North American Horse Encyclopedia

Projects in Development

Airlines - the Propeller Age

24" x 36" poster showing some of the most important aircraft.

Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices for civil aviation through that agency.

Civil aviation includes two major categories:
1. Scheduled air transport
Includes all passenger and cargo flights operating on regularly-scheduled routes
2. General aviation (GA), including all other civil flights, private or commercial

Commercial aviation includes most or all flying done for hire, from sightseeing in a small plane to charter flights to a hunting lodge to scheduled service on airlines; and

Private aviation includes pilots flying for their own purposes (recreation, business meetings, etc.) without receiving any kind of remuneration.

From Jeff
I think that you should skip the mail planes and stick to passenger only. I also think that it should be US built aircraft to narrow the field. I make exception for the Fokker F-10 as they were built in the states.
There are several missing of course, but here are my 20 picks

Boeing Model 40B, Boeing Model 80A, Boeing Model 247, Boeing Model 307, Boeing Model 314, Boeing Model 377, Convair 440, Curtis Condor, Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-7, Fokker F-10, Ford Trimotor, Lockheed Vega, Lockheed 10, Lockheed 1049, Lockheed 188, Martin 130, Martin 404, Sikorsky S-42, Stinson Trimotor

	Poster Introduction Commercial Aviation includes all regularly scheduled flights of both passengers and cargo.
	This is a history of commercial aviation and I think that the story requires these first three aircraft. 21 aircraft now shown. They are indicated by pictures.
	Zeppelin 1909 DELAG Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft (German: acronym for "German Airship Transport Corporation") was the world's first airline. It was founded on November 16, 1909 with government assistance, and operated airships manufactured by Zeppelin Corporation. NOTE: Picture is not 1909 model. We may not show picture of it because of scale problems. If we do show a picture, we will have to treat it as an inset.
	Benoist XIV Flying Boat 1914 First Heavier than air Airline Tony Jannus conducted the first commercial airline using heavier than air aircraft. (The flight on 1 January 1914 for the St. Petersburg-routes, which would, through time and mergers, evolve into Delta Air Lines, Braniff Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines , Trans World Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and Eastern Air Lines. This was the first scheduled commercial airline flight in the world, using heavier-than-air aircraft Benoist XIV flying boat airplane
	Curtis JN-4 "Juenny" 1918 Following World War II, the U.S. Post Office began airmail service using U.S. Army Curtis JN-4 "Jenny" triplanes that the army had purchased for training pilots during World War I. This led America's aircraft manufactures to build planes for that purpose.
	Available space limits how many aircraft we can show. I think that one tri-motor is sufficient. Ford is hands-down choice.
	Ford Trimotor. 1925 Airlines of the early 1920s focused on carry mail and passenger service was sporadic. The Ford Motor Company introduced its Trimotor. With a 12-passenger capacity, it made passenger service potentially profitable. About 200 aircraft were produced. Trimotors were also produced by Stinson and Fokker.
	Fokker F-10 Trimotor. 1930 Around 1930 the Fokker F-10 Trimotor commercial aircraft, together with the Ford Trimotor, played important roles in equipping the fleets of American airlines. The Fokker aircraft did its work for many years as a reliable workhorse, but then the crash of an F-10 resulted in serious problems for Fokker in America. The Fokker F-10 was built solely in America.
	Stinson Trimotor 1931 At the height of the Depression in 1930, Stinson offered six aircraft models, ranging from the four-seat Junior to the Stinson 6000 trimotor airliner. NC-11153 was manufactured in early 1931. It was sold from the Stinson factory to Century Airlines, Inc.. of Chicago on March 10, 1931. This is the month that Century Airlines began flying offering three round trips daily between Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis via Springfield and four round trips daily between Chicago and Cleveland via Toledo.
	Lockheed Vega 1927 The was a six-passenger monoplane built by the Lockheed company starting in 1927. It became famous for its use by a number of record breaking pilots who were attracted to the rugged and very long-ranged design. The six-seat configuration proved to be too small, and the Vega was purchased primarily for private aviation and executive transport.
	Boeing Model 40A. 1927 The Boeing Model 40 was a United States mail plane that could carry two passengers in the small cabin. Boeing successfully bid on the San Francisco-Chicago route, and Boeing Air Transport commenced operations on 1 July 1927 with 24 Model 40As. Good Addition.
	Boeing Model 80A 1929 In 1928, Boeing introduced America's first airliner designed specifically for passenger comfort and convenience. The first version carried 12 people, and it was followed by the larger, 18-passenger Model 80A, which made its first flight, Sept. 12, 1929. Ten Model 80As flew for the Boeing airlines. May 15, 1930 Boeing Air Transport (BAT), which began San Francisco to Chicago service in 1927, makes aviation history by inaugurating flight attendant service. The world's first flight attendant was Ellen Church, an nurse from Cresco, Iowa, who persuaded the company to initiate inflight service on a three month trial basis.
	Curtis Condor 1933 1933, American Airways began flying the 18-passenger Curtiss Condor. A sleeper version of the Curtiss Condor was later introduced on May 5, 1934. American introduced the first true in-flight meal service in the United States in 1934 and the first hot meal service a year later. GOOD ADDITION. I missed it..
	Douglas DC-1. 1933 was the first model of the famous United States DC (Douglas Commercial) commercial transport aircraft series. Although only one example of the DC-1 was produced, the design was the basis for the DC-2 and DC-3, the starting point of one of the most successful aircraft designs in history.
	Boeing 247 1933 was introduced, the first truly modern airliner. It was much faster, safer, and easier to fly than other passenger aircraft. For example, it was the first twin engine passenger aircraft that could fly on one engine. In an era of unreliable engines, this vastly improved flight safety.
	Douglas DC-2 1934. A 4 seat, twin-propeller airliner produced by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247. In 1935 Douglas produced a larger version called the DC-3, which became one of the most successful airplanes in history.
	Lockheed L-10 Electra 1934 The Electra was Lockheed's first all-metal and twin-engine design by Hall Hibbard. (However, some of Lockheed's wooden designs, such as the Orion had been built by Detroit Aircraft Corporation with metal fuselages.) The prototype made its first flight on 23 February 1934 Added.
	Again space limitations We are showing 2 flying boats now. If we limit to two flying boats which should we show. Choices are: Martin M-130. 1930 Sikorsky S-42. 1934 Boeing 314 �Clipper� 1938
