City of the Angels and City of Washington

[-Jim G]

Maj Clifford Evans, USAFR made an off-hand remark that the then new model Piper Super Cruisers had the ability to fly around the World. His friend Maj George Truman, USAFR picked up on the idea and they started scheming about how to make it happen. They convinced Piper, Lycoming, and other manufacturers to donate the necessary equipment.

Their planes were modified with extra fuel tanks, radios, extra instruments, and metal propellers (to replace wooden propellers). In the morning of Aug 9, 1947 they set off on their adventure from Teterboro, New Jersey. Evans flew the 'City of Washington', and Truman flew her sister ship 'City of the Angels'. The flight took 4 months and 22,500 mi. Weather was biggest problem, the only mishap was a damaged tail wheel on one landing. They landed back at Teterboro on December 10, 1947.

The name of each place they stopped on the way was painted on the starboard side of each fuselage and the flag of the nation was painted on the port sides marking the first successful around-the-world flight by airplanes of their class.

75 years later, the City of the Angels can be seen at the Piper Aviation Museum in Lock Haven, PA, and the City of Washington is hanging in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Washington D.C.

Design Group Alpha has both models avaliable at Ecardmodels

[gomidefilho]

Awesome design and builds Jim! Historical and non stop flight are very interesting.

[Rata]

Thanks Jim. Wasn't aware of this exploit so thanks for sharing on here and thanks DGA for giving us an opportunity to build models of this pair.

[airdave]

I was sure I had seen City of Washington.
I checked my photos, and yes...back in 2013 at the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian