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[ Graphical: Channel4 Homepage ]
At the beginning of the 20th century, airlines recognized the potential of long haul flights to transport mail and passengers to the four corners of the globe. One route proved to be the ultimate challenge – the transatlantic crossing. Nations fought to be the first to provide a transatlantic flight service.
In 1913, Lord Northcliffe, founder of the Daily Mail, offered $50,000 for the first aviator to cross the ocean. However, aviation technology was not yet up to the 1900-mile challenge.
The challenge was finally met in 1919, when Alcock and Brown made the first non-stop journey in a Vickers Vimy Bomber. After 16.5 hours they crashed in to an Irish bog, but claimed the prize. In 1927, Charles Lindburgh made the first solo flight, but the dream of the long haul mail and passenger carriage still seemed a long way off.
In 1927, an American aviation entrepreneur, Juan Trippe, acquired Pan American Airways (Pan Am) and formed America's first international airline. Largely subsidised by its mail contracts, it flew to South America and Cuba.
Pan Am's rival in the international airline business was Britain's Imperial Airways. In 1924, the British government introduced the state airline to serve the national interest and to connect all parts of the Empire. This included servicing Canada, and that meant crossing the Atlantic.
In the 1920s and 30s, the problem not only lay with the design of the aeroplanes, it was also a question of finding suitable runway sites. Everywhere the airlines looked there were oceans, rivers and lakes, served by lucrative ports and docks. The airlines therefore decided to make use of the existing infrastructures and create planes that could land on water. The flying boats were born.
The basic principle was of a ship-shaped fuselage that could land on water and carry mail. Although mail contracts dominated the flying boats' trade, larger planes meant that passenger services would soon be possible. For the elite few, this would be the pinnacle of luxurious travel.
As Pan Am began to expand into South America, Imperial gained a hold in India and South Africa. However, the Atlantic remained their ultimate goal. In the meantime though, Pan Am turned its attention to the Pacific Ocean. On 12 November 1938, it conquered that ocean with the China Clipper, a new Martin M-130 plane, named after the fast 19th century clipper ships.
Imperial Airways retaliated with a new Empire class, built by the leading manufacturer, Shorts. However, 9 of the first 28 planes crashed or were damaged in accidents.
Then, in 1938, under contract from Pan Am, Boeing built the largest commercial flying boat yet – the B314. The pioneering B314, Yankee Clipper, was launched by Eleanor Roosevelt in March 1939. Meanwhile, the British continued work on their new flying boat, the Golden Hind. It was launched in June 1939.
On 28 June 1939, Pan Am's Dixie Clipper left Newfoundland and arrived in Southampton 18 hours, 42 minutes later. The Golden Hind would never make the journey – the world was consumed by the Second World War and both Pan Am's and Imperial's fleet were requisitioned by the military, protecting convoys, hunting U-boats and rescuing pilots.
At the end of the war, the world had moved on – bomber technology meant that greater non-stop distances were possible; new runways had been built and jet technology was around the corner. The days of the flying boat were over.
Cutty Sark and the Great Clippers
Graphics version (includes layout and images)