The 1928 Boeing 40C-4 restored and owned by Addison Pemberton had its first engine start and taxi test Saturday at Felts Field, Spokane, Washington.
It’s the first trime in 80 years that this airplane travelled under its own power. The nearly new (N)C5339 (Cn 1043) crashed in the Oregon Cascade mountain range on a flight from Portland to San Francisco.
Pemberton reported the engine, a Pratt & Whitney Wasp, ran flawlessly and the list of minor “squawks” was short.
Pemberton expects it to fly within a month, weather permitting.
It is one of three original Boeing 40s existant and the only one that will fly (the others are in museums).
The 40 was designed as a mailplane in 1925 but became the first Boeing airliner when it was “stretched” to accomodate two, and later four, seats in a forward cabin.
It’s believed that no Boeing 40 has flown since a Canadian-built example (VH-ACL, ex ZK-ADY)was lost to the Japanese in the southwest Pacific during the early days of WWII.
By: J Boyle - 11th February 2008 at 14:54
Scorpion89
Yes. It’s going to Oshkosh and the Antique Aircraft (AACA?) meet.
Also, a plan is in the works for it to fly with the oldest flying Stearman C3B mailplane on a cross country flight from New York to San Francisco.
Addison plans to fly it as much as possible.
It’s a great project. Pemberton (ands more than 60 volunteers) have put eight years and 18,000 hours into the restoration.
BTW: as you see, some of the front sheetmetal was left off for this test to enable the crew to check for any oil leaks.
By: Scorpion89 - 11th February 2008 at 03:50
JB,
Great News any chance that it might be going to Oshkosh this Year.
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February 11, 2008 at 12:27 am