Historic Boeing Airplane Takes Its Final Flight

Another historic airplane model has flown its final leg as the last flying Boeing 247 landed this week at King County International Airport/Boeing Field in Seattle, the same airport where it was built more than eight decades ago. The Boeing airplane will become a part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Flight.

As the first modern airliner, the Boeing 247 was a revolution of its era. It had retractable landing gear, a variable pitch propeller, de-icing equipment, an autopilot and a panel with gyro instruments, all high-tech equipment at that time. It was the airplane that inspired Donald Douglas to design the DC-2 and eventually the iconic DC-3.

This particular Boeing 247, N13347 — a 247D, was delivered in 1934 and served United Air Lines in the mid-1930s. Of 75 airplanes of this type built by Boeing only four remain, and as of this week none is flyable. N13347 flew from the Museum of Flight's restoration center in Everett, Washington, where it has been restored with the United Air Lines 1930s livery. The Boeing airplane was flown by test pilots Mike Carriker and Chad Lundy, who signed the left side wheel well — a tradition for the final flight of an airplane.

Watch this historic airplane’s final landing below.