GIANT BOEING

Evening Post, Volume CCXV, Issue 13, 17 January 1938, Page 10

GIANT BOEING

THE SOUTH SEAS CLIPPER

The announcement by Pan-American Airways of its intention to proceed with plans for the early continuation of the South Pacific air service ensures fulfilment of the intention to send to Auckland shortly one of a fleet of the j largest airliners ever built in the ] United States, says the "Herald." One of a number of giant Boeing machines, nearing completion at the factory at Seattle, has already been set aside for the New Zealand run and named South Seas Clipper. Flight tests of the new machine are likely to be made in March, after which, when she has been proved in every respect, she will be handed over to the company and put into service between San Francisco and Auckland. The introduction of the Boeing to commercial running will bring the first aerial passenger service connecting the United States and New Zealand. ROOM FOR 72 PASSENGERS. Dwarfing the Sikorsky which has been lost, and half as big again as the 25-ton Martins used on the North Pacific run to China, the Boeings will be 42-ton machines, capable of carrying 72 passengers on normal runs, and 50 over the long ocean stages to New Zealand. In addition, they will carry a large amount of mail and freight, as well as fuel providing a 3200-mile range. Ten officers will man the new ships. Four Wright Cyclone motors, each of 1500 horse-power, will give them a top speed of about 200 miles an hour, and every valuable safety device will be incorporated. The wing, of the full cantilever type, with no external bracing, is similar to that lin uso on the Centaurus and the other Empire flyingboats. However-, it is much bigger, the span being 152ft, against the 114ft of the Imperial Airways ship. For the first time in the history of American aviation, it has. been found necessary to adopt ship-building methods in the construction of the Boeings. The hulls are being completed inside the factory, with the frames mounted in "docks" more than 100ft long. For the final assembly the engineers have developed an outdoor "dock," where the huge wing will be lowered into position. Finally, the completed ships • will slide down an inclined ramp into the water, being launched in the same manner as a ship.