My GI, former WWII glider pilot, father took an English bride after the war. Mother told me later that she had flown across the "pond" to her new home in the USA on board a PAA Stratocruiser in 1946. I love the looks of the old airliners. Being a pilot now for 50+ years, I wish I had gotten to have flown one.
As a model builder who build model aircraft from this time. What's really amazing and awesome about this channel is that you get to see videos of these aircraft when they were brand-new in living vibrant color as opposed to black-and-white photographs that's available online really helps with model builders in research to see exactly what colors were used and the level of shine or policies aircraft had and the amount of weathering these machines had that you cannot gain from black-and-white photographs or videos
My great uncle unfortunately died on a routing sales flight of a 377. A Norwegian airlines was on a pre purchase test flight and Boeing sent a couple of their engineers along to gather some cabin noise level readings. They took off from Boeing field in Seattle Washington. For an unknown reason the pilot ran the plane into Mt Rainer killing everyone on board. My grandfather ( his brother) who also worked for Boeing would never get on any Norwegian airlines until the day he died. RIP Earl Ferguson.
It's amazing that they made roughly 4,000 of the things. And all U.S. WWII airplane production was about 300,000 planes. It's hard to imagine that much production in such a short time. It's just amazing what a group of people, or a country, working as a team can do.
FIFI of the Commemorative Air Force thankfully still gets around. She was in Trenton, New Jersey, several weeks ago and I was privileged to see her again as in 2019. One thing about FIFI is that the aircraft is _much_ bigger in 'person'. Standing out in the broiling sun she throws the only shade for fifty yards. You can walk around FIFI and admire the finish, the placement of the rivets and her powerful engines. It's a real privilege to stand next to this B-29, one of only two still flying.
@@TralfazConstruction Yeah I'd love to see FIFI but I've never had the opportunity. I'll keep track of her appearance schedule. Who knows, maybe I'll luck out!
In the early fifties , when traveling became more widespread , many of these B29 bodies were converted into trailer homes . They were light weigh , air pressured made its frame also water proof . Cut some windows and a few doorways and you have a mobile home . They are making homes out of shipping containers today in the same fashion .
Here's the issue: Tens of thousands of films similar to this one have been lost forever -- destroyed -- and many others are at risk. Our company preserves these precious bits of history one film at a time. How do we afford to do that? By selling them as stock footage to documentary filmmakers and broadcasters. If we did not have a counter, we could not afford to post films like these online, and no films would be preserved. It's that simple. So we ask you to bear with the watermark and timecodes. In the past we tried many different systems including placing our timer at the bottom corner of our videos. What happened? Unscrupulous TH-cam users downloaded our vids, blew them up so the timer was not visible, and re-posted them as their own content! We had to use content control to have the videos removed and shut down these channels. It's hard enough work preserving these films and posting them, without having to spend precious time dealing with policing thievery -- and not what we devoted ourselves to do. Love our channel and want to support what we do? You can help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.
I’m SURE you could afford to move the counter down 5mm. Ridiculous answer. 😂. Besides I’m sure AI can easily remove your obnoxious counter count down black box thing.
Amazing! To me film (especially color film) is more important than a library of written history. Few will read a book; however you can show this to thousands (even millions) of people at a time and they'll watch it. There is far more than just the story of the plane here; look at the navigation by hand, the people smoking in the loung, etc. You can learn a TON of history about many different things when everyday life is recorded. I've preferred Boeing (and Lockheed) all my life; sure I've flown Airbus and they are great too, but if I have a choice, I choose Boeing.
@@royfearn4345 I used to fly enough for work and pleasure that I usually got upgrades. Now that I don’t travel as much I still pay the extra for first class because going to the East Coast from here is to long to be in the sardine can section.
In those days when people traveled, many wore their "Sunday best". And even up into the 1960's some did. Men in suits and women in nice dresses, hats and gloves. The '60s changed cultural standards downward in many respects, in my opinion.
Great contribution to the Apollo program. Airbus used the Guppy to ship parts to final assembly before they modified the A330 into the Beluga transports.
@@EllieMaes-Grandad But they were prepared, just in case, none the less. There was a fear of possible bombings from Germany or Japan, so they didn't take chances.
MY MOUTH HAS BEEN OPEN THE WHOLE TIME OF THIS VIDEO. THE PURE RIDICULOUSNESS OF THIS PLANE. I WAS BORN IN 1943 IN KEY BISCAYNE, FLA. I NEVER SAW THIS PLANE IN MY WHOLE LIFE. TRAVELING AND WATCHING THE SKY'S IN THOSE DAYS, WAS THE LOCKHEED CONSTELLATION.
Fantastic. The overall cleanliness of the decades old celluloid and quality of the colors are nothing short of great. If you worked to clean this up - well done.
An interesting look at the early B-377. Later versions (C-97) had much larger engines (28 cylinders), different nacelles, larger propellers and a taller tail. I rode on a USAF National Guard's airplane from Vietnam to Clark AB, P.I. in 1965. The flight crew were airline pilots. Neat airplane; many of these were tankers (KC-97) to refuel combat aircraft.
What a beautiful aircraft! Wish I'd seen them live.. Wasn't there a Stratofreighter as well? I once saw a huge aircraft in USAF markings over Johannesburg making a low and very loud engine noise, like no aircraft I ever heard before or since. Wonderful!
Today they run around the airport in their pajamas then start fist fights aboard the airplane because someone didn't like being told to "please fasten your seatbelt".
Originally released in 1946, and produced by the same unit Jerry Fairbanks used in producing his "Popular Science" series for Paramount {same narrator- Gayne Whitman}.
We wanted cheap airfares, unfortunately some things had to give to achieve that. Space and comfort are still available but they come with a much higher price tag..
They have the tanker version as a permanent restaurant near the Colo Spgs airport as a KC-97 and another awaiting conversion to the same at Cleveland Hopkins Aprt.
Tha Stratocruiser was a disaster for Boeing. Although it was essentially a double bubble B-29 and should have been a successful airliner, changes to the props and engines in the quest for higher speeds caused too many prop failures and engines separating from the wings. It had one of the worst accident rates of any of the modern prop airliners. Combined with the higher maintenance costs associated with the props and engines and higher fuel costs because of the need for higher speeds, the 377 had a short lifespan in service, with none lasting longer than 10 years in passenger service. They lasted longer as freighters, where flying at lower speeds and altitudes was more to the liking of the 377. Regardless of these issues, the coming of jets, including Boeing's own 707, doomed the 377, even before doing the same to other prop airliners.
I love the 377, got a chance to see the last one outfitted as a water bomber for firefighting in action in Alaska in the mid 90s. I believe there is one left flying for airshows. Unfortunately for the 377 those P&W 4360s engines were extremely troublesome and prone to catching on fire and burning the wing off. They were significantly less reliable than the DC-6 or L-749 Constellation and didn't last long in passenger service. Many were lost in accidents and a few famously disappeared over the Pacific, having suffered likely engine failures. They lasted longer as tankers for the Air Force but with so few surviving and practically no spare engines the 377 and KC-97 were mostly gone by the late 70s while DC-3s, DC-4s, and DC-6s survive and fly to this day.
Interesting to see the pressurised Stratoliner had square windows. The very issue that plagued the DH Comet not so many years later. Well that and a stressed skin that was too weak to do the work demanded of it.
The Comet had to deal with higher pressurisation due to operating altitudes and the rate of climb was faster. The main flaw in the Comet was not square windows; it was the fact that the rivet holes had been punched in the skin rather than drilled out, thereby work hardening the aluminium, making it prone to stress cracking when the plane was at very high altitude, 32000 to 35000 compared to the stratocruiser, typically at 28000 and below.
I was also impressed with the quality of this 74 year old film. The opening credits say that it was shot on Kodachrome and, if correct, that would account for the impressive color quality. I would guess it was shot on 16mm film, because I don't recall Kodak marketing 35mm Kodachrome stock.
@@trainliker100 Thanks, Charles...I never knew that. I used plenty of Kodachrome 35mm film in various still cameras, but never knew it was used for motion picture film as well.
I believe that, like all 35 mm film, Kodachrome was intended originally as motion picture film and subsequently packaged in cartridges for "miniature" still camera use.
This was back when flying was special and the airlines actually cared about their customers... not the flying cattle cars manned by bored prison camp guards they have today. Back when they served REAL food and had REAL service not like today where they might toss you a tiny bag of peanuts if you're lucky. Back then they only hired ATTRACTIVE, SINGLE female stewardesses and they were trained to not only handle the business of flying but to be PLEASANT while doing it and provide top-notch customer service. If they got married they either had to keep it secret from the company or quit because the airlines wanted SINGLE young women. Not like nowadays when most of them are ugly as a bag of rocks or 4x4-- four foot high and four foot wide, and about as friendly as a p!ssed on rattlesnake... Later! OL J R :)
While a technological marvel, the Stratocruiser was a commercial flop. Higher operating costs compared to the DC-7 and Constellation put it at a huge disadvantage. Also with the change in air travel from luxury accommodations to economical density seating offset its advantages. Then jets changed the entire landscape.
Yet in spite of all that, it lasted barely 10 years in service with the major airlines. But one can see here many of the details of the cabins that we still experience today. I remember the KC-97 version in the USAF in the 1960s flying out of Canadian Forces Base Namao just north of Edmonton Alberta. My dad was a Canadian Air Force mechanic and serviced a lot of the ground equipment used for the USAF KC-97. To this day that base is still used by the USAF on flights between the lower 48 and Alaska, mainly for emergencies. The 377s shown here look just like the KC-97. I noticed an assembly on the tail where the refueling boom would go. Maybe here it was a skid to prevent tail damage from tail strikes.