	Sikorsky S-42. 1934 Flying for Pan American Airways, a total of ten S-42s were built, manufactured by the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Division of the United Aircraft Corporation in Stratford, Connecticut. The aircraft first flew on 30 March 1934. The S-42 was also known as the Flying Clipper and the Pan Am Clipper.All Sikorsky S-42s were either scrapped or destroyed in accidents.
	Martin M-130. 1930 Designed to meet Pan American Airways President Juan Trippe's desire for a trans-Pacific aircraft, the M-130 was an all-metal flying boat which employed streamlined aerodynamics and powerful engines, selling at US$417,000 a copy, to achieve Pan Am's specifications for range and payload. The M-130's first flight was on December 30, 1934.
	Douglas DC-3 i1935 s an American fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Because of its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II, it is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made.Early U.S. airlines like United, American, TWA and Eastern ordered over 400 DC-3s. These fleets paved the way for the modern American air travel industry, quickly replacing trains as the favored means of long-distance travel across the United States
	Boeing Model 307 Stratoliner. 1938 First commercial transport aircraft with a pressurized cabin. This feature allowed the plane to cruise at an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,000 m), well above weather disturbances. The Model 307 carried 33 passengers. First plane to include a flight engineer as a crew member. A total of 10 Stratoliners were built.
	Boeing 314 �Clipper� 1938 1938 was a long-range flying boat produced by the Boeing Airplane Company between 1938 and 1941 and is comparable to the British Short Empire. One of the largest aircraft of the time, it used the massive wing of Boeing�s earlier XB-15 bomber prototype to achieve the range necessary for flights across the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Twelve Clippers were built for Pan American World Airways, three of which were sold to BOAC in 1941 before delivery.
	Douglas DC-4. 1938 This four-engined airliner served during the Second World War in a military role as a transport plane and after the war, it's large 4-engine, 52-passenger size , and after the war for civilian airlines. a large, four-engine aircraft to complement the DC-3.
	Lockheed 1049 Constellation. 1943. affectionately known as the �Connie�, was a four-engine propeller-driven airliner built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in four models, all distinguished by a distinctive triple-tail design and graceful, dolphin-shaped fuselage. It was used as both a civilian airliner and U.S. military air transport plane.
	Convair 240 1947. This twin-engine plane was built for American Airlines to provide pressurized cabin replacement for the Douglas DC-3. Later versions included the 340, 440, 580, and 600 added more stuff. REWRITE. Over 1,000 of the planes were built. THIS REPRESENTS THE LINE.
	Boeing 377 1947 Stratocruiser was the civilian version of the C-97 Stratofreighter, which in turn was ultimately derived from the B-29 Superfortress. It first flew on July 8, 1947. the Stratocruiser was one of the great post-war propeller airliners. Extremely complex and expensive, only 56 were built. It continued in mainline service until 1960, when it had been made obsolete by the coming of the Boeing 707 and other first generation jetliners.
	Douglas DC-6 1946 The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1959. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range transport market. More than 700 were built, and many still fly today in cargo, military, and wildfire control roles.
	Lockheed 188. Electra. Turpo-prop. Shown on jet poster.
	Martin 404. 1951 Designed to be a replacement for the Douglas DC-3, the Martinliner 2-0-2 was the first post war airliner design to reach production. It was First flown in November 1946. The Martin 4-0-4 "Skyliner" followed in 1950. Refinements included a longer fuselage, a pressurized and air-conditioned cabin, and more powerful engines.
	1953 Douglas DC-7 The Douglas DC-7 is an American aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. 348 were produced: about 40 are still in service.
	Below. Various notes.
	1923 The U.S. Post Office begins air mail service with flying postmen, most of them World War I veterans. By 1924, coast-to-coast air mail service is reduced from 82 hours (air and train) to just 32 hours.
	February 2, 1925 The U.S. Congress authorizes the Postmaster General to award air mail contracts to private companies, and, as new companies form to bid on routs, commercial air transportation is born. The Kelly Airmail Act of 1925 provided private airlines the opportunity to function as mail carriers through involvement in a competitive bidding system.
	September 15, 1926 Pacific Air Transport begins air mail service along the west coast from Los Angeles to Seattle. A stouthearted passenger can accompany the mail bags for $132. In January 1928 the airline was acquired by Boeing Air Transport, but continued as a separate divison of the Boeing System and later United Air Lines, until United merged all divisions under that name in 1934.
	KLM , the oldest carrier still operating under its original name, was founded in 1919. The first flight (operated on behalf of KLM by Aircraft Transport and Travel) transported two English passengers to Schiphol, Amsterdam from London in 1920.
	April 6, 1926 Dont Show Varney Airlines begins the first continuing contract air mail service in the U.S. from Pasco, Washington, to Elko, Nevada, via Boise, Idaho. United Airlines' history begins with this flight, piloted by Leon Cuddeback in an open-cockpit Swallow biplane.
	October 30, 1928 United Aircraft & Transport Corporation is formed as a holding company for Boeing Airplane Company, Boeing Air Transport, Pacific Air Transport, and Pratt & Whitney.
	Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was an American transport aircraft originally designed for commercial use although it was primarily used during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces; the Navy/Marine Corps version was known as the R5C. Also known to the men who flew them as "The Whale," or even more irreverently as the "Curtiss Calamity," the C-46 served a similar role as its counterpart, the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, but was not quite as famous or as extensively produced. Postwar, C-46s were briefly used in their original role as passenger airliners, but the glut of surplus C-47s dominated the marketplace with the C-46 soon relegated to a secondary status.
	Convair built more then 1000 piston engined 240/340/440s more then 100 survive 50 years later, mostly converted with turboprops.
	Convair 340 CV-340: built for United Airlines, was basically a CV-240 lengthened to hold an additional four seats. The wings were also enlarged for better performance at higher altitudes. The CV-340 replaced the DC-3 in United service. The airline flew 52 340s for 16 years without a fatality.
	CV-440 Metropolitan: CV-340 with improved soundproofing and an option of weather radar.
	Convair 240 , 340, 440, 580, 600

