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108-574: The Dixie Clipper (civil registration NC18605) was an American Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat , best known for in June 1939 beginning the first scheduled air service between America and Europe, the first American aircraft to carry passengers and a cargo of mail across the South Atlantic and the first all-metal air transport to fly 3,120 miles non-stop. Between 14 January and 30 January 1943 it flew American president Franklin D. Roosevelt most of

216-401: A $ 4.8 million contract on July 21, 1936 for six aircraft with an option for six more. This order represented the first that Pan American had placed with the company. The first aircraft was to be delivered by December 21, 1937. An amendment to the contract on January 20, 1937 granted a three month extension to the specified delivery date for the first six aircraft. The aircraft's introduction

324-545: A 52,000 lb payload, but the first aircraft would not be available until late 1939 or early 1940 and it would cost more than the other proposals. After receiving the Pan American request on February 28, 1936, Boeing decided to not submit a proposal, as at the time the company's resources were committed on simultaneous contracts for the United States Army Air Corps. The deadline had passed when

432-470: A celestial observation dome. The navigator used this dome to make sightings on the stars with a sextant. The dome's location at the 314's center of gravity assisted in making these sightings as steady as possible, while the red light in this compartment allowed reading of the sextant without impacting on the navigator’s night vision. If clouds prevented a reading then a straight course could be maintained by employing dead reckoning. To compensate for wind blowing

540-709: A cruising speed of 188 miles per hour (303 km/h), although flights at maximum gross weight were typically flown at 155 miles per hour (249 km/h). Clipper service catered to elite businessmen and the wealthy traveler. The 314s had a lounge and dining area, and the galleys were crewed by chefs from four-star hotels. Men and women were provided with separate dressing rooms, and white-coated stewards served five and six-course meals with gleaming silver service. The seats could be converted into 36 bunks for overnight accommodation. The standard of luxury on Pan American's Boeing 314s has rarely been matched on heavier-than-air transport since then. A round trip from New York to Southampton

648-592: A delay due to bad weather the two 314s returned to New York on 1 February 1943. The Dixie Clipper had covered 10,964 miles (17,645 km) miles and spent a total of 70 hours and 21 minutes in the air. Following the completion of this mission the Dixie Clipper returned to its normal duties. Following the end of the war the Dixie Clipper though still owned by the American government were used by Pan American to transport civilian passengers up until 1946. It

756-399: A flight engineer. After removing the two sections of the stainless-steel firewall behind each engine, they could service and if possible repair it in flight, as the fully-feathering propellers made it possible for an engine to be completely shut down. Between June 1939 and June 1941, 431 in-flight engine repairs were performed. The most common problem was fouled spark plugs. Each nacelle had

864-409: A gangway led up to the cockpit on the upper deck. At the rear of the compartment there were four tube and canvas bunks for the crew that folded up into the walls of the collision bulkhead. Behind it were two decks, an upper and a lower deck. On the upper deck was the flight deck, cargo hold, crew quarters, a toilet and baggage compartments. On the roof of the flight deck were two pitot tubes and

972-669: A great many more of the key positions in Germany than their number or talents entitled them to." Roosevelt presented the results of the conference to the American people in a radio address on February 12, 1943. During the return trip to the United States, President Roosevelt met with the President of Brazil , Getúlio Vargas , at the Potenji River Conference , where they discussed Brazil's participation in

1080-415: A heating and cooling system that could deliver 360,000 BTUs per hour from manifolds around engine exhausts and 170,000 cubic feet of air per hour. The aircraft was fitted with a system that could detect any leakage of carbon dioxide from the engines into the interior of the aircraft. The aircraft had 15 different methods of exiting the aircraft in an emergency, with each passenger compartment having two. With

1188-401: A linoleum covered floor, a 12-inch (300 mm) by 10-inch (250 mm) aluminum sink, a drip coffee maker, an aluminum icebox, a combination stove and steamer, a cabinet containing a two-tiered dish rack capable of accommodating 200 fine China plates, two glass and cup racks, a saucer rack, eight drawers and a waste bin. A separate cabinet held 350 Gorham sterling-silver "Moderen" pattern cutlery,

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1296-518: A minimum range of 2,400 miles and cruise speed of 150 mph at an altitude of 10,000 feet. Pan American was also adamant about providing comfort, space, and luxury for their passengers, as well as providing the ultimate in safety. Martin proposed a larger modified version of their M-130 called the M-156 which would offer a longer range and bigger payload with either a 53 day or 26 sleeper configuration. Sikorsky proposed their S-45 whose six engines promised

1404-457: A non-scheduled carrier and mortgaged to the brokerage firm General Phoenix Corporation of Baltimore. Within a year the airline was in financial trouble and was declared bankrupt on 28 May 1947. The Dixie Clipper was among the six 314s purchased in a bankruptcy auction in 1947 by American International Airways of New York for $ 500,000. Following American-International Airways losing their operating license, start-up airline World Airways purchased

1512-496: A number of American manufacturers. In February 1936, not long after the M-130s were introduced into service, Pan American launched a design competition for the first transoceanic airliner. Boeing , Douglas , Consolidated , Martin and Sikorsky were requested to provide preliminary studies and proposals for a long-range, four engine, marine aircraft. The new plane had to be able to transport up to 10,000 pounds of payload with

