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Before the advent of the Douglas DC-3 in the late 1930s, airlines struggled to cover operating costs from passenger services alone, and relied heavily on airmail and freight to make up the difference. They often used all available compartments and leftover aircraft space, and sometimes even bumped passengers off their flights to make room for mail bags and packages. In this photograph express freight is being loaded in the nose compartment of a United Air Lines Boeing 247D. United Air Lines Boeing 247D airmail plane c. 1935 SFO Museum Collection Gift of United Airlines Archives 1999.047.127 This image was posted on April 19, 2016.