ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 38

The Boeing 307 Stratoliner
by Jack Feir
ISTAT Appraiser Fellow and ISTAT Member Emeritus

Boeing 307 Stratoliner prototype. Engine cowlings are removed for maintenance. It first flew 31 December 1938 and
crashed three months later. Subsequent Stratoliners received larger tail areas for better spin recovery.

T

his story begins in
May 1934 when the
U.S. Army Air Corps
set up a competition
for a new multiengine, long-range
bomber. The entries
were to be finished and flown to Wright
Field outside of Dayton, Ohio, by
August 1935.
In those days, "multi-engine"
usually meant two engines, maybe
three, but considering the early state
of the arts for engines, Boeing believed
that four engines were necessary for a
truly long-range, heavy bomber. On the
other hand, the Douglas entry had only
two engines and was underpowered.
The Air Corps chose the Boeing
model, designated it "B-17" and
ordered an initial batch of 13.
Maybe what helped to clinch the

38

* T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F I S TAT

The New York Times said the fuselage was so wide it
looked "more like a winged dirigible than an airplane."
deal was when Boeing named it the
"Flying Fortress."
In view of the looming war in
Europe, over time, more and more
B-17s were ordered. To keep up with
demand, many Boeing B-17s were
actually built under license by Douglas
and Lockheed. In total, over 12,700
B-17s were built by Boeing and Douglas
and Lockheed, with the last ones being
delivered in April 1945 as the war in
Europe was ending. Dozens of books
have been written and a few movies
have featured the B-17 - "Memphis
Belle" and "Twelve O'Clock High" come
to mind. However, our story today is

about an early B-17 civilian offspring:
the Boeing 307 Stratoliner.

What Was So Special?
The Stratoliner was not a converted
bomber. While it was built with the very
same wings and tail as the B-17, the
fuselage was much wider. In fact, when
the first Stratoliner was rolled out on
27 December 1938, a reporter from
The New York Times said the fuselage
was so wide it looked "more like a
winged dirigible than an airplane."
It was not only the first four-engine
commercial airliner, but also the first

Photo courtesy of San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM).

AVIATION HISTORY



ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019

ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019
From the President
News & Event Calendar
News & Event Calendar
Perspectives: Q&A With Gerry Laderman
Bracing for Change
An Industry in Transition
The Bedrock of Tomorrow’s Leaders
The Future of Trading
Aviation History: Boeing Stratoliner
Aviation History: Boeing Stratoliner
Appraisal: CF34-8 and RB211-535
Appraisal: CF34-8 and RB211-535
ISTAT Foundation: Q&A With a Grant Recipient
ISTAT Foundation: Q&A With a Grant Recipient
At a Glance: Barbara FitzGerald
What’s Next: ISTAT Flies to Austin, Texas
Advertiser Index
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - Intro
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - Cover2
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 1
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - From the President
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 3
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 4
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 5
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 6
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 7
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - News & Event Calendar
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 9
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - Perspectives: Q&A With Gerry Laderman
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 11
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 12
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 13
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - Bracing for Change
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 15
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 16
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 17
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 18
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 19
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 20
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 21
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 22
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 23
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 24
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 25
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - An Industry in Transition
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 27
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 28
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 29
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - The Bedrock of Tomorrow’s Leaders
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 31
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 32
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 33
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - The Future of Trading
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 35
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 36
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 37
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - Aviation History: Boeing Stratoliner
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 39
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 40
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 41
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 42
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 43
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - Appraisal: CF34-8 and RB211-535
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 45
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 46
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 47
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - ISTAT Foundation: Q&A With a Grant Recipient
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 49
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 50
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 51
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - At a Glance: Barbara FitzGerald
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 53
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - What’s Next: ISTAT Flies to Austin, Texas
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - 55
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - Advertiser Index
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - Cover3
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2019 - Cover4
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