Absolutely amazing state of the art technology then. She was the 747 of the times, the Queen of the Skies. Post WW II America's future was looking bright indeed! And of we just had to involved Korea. America always needs a good war to maintain it's economy and control population growth.
You are science education original God bless you you made things wonderful good useful make human life happy keep your science from destroyed strangers rude savagery ❤
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In 1953 as a baby I flew on a Stratocruiser from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor. I have a certificate and and Wings that a Flight attendant gave my mother for me.
The production Stratocruiser is powered by 4360's, and they share the same lighter, and stronger wing, along with the B-50 style fin, but the XC-97's use the B-29's wings, and tail; with the tail gunner's compartment blanked off, and were powered by 3350's.
Here's the issue: Tens of thousands of films similar to this one have been lost forever -- destroyed -- and many others are at risk. Our company preserves these precious bits of history one film at a time. How do we afford to do that? By selling them as stock footage to documentary filmmakers and broadcasters. If we did not have a counter, we could not afford to post films like these online, and no films would be preserved. It's that simple. So we ask you to bear with the watermark and timecodes. In the past we tried many different systems including placing our timer at the bottom corner of our videos. What happened? Unscrupulous TH-cam users downloaded our vids, blew them up so the timer was not visible, and re-posted them as their own content! We had to use content control to have the videos removed and shut down these channels. It's hard enough work preserving these films and posting them, without having to spend precious time dealing with policing thievery -- and not what we devoted ourselves to do. Love our channel and want to support what we do? You can help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.
SO interesting to see these early B-29-style engine nacelles versus the production versions where the engine is close-cowled with the separate set-back intake. Definitely makes it look older - like a previous generation of aircraft. But yeah, as per many of the comments, not super-successful and maintenance nightmares. I think Boeing made up for it with the 707, though....... 😉
There is a strut under the rear fuselage that seems to prevent tail strikes from over rotation. It is also shown in all the cruising altitude video. Does anyone know why is wasn't retractable?
As a kid of 6, I flew to Honolulu with my Dad in the Stratocruiser. What a comfortable and big airplane it was to me. We didn't have the bed or berth but the seats were as comfortable as can be and I went downstairs into the lounge with my Dad. We had soft drinks. If I can remember right, it took about 9 hours from LA. Now, thanks to Boeing's deceit and attempted cover-up of the 737MAX debacle and former CEO Muilenburg, I will not fly any Boeing aircraft built since he became part of the company. No telling what else he may have omitted or lied about in trying to cut costs and cut corners. Boeing used to be the best.
''Ice Follies of 1945'' billboard ads on the sides of the REA trucks at [9:07] would have been current when the film was shot. So 1945, released '46. Railway Express Agency was once like UPS and FEDEX, huge. They folded in 1975 since their operation was dependent on the rail system, and interstate trucking and air cargo killed them.
Back in the day, air travel was luxury: people dressed up for air travel and was served real food, expensive liquor and they even served a meal to coach passengers! Compared to flying today, it was a luxury.
Interesting film, but unfortunate that the original short tailed R3350 powered XC-97 is featured in the film scenes instead of the tall tailed R4360 powered B-377. Probably due to the date of the film production and it is titled “Tomorrow’s” airplane…
I never realised that dreadful expression, "de-plane" was so old. It was only introduced to the UK in the nineties. Before that time, the word, "disembark" was used.
I thought "de-plane" originated on TV's Fantasy Island. In the shows opening, a midget with a speech impediment yells "de plane, de plane" as an airplane approaches.
@@jrc8466 He didn't have a speech impediment, Herve Villechaize (sp?) was French and spoke with a very heavy accent his entire life. He featured prominently in the Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun" and of course in "Fantasy Island" with Ricardo Montalban. His catchphrase was in the opener of every week's episode as the twin engine seaplane carrying the guest stars for that week's shows would loop over the island before landing-- "Boss, Boss!!! De PLANE!!! De PLANE!!!" LOL:) Great show they don't make them like that anymore... OL J R :)
Pretty snazzy beast but it just didn't sell. Thankfully Boeing never gave up on the commercial segment, going on to produce a line of iconic passenger transports that went unchallenged until Airbus attained critical mass starting in the 80's.
With all due respect to Boeing I have to point out that the B-17 & 29 were not immediately the reliable, indestructible, and technically superior aircraft that this film portrays, the prototype B-17 crashed and was destroyed early in testing, the armament and armour were insufficient and the loss ratio in the ETO was so bad that the 8th airforce nearly stopped daylight operations, and the B-29 was unreliable in almost every respect, how many ran out of fuel and ditched, how many had the armament stripped out to extend the range, how many crashed due to technical problems?, no, the two aircraft were not immediately legendary, they became legendary. There are promotional films that don’t quite tell the whole story, and then there’s this one.