	1927 Colonial Airways Trippe invested in an airline named Colonial Air Transport. Interested in operating to the Caribbean, Trippe created the Aviation Company of the Americas. Based in Florida, the company would evolve into the fledgling Pan Am, then known as Pan American Airways. Pan Am's first flight took off on October 28, 1927, from Key West to Havana. Founded as a seaplane service out of Key West, Florida, Early commercial aviation in the United States was driven by exclusive Air Mail contracts tendered by the Post Office. Juan Trippe, Pan Am's founder, had received the contract for US-Cuba mail service and in order to hold this crucial Air Mail contract, Pan Am had to fly the Key West-Havana mail route no later than October 19, 1927. Unfortunately, the selected aircraft, a Fokker F-7 was not even due to be delivered until September 30th. And, Meacham Field, the new airfield at Key West, was not ready either. But, fate stepped in, as it often did with Pan Am, when it was learned that a single engine Fairchild belonging to West Indian Aerial Express of the Dominican Republic was in Key West awaiting word on a possible hurricane in the Caribbean. For the modest sum of $145.50 this aircraft was chartered by Pan American to fly the mail to Havana. And Pan Am was off and running.The company was founded by Sherman Fairchild in 1925 as Fairchild Aviation Corporation, based in Farmingdale, and East Farmingdale, New York. The company produced the first US aircraft to include a fully-enclosed cockpit and hydraulic landing gear, the Fairchild FC-1. At some point they were also known as the Fairchild Aircraft Manufacturing Company.