1620-546: A passenger service between the United States, Portugal and the United Kingdom, until as the war progressed it was employed to transport high-priority passengers (such as high ranking officers, scientists, war correspondents and USO entertainers), mail and cargo on international routes to Africa, Europe and in the Pacific. The outbound flights the cargo could be as important as vital blood plasma, medical supplies, while on

1728-432: A retractable spotlight. The large flight deck was 21 feet 4 inches (6.50 m) long and 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m) wide with full headroom throughout. At the front was the cockpit. The captain sat in the left and the co-pilot to the right. Between the pilots was a hatch leading down into the bow compartment. Behind the cockpit (which could be closed off by heavy curtains at night to prevent light from

1836-641: A second shot. Roosevelt would later describe this meeting between the French leaders as a "shotgun wedding". Elliott Roosevelt 's book, As He Saw It (1946) describes how Franklin Roosevelt wanted the French provisional government to be set up with Giraud and de Gaulle, who would be "equally responsible for its composition and welfare." (89) That is because Franklin Roosevelt saw de Gaulle as Churchill's puppet and thought that Giraud would be more compliant with US interests. Complications arose because most people in

1944-565: A separate peace with the Nazi regime". That the war would be fought by the Allies until the total annihilation of enemy forces was not universally welcomed. Diplomatic insiders were critical that such a stance was too unequivocal and inflexible, would prevent any opportunity for political maneuvering and would be morally debilitating to French and German resistance groups. The British felt that arriving at some accommodation with Germany would allow

2052-507: A side access door on either side which opened downwards and which could be used as work platforms. Each aircraft also carried portable work platforms that could be hung on the outside, forward of the access doors to allow work on the engines. The center sections of each wing contained two fuel tanks as well as compartments for transport of cargo, in particular mail. The wings were fitted with metal-framed fabric-covered "split" type flaps located under each wings trailing edge. When taking off

2160-452: A silver-plated tea set, and ten pairs of sterling salt and pepper shakers. There were approximately 1,000 serving items, which weighed a total of 235 pounds (107 kg), with typically 256 pounds (116 kg) of food carried. Valuables and passenger passports were housed in one of three lockable cabinets. Norman Bel Geddes , who had designed the interior of Pan American’s Martin M-130,

2268-418: A streamline fairing for it. The metal-frame fabric-covered elevators fitted to on each end of the stabilizer were so large and heavy that in a first they were fitted with separate control and trim tabs on each side. The control tab had twice the effectiveness of the trim tab. Springs, which gave a degree of "feel" proportional to elevator movement were incorporated in the connections to the pilot's controls moved

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2376-565: A toilet and a urinal. Water for flushing of the toilets was from an overhead tank, with all waste flushed overboard. The dining lounge had seating for 11 passengers during daytime with small pullout tables on which to accommodate their drinks and snacks. In the evening the furniture converted into a formal dining configuration which could seat 14 passengers at five tables, with meals served with linen tablecloths, crystal glasses, and full waiter service. Two drinking fountains were provided on each aircraft. The 4 feet (1.2 m) square galley had

2484-428: A transverse hydroplane step just to the rear of the center of gravity with a second step, farther aft which terminated on the original 314’s at a rudder for steering the flying boat when it was in the water. This rudder was subsequently removed and was not fitted to the 314As as it was found in service that the aircraft could be steered in the water by varying the power to the engines on each side. The lower mid hull of

2592-531: A young Boeing engineer, Wellwood E. Beall, became aware of the Pan American project, and thought that Boeing should consider submitting a bid. Beall had had just returned to the United States in 1935 from serving as the company's Far Eastern manager with responsibility for selling the company's fighter and transport planes to the Chinese Government. During his time in China he had often thought about

2700-486: Is evidence that German resistance forces, highly placed anti-Nazi government officials, were working with British intelligence, MI6 , to eliminate Hitler and negotiate a peace with the Allies. One such individual was Admiral Wilhelm Canaris , head of German intelligence, the Abwehr . His persistent overtures for support from the United States were ignored by Roosevelt. Roosevelt, with advice from General George Marshall ,

2808-495: The Duwamish Waterway and towed to Elliott Bay on Puget Sound for taxi and flight tests . Its wingspan was so great that it had to be turned diagonally to pass through the supports of bridges spanning the waterway. From here it commenced its first taxiing run on 3 June with test pilot Edmund T. Allen at the controls, but he soon identified that it was too lightly loaded when a gust of wind lifted one wing and dipped

2916-426: The ribs were formed out of aluminum alloy tubes and channels. They had a NACA 0018 airfoil profile at their root which changed to a NACA 0010 profile at their tip. The outer ends of the wings were made watertight, which allowed them to provide flotation if the aircraft heeled over in rough conditions. The wings were thick enough to incorporate a crawlspace, through which each engine nacelle could be accessed by

3024-530: The Casablanca Conference in Morocco, via Trinidad , Brazil , and The Gambia . As early as 1935 Pan American had identified that a truly trans-Pacific flying boat with unprecedented range and double the passenger payload of the airline's Martin M-130 would be required particularly if they were to provide a service across the longer more difficult Atlantic route and requested proposals from