Generaly you are correct, however the prototype did not crash because of a fault in the aircraft. It crashed because the crew did not remove the gust locks on the controls. So pilot error.
@@massmike11 I stand corrected, thanks you, just learned something new. Were the gust locks external or integral to the flying controls?, I ask because it seems strange that they didn’t feel a restriction when they did a full and free range of movement check as part of the pre start or taxi checklist.
Its reliability was poor, chiefly due to problems with the four 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines and structural and control problems with their propellers. Only 55 Model 377s were built for airlines, along with the single prototype. Lots of crashes.
When I was 5 years old in 1955 I crossed the Atlantic in one of these. A couple hours out of Goose Bay an engine caught fire and we had to turn back. After about 12 hours on the runway in Labrador we tried again. Somewhat more than half way the engine caught fire again. The fire was extinguished and we went on to Shannon Ireland on 3 engines. My father (a WWII pilot) was so outraged he never took us anywhere on an airplane again.
The truth is, is that most B-29 crews were more frightened of take-offs than flying over enemy territory such was the prepensity of those engines to fail at full power.
Maybe it was a flop but it sure was an interesting plane. It was far more efficient than a jet. It was fast enough even for travel today. With advanced props perhaps they will build something similar in the future. They can skill the radial engines though.
amazing aircraft really. however the model shown n the movie clip has no major P&W engines as it is said but the Wright duplex cyclone which were originally used in the air force cargo plane which was the origin of this civil version airplane. The major proved to be troublesome and very expensive to maintain, but it was chosen at the request of PanAm president at the time. Because of that the plane wasn't profitable without heavy subsidies. Possibly, if the wright engines would have been kept the aircraft had been more successful.
I was a passenger aboard several Stratocruisers. I was just a kid but the Stratocruiser was the first time i was on a plane. They weren't a success, between the engines and the propellers failing. See Pan American flight 6 for an example. I loved flying aboard Stratocruisers, but I believe 11 of the 56 Stratocruisers made were lost.
The double bubble fuselage design was a patented Curtiss Wright design. Boeing had to pay patent rights to use it. The Dash-80, KC-135, 707, 727, 737, and 757 all use this double bubble design.
NEED TO GO BACK TO OLD SCHOOL. BOEING FAMILY BE UPSET NOW WITH QUALITY CONTROL.. 2. COMPANIES MD- BOEING MERGER NEVER SHOULD HAPPENED😢. .MYFATHER WOULD BE VERY VERY UPSET ON BOEING.... WORKED THERE FOR 52. YEARS. BOEING NOW IS NOT THE SAME AS OLD. SCHOOL😢😢😢 BOEING
This was the golden age of flying. Not like today, where your only hope of a decent flight is to pay for an exorbitant first-class ticket. Otherwise, you are forced to sit with the scum in steerage. If you ever want to witness the absolute worst cross-section of American mediocrity, book a 4 hour plus flight in coach and sit with all the scum. It's an experience you won't soon forget.
That does it! The next time I need to buy a new fleet of airliners, I’m choosing the Stratocruiser!
I love chainsaw too 372xp 7310 572 501p 620p an 1 top handle cs3000
@@sundial6919 How odd, I was about to post the same reply!
I want that state of the art 247!
"Yes, Boeing has always built tomorrow's air crash today". Great quote!
My GI, former WWII glider pilot, father took an English bride after the war. Mother told me later that she had flown across the "pond" to her new home in the USA on board a PAA Stratocruiser in 1946. I love the looks of the old airliners. Being a pilot now for 50+ years, I wish I had gotten to have flown one.
We flew across the pond on one in 1957.
I always get a kick out of the ‘smoking lounge’. 😆. Those were different times to be sure.
I love the way the customer is treated as a costumer and not livestock or freight !
They were known as the best 3 engine aircraft flyiñg across the Atlantic
As a model builder who build model aircraft from this time. What's really amazing and awesome about this channel is that you get to see videos of these aircraft when they were brand-new in living vibrant color as opposed to black-and-white photographs that's available online really helps with model builders in research to see exactly what colors were used and the level of shine or policies aircraft had and the amount of weathering these machines had that you cannot gain from black-and-white photographs or videos
My great uncle unfortunately died on a routing sales flight of a 377. A Norwegian airlines was on a pre purchase test flight and Boeing sent a couple of their engineers along to gather some cabin noise level readings. They took off from Boeing field in Seattle Washington. For an unknown reason the pilot ran the plane into Mt Rainer killing everyone on board. My grandfather ( his brother) who also worked for Boeing would never get on any Norwegian airlines until the day he died. RIP Earl Ferguson.
I was just at Mt Rainier. Didn't see the crash site, unfortunately.
Seeing those B 29's lined up on the airfield is amazing. So few exist these days.
It's amazing that they made roughly 4,000 of the things. And all U.S. WWII airplane production was about 300,000 planes. It's hard to imagine that much production in such a short time. It's just amazing what a group of people, or a country, working as a team can do.
