Boeing 80A-1 - Seattle, WA
N 47° 31.077 W 122° 17.813
10T E 552935 N 5262964
One of many static aircraft displays located at the Museum of Flight at King County International Airport. Admission fees apply.
Waymark Code: WMVGHC
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 04/16/2017
Views: 9
Located at the Museum of Flight are a large number of static aircraft on display. One of them is a Boeing Model 80A-1. The Museum of Flight website contains a page devoted to this aircraft and it reads:
"Pioneer Pullman of the Air" 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. It is the only surviving example of the Boeing Model 80 series.
A nearby placard also highlights this Model 80 and reads:
The Luxury A passenger flying in Boeing's earlier Model 40 was in for a very uncomfortable trip! People were packed like sardines into the cold and noisy fuselage. The advent of the Model 80 brought some comfort to travel. The 80A had a heated cabin, leather seats, individual reading lights and lavatory with hot and cold running water. Although the 80 had a luxurious interior, flying was tough by today's standards. The plane bumped along at low altitudes while engine noise made conversation almost impossible. And despite heaters, the cabin was very cold in the winter and scorching hot in the summer months.
Type of Aircraft: (make/model): Boeing 80A-1
Tail Number: (S/N): 1082; Registration No. N224M
Construction:: original aircraft
Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): Museum of Flight
inside / outside: inside
Other Information:: Not listed
Access restrictions: Not listed
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Visit Instructions: Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored) Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica) Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)
Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.
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