National Air and Space Museum New York

Boeing 747 forward fuselage
Designed originally for Pan American to replace the 707, the giant Boeing 747 revolutionized long-distance air travel when it entered service in 1970. Carrying two and a half times more passengers than the 189-seat 707, the 400-seat 747 offered dramatically lower seat-mile costs and therefore much greater efficiency.

Pitcairn PA-5 Mailwing
The Pitcairn PA-5 Mailwing was designed to carry air mail along the routes of the eastern United States. Efficient and economical, it helped build the route structure for what would ultimately become Eastern Air Lines.

The Mailwing NC-2895, on exhibit in this gallery, was built in 1927 and was the prototype for a series of Pitcairn mail planes. It combined a square-steel-tube fuselage with wooden wings, both covered by fabric. After it became obsolete as a mail plane, this airplane served several private owners, survived a crash, and saw use as a crop-duster.

Fairchild FC-2
Developed as an efficient camera plane in 1927, the Fairchild FC-2 was the production version of Sherman Fairchild's first airplane, the FC-1. It could cruise for long distances at high altitudes because it had an enclosed cabin to protect the crew and equipment. The basic design was so good that the airplane's duties rapidly expanded to include airmail delivery, passenger flights, freight hauling, and bush flying.

The Fairchild FC-2 on exhibit was one of the first airplanes flown by Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra) in South America. It made the first scheduled passenger flight in Peru, from Lima to Talara on September 13, 1928. It could carry five persons, including the pilot.