FIFI of the Commemorative Air Force thankfully still gets around. She was in Trenton, New Jersey, several weeks ago and I was privileged to see her again as in 2019. One thing about FIFI is that the aircraft is _much_ bigger in 'person'. Standing out in the broiling sun she throws the only shade for fifty yards. You can walk around FIFI and admire the finish, the placement of the rivets and her powerful engines. It's a real privilege to stand next to this B-29, one of only two still flying.
@@TralfazConstruction Yeah I'd love to see FIFI but I've never had the opportunity. I'll keep track of her appearance schedule. Who knows, maybe I'll luck out!
@@michaelfisher7170 I hope that you do. The sooner the better.
In the early fifties , when traveling became more widespread , many of these B29 bodies were converted into trailer homes . They were light weigh , air pressured made its frame also water proof . Cut some windows and a few doorways and you have a mobile home . They are making homes out of shipping containers today in the same fashion .
I’m proud to say that I helped make parts for the restoration of Doc.
It's funny to see the DC-3s in the background. This acft is gone yet the venerable DC-3 is still flying. Now there sure turboprop versions available.
The last cargo versions of the 377 went out of service in the early 2000s
It would be nice if you all could move the counter box down or make it see through.
Here's the issue: Tens of thousands of films similar to this one have been lost forever -- destroyed -- and many others are at risk. Our company preserves these precious bits of history one film at a time. How do we afford to do that? By selling them as stock footage to documentary filmmakers and broadcasters. If we did not have a counter, we could not afford to post films like these online, and no films would be preserved. It's that simple. So we ask you to bear with the watermark and timecodes.
In the past we tried many different systems including placing our timer at the bottom corner of our videos. What happened? Unscrupulous TH-cam users downloaded our vids, blew them up so the timer was not visible, and re-posted them as their own content! We had to use content control to have the videos removed and shut down these channels. It's hard enough work preserving these films and posting them, without having to spend precious time dealing with policing thievery -- and not what we devoted ourselves to do.
Love our channel and want to support what we do? You can help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.
I’m SURE you could afford to move the counter down 5mm. Ridiculous answer. 😂. Besides I’m sure AI can easily remove your obnoxious counter count down black box thing.
I remember those days when coffee was served in coffee cups and FOOD saw served on plates.
Amazing! To me film (especially color film) is more important than a library of written history. Few will read a book; however you can show this to thousands (even millions) of people at a time and they'll watch it. There is far more than just the story of the plane here; look at the navigation by hand, the people smoking in the loung, etc. You can learn a TON of history about many different things when everyday life is recorded. I've preferred Boeing (and Lockheed) all my life; sure I've flown Airbus and they are great too, but if I have a choice, I choose Boeing.
Wish we had that legroom nowadays.
We now have plenty of room. But for just one leg at a time. And you have to walk sidewise.
You CAN get enough space. Simply take our a second mortgage and upgrade from sardine scum class to boris class. On second thoughts...
There were definitely good perks to flying in an old airplane.
@@royfearn4345 I used to fly enough for work and pleasure that I usually got upgrades. Now that I don’t travel as much I still pay the extra for first class because going to the East Coast from here is to long to be in the sardine can section.
Back then air travel cost 10 times as much as it does now
In those days when people traveled, many wore their "Sunday best". And even up into the 1960's some did. Men in suits and women in nice dresses, hats and gloves.
The '60s changed cultural standards downward in many respects, in my opinion.
Hippies virus was introduced unfortunately
This is what the Super Guppy was made from, to transport Apollo stages.
Great contribution to the Apollo program. Airbus used the Guppy to ship parts to final assembly before they modified the A330 into the Beluga transports.
Impressive how they camouflaged a vast factory under a town and parks landscape (0:46).
Quite pointless though . . . . Unlike factories in Britain, nobody was going to fly over it and drop bombs . . .
@@EllieMaes-Grandad But they were prepared, just in case, none the less. There was a fear of possible bombings from Germany or Japan, so they didn't take chances.
@@Carstuff111 Prepared, yes; OTT, certainly. The Germans wanted to hit the Big Apple, but couldn't. 9/11 was by aircraft from the US . . .
Let's hear it for good old Yankee ingenuity
They look almost identical to Google's 3D Earth view imagery
MY MOUTH HAS BEEN OPEN THE WHOLE TIME OF THIS VIDEO. THE PURE RIDICULOUSNESS OF THIS PLANE. I WAS BORN IN 1943 IN KEY BISCAYNE, FLA. I NEVER SAW THIS PLANE IN MY WHOLE LIFE. TRAVELING AND WATCHING THE SKY'S IN THOSE DAYS, WAS THE LOCKHEED CONSTELLATION.
Good day folks... beautifull times... thank you for post... greetings from Bridgetown...
How's Holetown?
