Canadian Warplanes 4: Boeing 247D

Boeing 247D

(RCAF Photo)

Boeing 247D (Serial No. 7635), No. 121 (K) Squadron, making a landing approach to the airfield at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, May 1942.

The Royal Canadian Air Force took eight aircraft on strength, the first being on the 18th of June, 1940. They had all previously been operated in the United States commercially.  The aircraft had a very short service life. The aircraft were struck off strength on the 2nd of December, 1942. Six of the aircraft were transferred to Canadian Pacific Airlines on the 1st of October, 1943 while another aircraft was operated by Maritime Central Airways based in Charlottetown on the Spud starting in December, 1941.  The following units operated the Boeing 247D:

No. 1 Central Flying School, RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario.

Station Flight, RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario.

Eastern Air Command Communications Flight, RCAF Station Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

No. 1 Service Flying Training School, RCAF Station Camp Borden, Ontario.

No. 12 Communications Squadron, RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario.

No. 121 (K) Squadron, RCAF Station Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.  The 'K' is short for Composite.

Boeing 247D, C-73 (8), (Serial Nos. 7635, 7636, 7637, 7638, 7639, 7655, 7839, 7840).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3581752)

Boeing 247D (Serial No. unknown), undergoing maintenance, c1941.

(RCAF Photo via Chris Charland)

Boeing 247D, RCAF.

(RCAF Photo via Chris Charland)

Boeing 247D, RCAF.

(RCAF Photo)

Boeing 247D, RCAF (Serial No. 7635), No. 121 (K) Squadron, ca 1939.

(RCAF Photo)

Boeing 247D, RCAF (Serial No. 7635), No. 121 (K) Squadron, ca 1939.

(RCAF Photo)

Boeing 247D, RCAF (Serial No. 7635), No. 121 (K) Squadron, ca 1939.

(RCAF Photo)

Boeing 247D, RCAF (Serial No. 7635), No. 121 (K) Squadron, ca 1939.

(RAF Photo)

Boeing 247D (Serial No. DZ203) in RAF markings, shortly after being assembled in the UK.  This aircraft, originally Boeing (Serial No. 1726), identified as Reg. No. NC13344 while in service with United Airlines, was purchased by the Canadian National Research Council (NRC) before the Second World War, where it became CF-BTA and then RCAF (Serial No. 7655).  As part of the Tizard Mission, an aircraft was to be fitted with US versions of the British radar systems, but an American-built aircraft was not available, so the NRC offered 7655.  After test fitting the systems in Canada, the aircraft was disassembled and shipped to the Liverpool Docks in July 1941.  The aircraft was re-assembled and became (Serial No. DZ203).  DZ203 spent most of the war as part of the Telecommunications Flying Unit (TFU) experimental flight of the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE), the Air Ministry (AM) group developing airborne radar systems.  It was flown primarily from RAF Defford after May 1942, after brief periods at Christchurch and Hurn, following the TRE as it moved about the UK during the war.  It was used extensively over the Irish Sea.  In 1944 the aircraft was completely refurbished as a testbed aircraft for instrument landing systems.  In June 1944 it was shipped to the USA to be fitted with an all-electric autopilot and American blind landing equipment, returning later in the year.  The aircraft was actively used in this role until 1946, but was scrapped in 1947.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 5276482)

Boeing 247D, Canadian Pacific Airlines, Yellowknife Airport, NWT, Sep 1944.