3132-598: The Dixie Clipper were nine passengers, Roosevelt, advisor Harry Hopkins , head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral William D. Leahy , the president’s physician Rear Admiral Ross T. McIntire , naval aide Captain John L. McCrea , the president’s valet Arthur Perryman, as well as secret service agents, Guy H. Sparman, Elmer R. Hipsley and Charles W. Fredericks. On board the Atlantic Clipper , which functioned as

3240-527: The Dixie Clipper . As a result World Airways now owned all of the remaining 314s. By early 1949, World Airways was bankrupt, with Dixie Clipper still in San Diego.Within a year World Airways had been reorganised under new ownership and was still the registered owner of Dixie Clipper . They were reports of it still being at Lindbergh Field on San Diego as late as 1951, before it was eventually scrapped. Boeing 314 Clipper The Boeing 314 Clipper

3348-645: The German Army to help fight off a Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe . To Churchill and the other Allied leaders, the real obstacle to realising that mutual strategy with Germany was the leadership of Adolf Hitler . Allen Dulles , the chief of OSS intelligence in Bern , Switzerland , maintained that the Casablanca Declaration was "merely a piece of paper to be scrapped without further ado if Germany would sue for peace. Hitler had to go." There

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3456-678: The U.S. Army Chief of Staff , lobbied for a cross-Channel invasion of Europe. Churchill, with advice from the British Chiefs of Staff, led by General Sir Alan Brooke , the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS, the professional head of the British Army), felt the time was not opportune, and favored an Allied assault on the island of Sicily followed by an invasion of mainland Italy. The British argument centred on

3564-609: The 13 January, where they were greeted by the cruiser USS Memphis . After disembarking onto a whaleboat from the cruiser and going on a cruise around the harbour the president stayed overnight on the Memphis . As previously recommended by Brigadier General Cyrus R. Smith the deputy commander of the Air Transport Command to improve the party’s safety while so close to a war zone the president and his party used two Air Transport Command Douglas C-54 Skymaster ’s on

3672-518: The 2,100 miles (3,400 km) 19-hour journey across the Atlantic to Bathurst in Gambia. Both aircraft were airborne by 7pm in order to avoid a nighttime take-off and initially cruised at 1,000 feet (300 m) for several hours, due to the weight of their maximum fuel load, which they consumed at a rate of three-fifths of a ton over the coarse of the crossing. Both aircraft touched down at 4.30pm on

3780-467: The 314 carried 4,246 US gallons (16,070 L; 3,536 imp gal) of gasoline. The later 314A model carried a further 1,200 US gallons (4,500 L; 1,000 imp gal). A capacity of 300 US gallons (1,100 L; 250 imp gal) of oil was required for operation of the radial engines. The wings were constructed in five sections of an aluminum outer skin formed over spars constructed out of bolted square aluminum alloy tube trusses while

3888-629: The 314 into port. The 314 normally had a crew of 10 but to address crew fatigue on long ocean flights the aircraft this could increase up to 16, divided into two shifts with a shift consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator, flight engineer, watch officer (also known as the "Master") and two stewards. The stewards were always men as their work on board was considered too strenuous for women, given that bunks had to be configured for overnight flights and that in an emergency they had to be able to handle heavy large-capacity life rafts. Major maintenance and repairs were undertaken by manoeuvring

3996-548: The 314 was fitted with Dornier -style sponsons . These sponsons, broad lateral extensions at the waterline on both sides of the hull, served several purposes: They provided a wide platform to stabilize the craft while on the water, they acted as a platform for boarding and exiting, and they possessed an intentional air foil shape which contributed additional aerodynamic lift in flight. Each was divided into five compartments, two of which were used as fuel tanks. Each sponson had sufficient reserve buoyancy to maintain stability if one of

4104-650: The Allies were demanding "unconditional surrender" from the Germans, the Italians and the Japanese. In a February 12, 1943 radio address, Roosevelt explained what he meant by unconditional surrender: "we mean no harm to the common people of the Axis nations. But we do mean to impose punishment and retribution upon their guilty, barbaric leaders". Behind the scenes, the United States and the United Kingdom were divided in

4212-581: The British Empire further increased his anti-colonialism , leading him to further discuss and impress upon Churchill the need for an international trusteeship system that would advance colonies like Gambia towards independence. During the Conference, Roosevelt met privately with Churchill and Sultan Muhammad V of Morocco, who was accompanied by his 14-year-old son, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan (the future Hassan II). Roosevelt also spoke with

4320-618: The Casablanca Declaration. It announced to the world that the Allies would accept nothing less than the "unconditional surrender" of the Axis powers . Roosevelt had borrowed the term from US Army General Ulysses S. Grant (known as "Unconditional Surrender" Grant ), who had communicated that stance to the Confederate commander during the American Civil War. So Roosevelt stated at the concluding press conference on 24 January that

4428-658: The French Resistance considered de Gaulle the undisputed leader of the Resistance and so Giraud was progressively dispossessed of his political and military roles. Roosevelt eventually recognized de Gaulle as the head of the Free French in October 1944. The day before, Roosevelt became the first US president to visit Africa when he stayed at the city of Bathurst, Gambia . The poor situation of Gambians under

