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Roscoe Turner's Boeing 247


rob Lyttle

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Delighted to get hold of one of the Williams kits, although slightly started, and I'm having a bit of a look at the options. 

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Turner's plane for the McRobertson air race is a choice, and features on the box. 

Apart from the "57" emblems.... Heinz sponsored???.... the reg is given as NR257Y. 

But then, I find a picture in a book dealing with the Race clearly showing NC13369. 

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Looking closely reveals a globe map with the flight line from UK to Australia... 

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Passengers are lined up for boarding. 

The script on the fuselage seems to read "This plane carried the Stars and Stripes **** the *** on the World ***** Air Race" 

The caption reads that the plane went into service with United. 

It's the Reg no. that's bothering me. 

Does NR.... apply to a racing plane? 

And then reverting to a Civilian liner the airframe would be re-regestered as such with the NC..... number? 

Anyone know what the story is?

 

Liking the kit already! Can't wait to give it a go 😎

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2 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

 

It's the Reg no. that's bothering me. 

Does NR.... apply to a racing plane? 

And then reverting to a Civilian liner the airframe would be re-regestered as such with the NC..... number? 

Anyone know what the story is?

 

 

'NR' was a 'Restricted' registration meaning that the aircraft was fitted with modifications which hadn't been 'certificated' by the authorities and couldn't be used for commercial purposes. After the race it went back to Boeing and was modified to stock airliner configuration and re-registered with a 'Commercial' registration in sequence with the other United 247D airliners.  The plane is preserved in the NASM and suspended from the ceiling, still wearing the markings it wore in airline service, as shown in your lower pictures.  The decals in the Williams Bros kit are those worn during the initial test flights and not during the race (or later).  Several decal makers have in the past expressed interest in making the correct decals, but it has not happened as yet .

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Well, there are some pictures here;Linky and here:Linky and here:Linky and here:Linky. You have to be careful of the latter images because they're not just of the race.

There are lots of other pics dotted about if you search Google for 1934 MacRobertson race etc., not just Boeing 247. Here's some more: Linky and :Linky

 

Dave

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19 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

Thanks, Roger. 

I'll have a look on their site, see what I can find. 

I wonder what the plane looked like during the race? 

Although I'm more likely to do it in commercial style. 

Rob,

Turner's 247 has a very good web presence so period photos should be easy to find.

The NASM website will prove useful since you intend to build Turner's 247 in it's later airline markings:

https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/boeing-247-d

Note that the boxart for the Wlliams Bros. 247 kit shows Turner's plane in the very early patchwork anodized aluminum finish. This is incorrect. Tuner's 247 was painted the usual gray Boeing applied to hide the patchwork appearance of the anodized aluminum.

The cowlings on the preserved 247 in the NASM are original and unrestored so can be used as reference for the correct gray color.

Tim

Edited by VH-USB
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I have a copy of the AAHS Jounal, Winter 1964 issue which features 32 pages of an extensive article by Victor D. Seely on the Boeing 247. According to his article, Roscoe Turner's race plane was a 247-D, c/n 1953 modified by Boeing to incorporate four 90-gallon and four 123-gallon fuel tanks. Other modifications were 1) revised oil line and larger oil tanks, totaling 52-gallons, 2)deletion of the airline type radio and addition of new radio of Turner's choice, 3) a special vacuum system and 4)Revised fuel line. When the plane left the factory as NR257Y, it carried the Boeing Bug emblem on the fin and a large "5" on the rudder and a larger "5" repeated on the fuselage underside. Turner's old race number "57" was on both sides of the nose and rear fuselage. The port cowling carried the name "Nip", an American flag and a phrase "Powered by Pratt & Whitney Wasp". The starboard cowling was similarly labeled with the name "Tuck". After the race, the plane carried a map of the race plus the words "This plane carried the stars and stripes across the finishing line in the world's greatest air race".

The plane was returned to the Seattle factory on 24 December 1934, where it was reworked to airline configuration and relicensed as NC13369. On 2 January 1335, NC13369 was delivered to United in Chicago by Turner. The plane served United, still carrying the race map and commemorative words. The article features three photos of c/n 1953 in various stage of its life.

The photo posted by rob was taken after the race and during its service with United.

 

The plane served United until January 1937 when it was sold to the Union Electric Company for use as an executive transport. After that the plane acquired by the Department of Commerce and used for 14 years, carrying registration NC11 and N11, until it entered the Smithsonian Institutes  in July 1953.

 

Cheers,

 

Jun in Tokyo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horaburo/albums

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On ‎6‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 2:34 PM, rob Lyttle said:

Great links and information here. 

Thanks @VH-USB and @Fastcat too. 

"The Warner Bros Comet on deck coming into Southampton"..... WOW 

I've been around the NASM site for a look. 

The fuselage colouring is tricky, isn't it? 

 

Glad to be of some help Rob.

You may find the book 'The Boeing 247: The First Modern Airliner' by Robert van der Linden, to be very useful.

And that patchy anodized finish was only found on the very early 247s, most all were painted in gray.

Tim

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Well, to be honest I'm very much at the research stage here. 

The kit should sit on the shelf for a little while, and the box lid lifted from time to time for a peer and a think. 

Although I have to admit, what Williams Bros kits lack in modern hitec production methods they more than make up for with something that works like magic fairy dust. 

Open the box and the spell is cast!! 

I'll sort out some Lockheed Twins that are current and then....... 

The little Boeing is going to sit nicely with those 

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31 minutes ago, rob Lyttle said:

Well, to be honest I'm very much at the research stage here. 

The kit should sit on the shelf for a little while, and the box lid lifted from time to time for a peer and a think. 

Although I have to admit, what Williams Bros kits lack in modern hitec production methods they more than make up for with something that works like magic fairy dust. 

Open the box and the spell is cast!! 

I'll sort out some Lockheed Twins that are current and then....... 

The little Boeing is going to sit nicely with those 

In a little while I will be able to access my files, in case you still need anything (besides what was already kindly provided by others).

But please remind by a PM in a couple weeks in case I can add anything to the research.

This build led me to other 247 builds here at BM and my own WiP and RFI, that had almost all photos disappeared with broken links. I just reloaded everything back (Thanks Flickr, once more things fail).

This is a kit (I HAVE TWO MORE!!) that I find pleasurable to build, even with its shortcomings.

Cheers and looking forward to your continuation.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/16/2019 at 4:45 PM, rob Lyttle said:

Well, to be honest I'm very much at the research stage here. 

The kit should sit on the shelf for a little while, and the box lid lifted from time to time for a peer and a think. 

Although I have to admit, what Williams Bros kits lack in modern hitec production methods they more than make up for with something that works like magic fairy dust. 

Open the box and the spell is cast!! 

I'll sort out some Lockheed Twins that are current and then....... 

The little Boeing is going to sit nicely with those 

I work across the street from the NASM.  If there are any particular pictures you'd like let me know

 

Eric aka The Yankymodeler

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On 6/16/2019 at 1:45 PM, rob Lyttle said:

Well, to be honest I'm very much at the research stage here. 

The kit should sit on the shelf for a little while, and the box lid lifted from time to time for a peer and a think. 

Although I have to admit, what Williams Bros kits lack in modern hitec production methods they more than make up for with something that works like magic fairy dust. 

Open the box and the spell is cast!! 

I'll sort out some Lockheed Twins that are current and then....... 

The little Boeing is going to sit nicely with those  

Hi Rob

Back home now. I can access my files.

What specific version/livery  would you like info on? (I have folders on all).

Please send a private message with an email address, so I can send to you what I have (most likely via We Transfer, given the size of some files)

Cheers

 

 

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