Boeing 314 Clipper Round The World Page

The Aircraft

The Boeing 314 Clipper Landing

Here is a description of the aircraft being used for the flight - the Boeing 314 Clipper

The aircraft model I am using for the flight is the PILOT'S Boeing 314 Clipper.

This is an amazing rendition of a flying boat, designed specifically for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002.

Here is a link to the PILOT's Boeing 314 Clipper web page for more information: http://b314clipper.com/

There is also a good review of the aircraft on the AVSIM web pages here: http://www.avsim.com/pages/0502/pilot_clipper_review/clipper_review.html

When I wrote this page I have been spending a week "getting to know" the B314 Clipper. It is no mean feat to master this aircraft, especially as the plane would normally be operated by three people (two pilots and a flight engineer).

The notable things about the aircraft/model:

• There are 8 different panels: Main, Lower Switch, Throttles, Rear Wall Electrical, Generator Control, Flight Engineers, Radio and GPS.
• This a four engined (1600 hp each) and 42 ton aircraft with a wing span of 152 feet.
• The aircraft was designed in the 1930's and first flew in 1938, only 12 were ever made.
• Typical cruise for the B314 was 8,000 feet at a speed of 180 mph (130 KIAS).
• The maximum range was 3,500 miles at a typical speed of 125 mph, taking 17 - 20 hours to complete.
• The aircraft has no autopilot (as we know them today), but it does have a gyropilot, the forerunner to the autopilot, but it will not follow flight plans automatically for you, and it is much less accurate. This is a hands on aircraft!
• The aircraft can carry up to 64 passengers, although in reality this number were rarely carried on the longer flights, as the weight would reduce the range significantly.
• The B314 can be beached using a specially designed cradle.

B314 Clipper Beached

B314 Main Panel

If you are used to flying modern jets then flying the Clipper is going to be a real culture shock!

I guess the main thing you will notice when flying her, is just how heavy and slow she is. Getting the Clipper out of the water when fully loaded is not easy! If you don't get the speed, pitch trim and timing just right you can be taking 4 or 5 miles to get her out the water!

The other thing is just how much tweaking of knobs and buttons is needed to keep her flying just right. No automatic systems here to adjust mixtures and revs. Hence the reason why they had a flight engineer.

B314 Clipper Flight Engineers Panel

Again, enough waffle from me. The B314 is a great aircraft, it was the Concorde of it's era, it had lots of innovative designs that seem old fashioned these days, but it was cutting edge stuff in 1938. She is an ideal platform to "see the world", nice and sedate and great at flying at low altitudes, just what I am looking for!

Author/Pilot: Barry Perfect