Fantastic. The overall cleanliness of the decades old celluloid and quality of the colors are nothing short of great. If you worked to clean this up - well done.
That would most likely be Kodachrome. It is amazingly stable. It is probably the most stable longest lasting film with great color and resolution.
This and the B-29 were such beautiful machines!
Went from the comforts of flying to packed in like sardines, and getting your ass beat if you refuse to give up your seat. We’ve come a long way Baby.
Yes sir we've come a long way to understand that it's best to live, work and play at a nice place where you don't have to fly away from.
That's for sure. And back then, you didn't have to worry about scum being on the plane with you. Not like today where coach = scum central.
An interesting look at the early B-377. Later versions (C-97) had much larger engines (28 cylinders), different nacelles, larger propellers and a taller tail. I rode on a USAF National Guard's airplane from Vietnam to Clark AB, P.I. in 1965. The flight crew were airline pilots. Neat airplane; many of these were tankers (KC-97) to refuel combat aircraft.
Back then the airlines said build us the best damn airplane you can. Today it is build the best darn plane for the money.
I had the 0pertunity to ride in the jump seat on a C97 cargo version when I was in the National Gaurd coming back from Ft Sill. Nice!
Wow, I did not know that, at some point in history, flying commercial was enjoyable!
What a beautiful aircraft! Wish I'd seen them live..
Wasn't there a Stratofreighter as well? I once saw a huge aircraft in USAF markings over Johannesburg making a low and very loud engine noise, like no aircraft I ever heard before or since.
Wonderful!
People dressing up for travel. Nice.
Today they run around the airport in their pajamas then start fist fights aboard the airplane because someone didn't like being told to "please fasten your seatbelt".
They were idiots. They dressed up to go to the neighbors to play cards.
Originally released in 1946, and produced by the same unit Jerry Fairbanks used in producing his "Popular Science" series for Paramount {same narrator- Gayne Whitman}.
They say the best info is in the comments. I was wondering where I had heard that voice with the transatlantic accent. Thanks and cheers!
You're welcome!
Well thank you Barry for that nugget of historical info.
You're VERY welcome!
You're VERY welcome!
Love the Music ,flew on a Stratocruiser as a child of six it was huge to me never forget it
Today is july 2021......i just got off an airbus with 160 people crammed in.. .....no meals or bed 🇺🇸...
But you arrived in 1/3 the time, and with a MUCH lower risk of dying in a crash. Still want to trade? :)
We wanted cheap airfares, unfortunately some things had to give to achieve that. Space and comfort are still available but they come with a much higher price tag..
They have the tanker version as a permanent restaurant near the Colo Spgs airport as a KC-97 and another awaiting conversion to the same at Cleveland Hopkins Aprt.
I want to fly on one of those :)
you can what can you do?
No, you don't.
Love your work!
Tha Stratocruiser was a disaster for Boeing. Although it was essentially a double bubble B-29 and should have been a successful airliner, changes to the props and engines in the quest for higher speeds caused too many prop failures and engines separating from the wings. It had one of the worst accident rates of any of the modern prop airliners. Combined with the higher maintenance costs associated with the props and engines and higher fuel costs because of the need for higher speeds, the 377 had a short lifespan in service, with none lasting longer than 10 years in passenger service. They lasted longer as freighters, where flying at lower speeds and altitudes was more to the liking of the 377. Regardless of these issues, the coming of jets, including Boeing's own 707, doomed the 377, even before doing the same to other prop airliners.
The Strat killed a lot of people.
Boeing made it up big time with the number sold of C-97 and KC-97, over 700 built. Same basic a/c in a cargo version.
Boeing doesn’t care about safety, profit is number one
B-29 > B-50 > C-97 > 377
@@LC-jy8mj Does it hurt to be this stupid?
Amazing, this vid seems to make war almost festive.
I love the 377, got a chance to see the last one outfitted as a water bomber for firefighting in action in Alaska in the mid 90s. I believe there is one left flying for airshows. Unfortunately for the 377 those P&W 4360s engines were extremely troublesome and prone to catching on fire and burning the wing off. They were significantly less reliable than the DC-6 or L-749 Constellation and didn't last long in passenger service. Many were lost in accidents and a few famously disappeared over the Pacific, having suffered likely engine failures. They lasted longer as tankers for the Air Force but with so few surviving and practically no spare engines the 377 and KC-97 were mostly gone by the late 70s while DC-3s, DC-4s, and DC-6s survive and fly to this day.
Interesting to see the pressurised Stratoliner had square windows. The very issue that plagued the DH Comet not so many years later. Well that and a stressed skin that was too weak to do the work demanded of it.
The Comet had to deal with higher pressurisation due to operating altitudes and the rate of climb was faster. The main flaw in the Comet was not square windows; it was the fact that the rivet holes had been punched in the skin rather than drilled out, thereby work hardening the aluminium, making it prone to stress cracking when the plane was at very high altitude, 32000 to 35000 compared to the stratocruiser, typically at 28000 and below.
