Boeing Model 203

Boeing · United States · first flew 1929 · light aircraft

The Boeing Model 203 was a three-seat biplane trainer built by Boeing in the late 1920s. It was used in the company training school.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsMid-mounted, straight
E — Engines1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — FuselageWelded steel tube fuselage with a look combining the Boeing Model 95 and P-12
T — TailConventional

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It is a small single-engined biplane trainer with a radial engine in the nose. The front cockpit seats two passengers side by side.

Specifications

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The 203 was a low-power biplane designed to compete with other standard training aircraft. The first example flew on 1 July 1929 with a 145 hp engine. Its fuselage was welded steel tubing, the last Boeing aircraft to be built that way.

Variants

The 203A had a 165 hp Wright J-6-5 engine, and the original aircraft were converted to it. The 203B had a 220 hp Lycoming R-680 radial engine and more advanced training equipment.

Where you'll see it

All of the aircraft were delivered to the Boeing School of Aeronautics in Oakland, California. When the school closed in the Second World War, the four 203As went to United Air Lines and two 203Bs were sold to a private owner.

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