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4536-588: The French resident general at Rabat , Morocco , about postwar independence and Jewish immigrants in North Africa. Roosevelt proposed that: "[t]he number of Jews engaged in the practice of the professions (law, medicine, etc.) should be definitely limited to the percentage that the Jewish population in North Africa bears to the whole of the North African population.... [T]his plan would further eliminate

4644-482: The Pacific and Burma to reinforce positions held by Chiang Kai-shek against the Japanese. The United States would provide assistance to the British in the Pacific by supplying escorts and landing craft. Charles de Gaulle had to be forced to attend, and he met a chilly reception from Roosevelt and Churchill. No French representatives were allowed to attend the military planning sessions. The conference called for

4752-519: The Red Army. Throughout the conference, Roosevelt's attention was prominently focused on the Pacific War front and he faulted the British for what he felt was not a full commitment against Japanese entrenchment. The Italian strategy was agreed upon, a compromise between the two leaders, Roosevelt acceding to Churchill's approach for Europe. Churchill, in turn, pledged more troops and resources to

4860-645: The Soviet Union, and opening a second front in Western Europe. The train arrived at Military Junction in Miami at 1.30am on 11 January. The aircraft had been checked and fully fuelled to carry a special passenger called “Mr Jones” and his party. Twenty minutes before the scheduled take-off time the passengers arrived Dixie Clipper departed at 6am followed by Atlantic Clipper at 6.34am which trailed her sister by approximately 35 miles (56 km). On board

4968-496: The United States departed from Parnamarim Field at 6am on the 29 January on two C-54s to Trinidad and stayed in the Macqueripe Beach Hotel. The two 314s travelled independently and rendezvous with the party at Trinidad. With Admiral Leahy having rejoined the party the Dixie Clipper was in the air by 7.10am on 30 January and American Clipper followed two minutes later. In passing over Haiti, shortly after noon,

5076-430: The aircraft sideways the drift could be estimated by dropping a flare into the water through a small hatch in each wing root. By carefully watching the flare to see if it stayed in line with the tail of the aircraft or moved to one side or the other, the navigator could estimate the drift. Behind the cargo compartment was the crew quarters where the crew had the use of three tube and canvas bunks on which to sleep. Behind

5184-409: The aircraft. To reduce the risk of fire Boeing made efforts wherever possible to use fireproof materials in the cabins, most notably in the insulation, upholstery and wall linings. Pan American's "Clippers" were built for "one-class" luxury air travel, a necessity given the long duration of transoceanic flights. In 1940, Pan American's scheduled time from San Francisco to Honolulu was 19 hours, with

5292-517: The airflow, and so would not rotate and risk further damaging the engine by “windmilling”. Turning the blades into the airflow also reduced drag which was important on long flights over water. On the GR2600A2 engines, the propellers had a diameter of 14 feet (4.3 m), while on the GR2600A2A, they had a diameter of 14 feet 10 inches (4.52 m). When installed in 1940, they featured

5400-500: The bomber by the smaller and less powerful Pratt & Whitneys. The engineers estimated that their proposed design would weigh 40,000 lbs and could carry a payload of up to 42,500 lbs. Sufficient work was completed by May 1936 for Beall, company president Claire Egtvedt , aerodynamicist Ralph LaVenture Cram (1906-1939) to depart on May 9, 1936 from Seattle to New York, where they made a presentation of their proposal to Pan American. Pan American accepted Boeing’s proposal, awarding it

5508-496: The cabin interiors. His proposal was accepted by Boeing management, and he was given permission to request an extension from Pan American, which was granted. Beall was transferred to the engineering department and allocated 11 engineers to work on the project. The engineering team calculated that the optimum wingspan for the flying boat needed to 152 ft (46 m) compared with the XB-15’s 149 ft (45 m). The shortfall

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5616-490: The civil registration NC18605 it was delivered to an American in June 1939 and was allocated to its Atlantic routes. Captained by R. O. D. Sullivan with first officers Gilbert B. Blackmore and Robert D. Fordyce, with a total crew of 11 Dixie Clipper departed from Port Washington, New York in 28 June 1939 on the first scheduled passenger service to Europe, with stops in Lisbon and Marseille. Thousands of people came to witness

5724-544: The commitment to see the war through to Germany's capitulation and "unconditional surrender". But Churchill had agreed in advance about "unconditional surrender"; he had cabled the War Cabinet four days earlier and they had not objected. US General George Marshall also said that he had been consulted; he had stated on 7 January that Allied morale would be "strengthened by the uncompromising demand, and Stalin's suspicions allayed". However some source material contradicts

5832-451: The communications aircraft, were eight passengers consisting of communications specialists from the army, a photographer secret service agents and other military personnel. After 1,633 miles (2,628 km) the Dixie Clipper touched down at the newly constructed Naval Air Station at Trinidad at 4.24pm. The presidential party went ashore and stayed overnight at the navy operated Macqueripe Beach Hotel. The Atlantic Clipper departed at 5.17am