The Comet windows were squarish but had rounded corners. Forget the windows myth
I was also impressed with the quality of this 74 year old film. The opening credits say that it was shot on Kodachrome and, if correct, that would account for the impressive color quality. I would guess it was shot on 16mm film, because I don't recall Kodak marketing 35mm Kodachrome stock.
Kodak did make 35mm Kodachrome movie film. It was marketed only through the Technicolor Corporation.
@@trainliker100 Thanks, Charles...I never knew that. I used plenty of Kodachrome 35mm film in various still cameras, but never knew it was used for motion picture film as well.
I believe that, like all 35 mm film, Kodachrome was intended originally as motion picture film and subsequently packaged in cartridges for "miniature" still camera use.
@@cristianabarsuglia629 Kodachrome was originally produced as movie film, but 16 mm. Then 8 mm. Only later as 35 mm for still and movies.
Did the airplane shown @ 6:05 - 6:30 have 3350's on it? Looks like the identical nacelle of the B-29.
WOW! I can't wait to see one of those!
12:01 “Sky Leviathan”
A380: What a cute little puppy
Can we upgrade to the flight attendants in the film? They don't seem to despise their customers.
This was back when flying was special and the airlines actually cared about their customers... not the flying cattle cars manned by bored prison camp guards they have today. Back when they served REAL food and had REAL service not like today where they might toss you a tiny bag of peanuts if you're lucky. Back then they only hired ATTRACTIVE, SINGLE female stewardesses and they were trained to not only handle the business of flying but to be PLEASANT while doing it and provide top-notch customer service. If they got married they either had to keep it secret from the company or quit because the airlines wanted SINGLE young women. Not like nowadays when most of them are ugly as a bag of rocks or 4x4-- four foot high and four foot wide, and about as friendly as a p!ssed on rattlesnake...
Later! OL J R :)
@@lukestrawwalker ROTFLMAO.....so true! 🤣
I've flown in the Army no way you'd be falling asleep think about it
I slept on the best of them
It was a great design
While a technological marvel, the Stratocruiser was a commercial flop. Higher operating costs compared to the DC-7 and Constellation put it at a huge disadvantage. Also with the change in air travel from luxury accommodations to economical density seating offset its advantages. Then jets changed the entire landscape.
Yet in spite of all that, it lasted barely 10 years in service with the major airlines. But one can see here many of the details of the cabins that we still experience today. I remember the KC-97 version in the USAF in the 1960s flying out of Canadian Forces Base Namao just north of Edmonton Alberta. My dad was a Canadian Air Force mechanic and serviced a lot of the ground equipment used for the USAF KC-97.
To this day that base is still used by the USAF on flights between the lower 48 and Alaska, mainly for emergencies.
The 377s shown here look just like the KC-97. I noticed an assembly on the tail where the refueling boom would go. Maybe here it was a skid to prevent tail damage from tail strikes.
The airport runways have been closed since 1994 and it's now an army base, CFB Edmonton.
cool.
looks a bit like the saunders roe princess also
Absolutely amazing state of the art technology then.
She was the 747 of the times, the Queen of the Skies. Post WW II America's future was looking bright indeed! And of we just had to involved Korea. America always needs a good war to maintain it's economy and control population growth.
You are science education original God bless you you made things wonderful good useful make human life happy keep your science from destroyed strangers rude savagery ❤
Great vlog! How many 377 was made? 55? How many KC-97 was made? Almost 900? Still an awesome plane!
Love this.
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In 1953 as a baby I flew on a Stratocruiser from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor. I have a certificate and and Wings that a Flight attendant gave my mother for me.
I’ll take your entire stock! 😵💫
The production Stratocruiser is powered by 4360's, and they share the same lighter, and stronger wing, along with the B-50 style fin, but the XC-97's use the B-29's wings, and tail; with the tail gunner's compartment blanked off, and were powered by 3350's.
It's just a civilian version of the B-29. It was also the basis C-97 Stratofreighter and KC-97 Stratotanker. Not a pretty aircraft, IMO.
More correct to say the Stratocruiser was a civilian version of the C-97, which was derived from the B-50, which was a re-engined B-29.
@@jacksons1010 good point.
Yes, the thing looks like an aluminium slug.
I want one !
Passengers quietly boarding. No crowded seats. No seat numbers. My how times change. Now air travel is a blood sport.
Notice how people dressed up to fly it was a big Deal back then now you are treated like cattle
That's for sure. And if you are unfortunate enough to have a coach seat assignment, you will be surrounded by scum as well.
Why is the counter thing so huge? its massively distracting!
Here's the issue: Tens of thousands of films similar to this one have been lost forever -- destroyed -- and many others are at risk. Our company preserves these precious bits of history one film at a time. How do we afford to do that? By selling them as stock footage to documentary filmmakers and broadcasters. If we did not have a counter, we could not afford to post films like these online, and no films would be preserved. It's that simple. So we ask you to bear with the watermark and timecodes.
