UP , UP AND AWAY : A LOOK INTO TWA ’ S FLEET
BOEING 307 STRATOLINER
TWA branded its Boeing 307s with the names of American Indian tribes — Comanche , Cherokee , Zuni , Navajo , and Apache . The airline flew its first Stratoliner commercial flight on July 8 , 1940 , with a route from New York to Los Angeles . Despite stopping in Chicago , Kansas City , and Albuquerque , the flight cut two hours from the DC-3 ’ s transcontinental time .
PROCTOR-LIVESEY-THOMAS COLLECTION
LOCKHEED L-049 CONSTELLATION
After World War II , the Lockheed Constellation came into its own as a fast civilian airliner . Aircraft already in production for the US Army Air Force as C-69 transports were finished as civilian airliners . TWA ’ s first scheduled Constellation service operated from New York to Paris on February 5 , 1946 .
PROCTOR-LIVESEY-THOMAS COLLECTION
LOCKHEED L-1049 SUPER CONSTELLATION
Lockheed ’ s continued development of the Constellation wrought the stretched L-1049 . The production version of the L-1049 ended up with a strengthened fuselage , stiffened outer wing panels , and rectangular windows in place of the Constellation ’ s round ones . TWA eventually operated 47 Super Constellations , including the L-1049G and L-1049H models .
JON PROCTOR COLLECTION VIA TOM LIVESEY
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