Boeing 80A-1 on static display in the Great gallery of the Museum of Flight, Boeing Field, Seattle
Boeing 80A-1 on static display in the Great gallery of the Museum of Flight, Boeing Field, Seattle. The Boeing 80 was an American airliner of the 1920s. A three-engined biplane, the Model 80 was built by the Boeing Airplane Company for Boeing's own airline, Boeing Air Transport, successfully carrying both airmail and passengers on scheduled services. Until the mid-1920s, American commercial airplanes were built for mail, not people. Boeing's Model 80, along with the Ford and Fokker tri-Motors, were a new breed of passenger aircraft. The 80 first flew in August 1928 and was working along Boeing Air Transport's route two weeks later. The 12-passenger Model 80 and the more-powerful 18-passenger 80A (re-designated 80A-1s when the tail surfaces were modified in 1930) stayed in service until 1933, when replaced by the all-metal Boeing Model 247. The Museum's Model 80A-1, equipped with three Pratt & Whitney 525-horsepower "Hornet" engines, was retired from service with United in 1934. In 1941, it became a cargo aircraft with a construction firm in Alaska. To carry large equipment, including a massive 11,000-pound (4,950 kg) boiler, a cargo door was cut into the plane's side. After the war, the 80 was stored and then discarded. It was recovered from a dump in 1960 and eventually brought to Seattle for restoration. The 80A had room for 18, a heated cabin, and leather seats. There was individual reading lights and the lavatory featured hot and cold running water. Although the 80 had a luxurious interior, flying was tough by today's standards: the cabin wasn't pressurized, engine noise made conversation difficult, and despite heaters, the cabin was sometimes very cold.
Size: 5050px × 3360px
Location: Museum of Flight, 9404 East Marginal Way South, Seattle, Washington 98108
Photo credit: © John Gaffen 2 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: aircraft, biplane, boeing, flight, historic, transport, travel
