Considered by many to be the first modern passenger airliner, the Boeing Model 247 helped commence the era of speed, safety, and comfort in commercial air travel. The all-metal twin-engine aircraft, designed in the early thirties, had then-modern features like an autopilot, pneumatically operated de-icing equipment, and more. But how did this revolutionary airplane come to be, and what did it do for aviation? The little airplane that could In the years leading up to the inception of the 247, Boeing had designed the Model 200 Monomail and B-9 Bomber. Advancements in aerodynamics and…