Within a year of of the 1935 first flight of the Martin M-130 China Clipper, Pan American World Airways was already talking to Boeing about a flying boat that would eclipse even the China Clipper's impressive statistics. By late 1937 the seating had been set at 50 passengers in a sleeper configuration, or 75 by day. A crew of 10 had sleeping quarters above the passenger cabins and just under the wing. Baggage compartments stretched along the upper rear of the fuselage. The forward portion of the upper fuselage contained the flight deck, navigation compartment, radio officer's cabin, chartroom, map and library room, and a large engineer's compartment. Unlike the previous Clippers, stability on the water was achieved by sponsons (also called sea wings), which also held fuel for the long journeys.
The first flight took place in June 1938, but directional stability was a problem. Thus, two additional vertical fins and rudders were added. All six 314's were delivered in 1939, and the Dixie Clipper opened the first regular non-stop North Atlantic service on June 28, 1939, with the Yankee and American Clippers following soon behind. The other three 314's were used in the Pacific, on the long route via Honolulu and Guam on the way to Manila. In 1940 six improved B314A's followed, but three were turned over to BOAC (named Bristol, Berwick, and Bangor). The Pan American B314A's were requisitioned by the USAAF as C-98's in 1942, piloted by Pan Am crews. Most were scrapped by the early 50's due to the rapid improvement of land-based transports during the war.
FS2004 Pan American World
Airways B314 Clipper. Dave Torkington has painted up Mike
Stone's Boeing 314 Clipper into the Dixie Clipper. These are textures only - you need to download the plane
from Mike Stone.
Last updated on 2/16/05. Replacement
FDE available from FSAviator. Panel
from Ken Mitchell.