5940-409: The compartments filled with water. The fuselage drew 4 feet (1.2 m) of water. The tail section consisted of a metal-skinned horizontal stabilizer on those center was a single central metal-frame fabric covered fin and on each outboard end, a metal-skinned outboard fully cantilevered fin. The metal skinned stabilizer was built as a single unit and was bolted directly to the top of the hull with

6048-542: The design of a large flying boat and he now worked in his spare time on a preliminary design. As Pan American had specified the engines and propellers in advance, Beall proposed to use the wing of the cancelled XB-15 bomber, which had already been designed and wind-tunnel tested; this would allow Boeing to confine the design effort to the hull and the flotation stability and tail assemblies. To supplement his preliminary design study, his then wife, well-known artist and muralist Jean Cory Beall , produced color paintings of

6156-432: The elevators, and incorporated a small degree of aerodynamic balance. At the front was a bow compartment containing a 91 pounds (41 kg) pound anchor and 150 feet (46 m) of rope for tie off the aircraft. Access was via a hatch on each side of the nose, while a smaller top hatch allowed a crewman to attach either a towing line, mooring line or anchor line to two removable vertical mooring posts. From this compartment

6264-542: The end of the conference Roosevelt visited Rabat and Marrakech before returning to Bathurst from where he took a trip up the Gambia River on HMS Aimwell before flying to Liberia, where he met with its president, Edwin Barclay . He returned by C-54 to Bathurst which he reached at 7pm and relaxed on the Memphis until that evening’s departure. At 11pm Roosevelt and his party embarked on the waiting 314s. To assist in

6372-517: The engine, the president’s carriage, one compartment carriage, one Pullman sleeper, one club/baggage carriage and an Army radio communication carriage manned by a carefully selected engineer and fireman plus five messman from the Presidential Yacht. The party was headed for Casablanca in Morocco to meet British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at what was later termed the Casablanca Conference to discuss Allied military strategy, supplying

6480-541: The exception of the fuel tank hatches, all hatches on the aircraft could be opened without threatening the structural integratory of the aircraft. Emergency equipment was stored in the nose compartment including at least two weeks of canned food for all the passengers, stored water, life rafts, and fishing and hunting tackle. Each passenger seat had a lifejacket, with the aircraft equipped with axes, flares, ring-type life preservers and rope. There were also eight 10-person life rafts, four of which could be accessed from outside of

6588-411: The first NACA propeller aerofoil sections on a commercial aircraft. The 314 featured the first use of rate of flow fuel meters when they were installed in 1939 at the engineer’s station as a permanent fitting on an aircraft. Previously they had been only installed as a temporary device during testing. Pan American had supported their development. To fly the long ranges needed for trans-Pacific service,

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6696-504: The flaps were set to 20 degrees and when landing their full deflection of 60 degrees was typically used. The metal-framed fabric-covered ailerons were of the Frieze type, each having a single trim tab divided into two separate units to reduce any binding of the aileron’s hinge when the wing flexed under load. The 12 feet 6 inches (3.81 m) wide hull was of all metal construction and differed from previous flying boats in that

6804-521: The flight circled the city of Port au Prince for a few minutes in order to afford the President a view from the air. Somewhere in the sky 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above the Caribbean President Roosevelt and his staff celebrated his 61st birthday with cake. After a smooth flight the Dixie Clipper landed at Biscayne Bay at 4.35pm and from there the presidential party departed on a waiting train at 6pm back to Washington. After

6912-403: The flight operations room were oval hatches that led to the crawl spaces in the respective wings. On the rear bulkhead was the door to the cargo hold located in the center of the wing over the center of gravity. The heaviest cargo was stored here, with space left for the crew to pass through. Outside access to the cargo compartment was via a hatch in the top of the wing, the hatch also incorporating

7020-487: The flying boat onto a 20 ton beaching cradle and pulling it up a ramp onto land and into a hangar. When overhauls were required, two three-story high 15-ton working platforms were wheeled into position, one for each wing, to allow access to all parts of the aircraft. Taking a year to design they each cost $ 10,000 and provided 2,000 square feet (190 m ) of working area equipped with work benches, telephones, compressed air, electricity supplies, floodlights, spare parts and on

7128-563: The impression of openness to reduce any feelings of claustrophobia. This resulted in the use of colors called Miami Sand Beige, Pan American Blue and Skyline Green. Window blinds were of an accordion pleated roller design, and manufactured by Claude D. Carver Company of New York that used a washable material called "Tontine". The aircraft’s electrical system was of the direct current type, powered by two 15 volt generators supported by two 12 volt batteries to provide both 12 volts and 24 volts. The 314 had an extensive suite of radio equipment, which

7236-424: The issue was George S. Schairer , at the time a young engineer at Consolidated Aircraft . After seeing a photograph of NX-18601 with its original tail configuration on the cover of an aviation magazine he had written to Boeing, stating that he believed the tail was too small. NX-18601 was immediately modified into a twin fin configuration, but this was still found to be insufficient and so the centerline vertical fin

7344-525: The last on June 16, 1939. Casablanca Conference Also attending were the sovereign of Morocco, Sultan Muhammad V , and representing the Free French forces , Generals Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud , but they played minor roles and were not part of the military planning. Joseph Stalin , General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, declined to attend, citing

