n4gix]

At about the two-minute mark into that video there is offered a stunning contrast between what was, and what now is. Take a look.

I noticed that; I also noticed what appeared to be a rather hasty and fast taxi out of the camera's range!