Benoist XIV
Benoist Aircraft · United States · first flew 1913 · airliner
The Benoist XIV is historically significant as the aircraft used to inaugurate the world's first scheduled airline passenger service in January 1914, operated by the St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line in Florida.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.93 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- World's first scheduled airline flying boat, 1914
- Pusher configuration with engine behind pilot
- Open tandem seating in a boat hull biplane
A pusher-configuration biplane flying boat with an open cockpit seating pilot and one passenger in tandem; the engine is mounted behind the wing on struts in a tractor/pusher arrangement unique to this type.
Specifications
- The Benoist XIV has a length of 7.93 m (26 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.41 m (44 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 103 km/h (64 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by Tom Benoist, the Type XIV was a two-seat flying boat biplane. On 1 January 1914, pilot Tony Jannus flew the first revenue passenger across Tampa Bay in just 23 minutes, marking the birth of commercial aviation. The service ran for about four months before ceasing due to financial difficulties.
Variants
The Type XIV was a development of earlier Benoist flying boat designs; no significant production variants beyond the initial examples were built.
Where you'll see it
Operated solely on the St. Petersburg–Tampa route in 1914; the handful of aircraft built saw no further commercial service after the airline folded.
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