7452-432: The lower central section was constructed as an integral section with the wings and inner engine nacelles. The remaining parts of the hull were separately constructed in sections and then attached to it. Instead of the hull being split into numerous watertight compartments the hull had only two full height watertight bulkheads, a front collision bulkhead ahead of the flight deck and a compartmented double bottom. The 314 had

7560-614: The lowest level, offices for the foreman and inspectors. At the end of the overhaul the aircraft would be subjected to a four hour test flight. A 314 would typically spend two days between flights on an overhaul, which involved washing the aircraft, inspection, maintenance and repair. Replacement of an engine took four hours. A replacement sponson cost $ 24,000. Pan American’s major maintenance facilities were located at La Guardia, New York and on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay, California. The first aircraft to be delivered

7668-463: The lowest specific fuel consumption. The engines drove Hamilton Standard hydromatic full-feathering constant-speed propellers through reduction gears. The development of these propellers had been fostered by Pan American. In a first for commercial operation, these offered both variable pitch and full-feathering which meant that in the event of an engine fault the three blades of the 14 feet (4.3 m) diameter propellers could be turned directly into

7776-413: The mission. Both captains were Masters of Ocean Flying, at the time the highest commercial pilot ratings in the world, with each supported by a crew of 10. Both aircraft, freshy painted in a dull sea-grey camouflage scheme left New York on 7 January for the 7½ hour flight to Miami. Shortly before 10pm on 9 January a party of 30 headed by Franklin D. Roosevelt left Washington by special train consisting of

7884-456: The more powerful Cyclone 14 GR2600A2A engines. These engines were subsequently retrofitted to the original 314s during engine overhauls. Commonly known as "Twin Cyclones", these engines were the first to use 100 octane gasoline in commercial service. The 314 was the first use of this engine, which at the time was not only the largest engine installed on a commercial aircraft, but also offered

7992-674: The need for external drag-inducing struts to brace the wings. It was metal skinned with the exception of the control surfaces. The aircraft were assembled at Boeing's Plant 1 on the Duwamish River in Seattle . The design required the production of 6,000 engineering drawings, 50,000 separate parts, 11 miles of electrical wiring, 576,000 rivets and 15,200 bolts. The original six 314s were powered by four air-cooled, supercharged Wright Aeronautical Corporation Cyclone 14 GR2600A2 , two-row, 14-cylinder radial engines. The six 314A’s had

8100-465: The need to pull German reserves down into Italy where, due to the relatively poor north–south lines of communication, they could not be easily extracted to defend against a later invasion of northwest Europe. Additionally, by delaying the cross-Channel landing, it would mean that any invasion would be against a German army further weakened by many more months' fighting on the Eastern Front against

8208-483: The next day to fly the final leg from Yundum Field to Casablanca. After departing at 8:58am Roosevelt and his party arrived at 6.20pm on 14 January at Casablanca’s Medouina Airport, having over the previous 50 hour travelled 7,000 miles (11,000 km). As the 314’s were not required until the return leg they flew to Pan American’s flying boat base at Fisherman’s Lake in Liberia and remained there for two weeks. After

8316-614: The next morning for Belem in Brazil, followed by the Dixie Clipper 45 minutes later. Left behind was Admiral Leahy as he was suffering from a bad chest cold and would be picked up on the return leg. Having flown most of the journey that day at 9,000 feet (2,700 m) the Atlantic Clipper landed on the Rive Para at Belem at 2.40pm, followed at 3.30pm by the Dixie Clipper . The passengers all went ashore while both aircraft were fully refueled and replenished with fresh food in preparation for

8424-433: The official recognition of a joint leadership of the Free French forces by de Gaulle and Henri Giraud . There was notable tension between the two men, who limited their interactions to formalities like pledging their mutual support. Roosevelt encouraged them to shake hands for the photographers eager for a photo opportunity, but the ritual handshake was with reluctance and done so quickly that they reportedly had to pose for

8532-488: The official reported accord between Churchill and Roosevelt, claiming that Churchill did not fully subscribe to the doctrine of "unconditional surrender". The New York Times correspondent Drew Middleton, who was in Casablanca at the conference, later revealed in his book, Retreat From Victory , that Churchill had been "startled by the [public] announcement [of unconditional surrender]. I tried to hide my surprise. But I

8640-472: The ongoing Battle of Stalingrad as requiring his presence in Moscow. Roosevelt and Churchill issued the public Casablanca Declaration , which the promulgation of the policy of “ unconditional surrender .” That doctrine came to represent the unified voice of Allied will and the determination that the Axis powers would be fought to their ultimate defeat The conference produced a unified statement of purpose,

8748-408: The other and after increasing the engine power failed to correct the situation it became necessary for all spare crew members to climb out onto the raised wing to balance the aircraft and allow it to safely return to shore. Following the installation of temporary ballast further taxiing tests continued for a week. The first test flight was undertaken by Allen on the June 7, 1938, and once airborne it

8856-693: The rest of the Pan American’s fleet of 314s was requisitioned on 14 December 1941 by the American War Department who assigned it to the United States Navy, who gave it the BuNo designation 48225. though another source states it was 48227. It continued to be maintained and operated by Pan American on behalf of the navy, with all crew members becoming part of the naval military reserve. The Dixie Clipper initially continued to provide

