The Boeing 247 first flew in 1933 and is often described as one of the first modern airliners. It used all-metal construction, retractable landing gear, and a streamlined design. The aircraft helped define the look and economics of passenger aviation before the DC-3 surpassed it.

The streamlined airliner became a visual emblem of the Machine Age, appearing in posters, advertisements, and travel writing. Poets and artists encountered flight not only as danger but as design, glamour, and commercial modernity.