8964-449: The rest of the flight deck reducing the pilot's night vision) was the flight operations room. On the left-hand side of the flight operations room was the navigator's 7 feet (2.1 m) long chart table, followed by a small table and chair for the watch officer. On the right) side was a circular staircase that led down to the lower deck. Behind this was the radio operator's station, followed by the flight engineer's station. On either side of

9072-682: The return they could be vital materials such as beryllium, mica and raw rubber. Early in January 1943 John C. Leslie the general manager of Pan American’s Atlantic Division was requested to have two 314s available in Miami on 11 January, with each equipped to undertake a special mission with unknown passengers. To maintain secrecy he never told his superiors or even Juan Trippe of the request. He assigned Dixie Clipper under Captain Howard M. Cone and Atlantic Clipper under Captain Richard Vinal to

9180-481: The right (starboard) side in two upper and lower berths, while on the left (port) side there was a single upper and lower, each fitted with a privacy curtain. It took a steward 30 minutes to convert each compartment into its sleeping configuration. The deluxe compartment, which was also known as the "bridal suite", was located at the extreme rear of the deck, and contained a three-cushion davenport that could be converted into upper and lower sleeping berths. Also, there

9288-822: The service was more spartan. Equally critical to the 314's success was the proficiency of its Pan American flight crews, who were extremely skilled at long-distance, over-water flight operations and navigation. For training, many of the transpacific flights carried a second crew. Only the very best and most experienced flight crews were assigned Boeing 314 flying boat duty. Before coming aboard, all Pan American captains as well as first and second officers had thousands of hours of flight time in other seaplanes and flying boats. Rigorous training in dead reckoning , timed turns, judging drift from sea current, celestial navigation, and radio navigation were conducted. In conditions of poor or no visibility, pilots sometimes made successful landings at fogged-in harbors by landing out to sea, then taxiing

9396-519: The side of the Allies, an event which occurred a week later. Later Roosevelt accompanied by Vargas visited a number of American and Brazilian military installations. As it would take two days to repair the Atlantic Clipper the American Clipper was diverted to replace it, with captain Vinal taking over its command.While they awaited the arrival, Roosevelt who didn’t want to delay his return to

9504-603: The specific and understandable complaints which the Germans bore towards the Jews in Germany, namely, that while they represented a small part of the population, over 50 percent of the lawyers, doctors, schoolteachers, college professors, etc., in Germany were Jews." This disposition of the Jewish population harkened back to a mindset communicated in earlier years to Roosevelt by the American ambassador to Germany, William Dodd (1933–37). Dodd had appraised Germany's repression of Jews, and writing to Roosevelt, he said: "The Jews had held

9612-411: The tabs, which in turn moved the elevators. At high angles of movement, the spring became rigid and further elevator movement was directly from the control column. While not aerodynamically balanced, the elevators were statically balanced to 85% by a counterweight in the hull and by smaller weights on their outboard ends. The metal-frame fabric covered rudders used the same spring-controlled tab system as

9720-420: The take-off a series of buoyed lights had been laid out on the harbour. The Atlantic Clipper lead the way on what was a turbulent flight which required the passenger sot remain strapped into their seats for the entire flight. Two hours away from Natal in Brazil a piston on the number 3 engine of the Atlantic Clipper failed and oil began to spurt out and cover the wing, trailing edge and tail section. The engine

9828-534: The take-off with a 85-piece band from the Port Washington High School providing entertainment. Among the 22 passengers on board were Pan American chairman Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney , his wife, William J. Donovan , John M. Franklin , Southern Railway executive William J. Eck, Clara Adams , who was on the first leg of a round-the-world flight; Torkild Rieber , Roger Lapham , investment banker Harold Leonard Stuart and Elizabeth Trippe. There

9936-455: The upper deck's crew quarters was an area for storage of the passengers' luggage. The lower deck was divided into eleven sections: five standard passenger compartments, a deluxe compartment, a dining lounge, gallery, ladies' restroom and men's room. The aft compartments had a step between each as their floor level rose due to the curvature of the bottom of the aircraft. Each standard compartment could seat ten or sleep six, with four sleeping on

10044-503: The way to and from the Casablanca Conference . In doing so it set a number of firsts with Roosevelt the first president to fly while in office, the first to fly across an ocean, the first to visit three continents by air and the first to cross the equator four times. The Dixie Clipper was one of six Model 314 flying boats ordered by Pan American airlines from the Boeing Airplane Company on 21 July 1936. Allocated

10152-748: Was $ 675 (equivalent to $ 15,000 in 2023), while a one-way ticket from San Francisco to Hong Kong via the "stepping-stone" islands cost $ 760 (equivalent to $ 16,000 in 2023). The Pan American Boeing 314 Clippers brought exotic destinations like the Far East within reach of air travelers and came to represent the romance of flight. Most of the flights were transpacific, while transatlantic flights to neutral Lisbon and Ireland continued after war broke out in Europe in September 1939 (and until 1945), but military passengers and cargoes necessarily got priority, and

10260-684: Was NC18602 which was christened California Clipper . This aircraft was flown on January 27, 1939 by Boeing test pilot Earl Ferguson and Wellwood Bell as co-pilot from Lake Washington to Astoria in Oregon. It was delivered to Pan American in Oregon in order to avoid a Washington state tax, which had been introduced during the Depression to increase state revenues. It was accepted by Captains Harold E. Gray and Charles Vaughn and flown by them to Pan American's base at San Francisco. The remaining five aircraft were delivered at approximately monthly intervals,

10368-420: Was a love seat, a coffee table, a small leather covered dressing and writing table, a beige stool, a mirror, a wardrobe and a concealed wash basin. The ladies' restroom contained a mirror, a sink with hot and cold running water, towels, tissues, two leather upholstered swivel stools and, behind a door, a separate toilet. The men's room had an outlet for an electric razor, while its attached toilet room had both

10476-549: Was a waiting list of 500 passengers for the flight. Eck, received a silver cigarette case for being the first paying passenger on the route. Eck also flew on the 50,000th crossing of the Atlantic ocean on Pan Am in 1955. With a immediate stop in Horta it took 23 hours and 53 minutes to reach Lisbon, arriving at 6.15am local time. Following the entry of the United States into World War II in December 1941 Dixie Clipper together with

10584-509: Was an American long-range flying boat produced by Boeing from 1938 to 1941. One of the largest aircraft of its time, it had the range to cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. For its wing, Boeing re-used the design from the earlier XB-15 bomber prototype. Twelve Clippers were built, nine of which served with Pan Am . It was the first aircraft to carry a sitting American president, when in 1943 Franklin D. Roosevelt flew from Miami to

10692-401: Was closed down and slowed which meant that the Dixie Clipper passed it and touched down on the 28 January, three hours ahead of schedule due to tailwinds, its sister landing 25 minutes later. Roosevelt disembarked and stayed on the seaplane tender USS Humboldt where he met with the president of Brazil, Getúlio Vargas , where they discussed among other things about Brazil entering the war on

10800-500: Was employed to design the interior of the 314. Wherever possible, efforts were made to reduce weight. Duralumin was used in the furniture frames, and plastic in the portholes rather than glass. Lightweight carpet was used to assist in noise damping. The cushions were made of latex mixed with horsehair from Australia. Howard Ketcham, a color expert from New York assisted in the selection of colors that would complement Bel Geddes’ design and also reflect light, yet control brightness and create

10908-459: Was flown south to the milder weather conditions of San Diego which would reduce its deterioration from corrosion. Initially it was anchored in the bay until its beaching cradle arrived which allowed it to be moved out of the water and on to the seaplane ramp at the Convair facility at Lindbergh Field in San Diego. It and the other WAA owned 314s were purchased for $ 325,000 by Universal Airlines,

11016-454: Was his [Roosevelt's] ardent lieutenant". According to historian Charles Bohlen , "Responsibility for this unconditional surrender doctrine rests almost exclusively with President Roosevelt". He guessed that Roosevelt made the announcement "to keep Soviet forces engaged with Germany on the Russian front, thus depleting German munitions and troops" and also "to prevent Stalin from negotiating

11124-451: Was housed in three different locations. Normally powered by the main electrical system it could in the event of a loss of this supply be powered from a self-contained emergency generator. The radio equipment as well as other specialised equipment was provided by Pan American, with their staff at the Boeing’s factory assisting in its installation and commissioning. The aircraft was fitted with

11232-463: Was immediately identified that the aircraft had insufficient rudder control. He was only able to turn the aircraft by increasing the power of the engines on one wing and decreasing that of the engines on the other. This first flight lasted 38 minutes. This directional instability had been observed during wind tunnel tests but Boeing management had rejected any changes to the original single fin configuration to correct it. Someone else who had identified

11340-558: Was impacted by the complexity of the design and testing and the passage of the Civil Aeronautics Act in 1938, establishing the Civil Aeronautics Board , which had the power to review and certify new aircraft. Boeing missed its contracted delivery date by 13 months. There was no dedicated prototype; instead, the first production unit, NX-18601, was used for testing. Once completed it was launched into

11448-680: Was overcome by adding 36 in (914 mm) to the width of the fuselage. He combined the wing with more powerful Wright R-2600 Twin Cyclone engines, each of which produced 50% more power than the 850 hp (630 kW) of the XB-15's Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines. The XB-15's engine nacelles were also retained, as they had originally been designed to house 2,600  hp (1,900  kW ) Allison V-3420 liquid-cooled W engines , which since these were not ready, had been replaced on

11556-486: Was restored, which resolved the issue and this three fin arrangement became the production configuration. Months of extensive testing continued and on January 26, 1939, the 314 was approved the Civil Aeronautics Board for commercial airworthiness. The 314 was a high wing flying boat which used a series of heavy metal ribs and spars to create a robust fuselage and cantilevered wing , eliminating

11664-543: Was then offered to Pan American by the War Assets Administration (WAA) at an asking price of $ 50,000 each. As Pan American believed that the future lay with faster and cheaper to operate land based aircraft they declined to take up the option to buy any 314. After being taken out of service Dixie Clipper were stored at Alameda near San Francisco and was offered for sale in April 1946. At some point it

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