In the past we tried many different systems including placing our timer at the bottom corner of our videos. What happened? Unscrupulous TH-cam users downloaded our vids, blew them up so the timer was not visible, and re-posted them as their own content! We had to use content control to have the videos removed and shut down these channels. It's hard enough work preserving these films and posting them, without having to spend precious time dealing with policing thievery -- and not what we devoted ourselves to do.
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What year was this picture produced?
1946 -- you can see it clipped, at the bottom, at the start
SO interesting to see these early B-29-style engine nacelles versus the production versions where the engine is close-cowled with the separate set-back intake. Definitely makes it look older - like a previous generation of aircraft. But yeah, as per many of the comments, not super-successful and maintenance nightmares. I think Boeing made up for it with the 707, though....... 😉
There is a strut under the rear fuselage that seems to prevent tail strikes from over rotation. It is also shown in all the cruising altitude video. Does anyone know why is wasn't retractable?
Cost?
As a kid of 6, I flew to Honolulu with my Dad in the Stratocruiser. What a comfortable and big airplane it was to me. We didn't have the bed or berth but the seats were as comfortable as can be and I went downstairs into the lounge with my Dad. We had soft drinks. If I can remember right, it took about 9 hours from LA. Now, thanks to Boeing's deceit and attempted cover-up of the 737MAX debacle and former CEO Muilenburg, I will not fly any Boeing aircraft built since he became part of the company. No telling what else he may have omitted or lied about in trying to cut costs and cut corners. Boeing used to be the best.
The PT6 turboprop on a 377 stratocruiser would be frikin awesome also I love the max
Good idea but I don’t think the pt-6 has enough power. Maybe the engines from the C-139?
Unless I missed it....what year is this?
The copyright is on the opening credits - 1946.
''Ice Follies of 1945'' billboard ads on the sides of the REA trucks at [9:07] would have been current when the film was shot. So 1945, released '46. Railway Express Agency was once like UPS and FEDEX, huge. They folded in 1975 since their operation was dependent on the rail system, and interstate trucking and air cargo killed them.
This word “luxury “ they use multiple times describing air travel……what does it mean?
. . . . more expensive than 'coach' on a train [never mind a bus!].
Back in the day, air travel was luxury: people dressed up for air travel and was served real food, expensive liquor and they even served a meal to coach passengers! Compared to flying today, it was a luxury.
Interesting film, but unfortunate that the original short tailed R3350 powered XC-97 is featured in the film scenes instead of the tall tailed R4360 powered B-377. Probably due to the date of the film production and it is titled “Tomorrow’s” airplane…
Too bad they couldn't claim the Douglas DC3... Truly THE groundbreaking commercial passenger aircraft..
America before twerking.
I never realised that dreadful expression, "de-plane" was so old. It was only introduced to the UK in the nineties. Before that time, the word, "disembark" was used.
Marginally better than, "We're here. Get out."
I thought "de-plane" originated on TV's Fantasy Island. In the shows opening, a midget with a speech impediment yells "de plane, de plane" as an airplane approaches.
@@jrc8466 He didn't have a speech impediment, Herve Villechaize (sp?) was French and spoke with a very heavy accent his entire life. He featured prominently in the Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun" and of course in "Fantasy Island" with Ricardo Montalban. His catchphrase was in the opener of every week's episode as the twin engine seaplane carrying the guest stars for that week's shows would loop over the island before landing-- "Boss, Boss!!! De PLANE!!! De PLANE!!!" LOL:) Great show they don't make them like that anymore... OL J R :)
Pretty snazzy beast but it just didn't sell. Thankfully Boeing never gave up on the commercial segment, going on to produce a line of iconic passenger transports that went unchallenged until Airbus attained critical mass starting in the 80's.
Never as safe as B707 ended up being. Bomber after all.
I think that's what I just flew from Portland to Phoenix
With all due respect to Boeing I have to point out that the B-17 & 29 were not immediately the reliable, indestructible, and technically superior aircraft that this film portrays, the prototype B-17 crashed and was destroyed early in testing, the armament and armour were insufficient and the loss ratio in the ETO was so bad that the 8th airforce nearly stopped daylight operations, and the B-29 was unreliable in almost every respect, how many ran out of fuel and ditched, how many had the armament stripped out to extend the range, how many crashed due to technical problems?, no, the two aircraft were not immediately legendary, they became legendary. There are promotional films that don’t quite tell the whole story, and then there’s this one.
Generaly you are correct, however the prototype did not crash because of a fault in the aircraft. It crashed because the crew did not remove the gust locks on the controls. So pilot error.
@@massmike11 I stand corrected, thanks you, just learned something new. Were the gust locks external or integral to the flying controls?, I ask because it seems strange that they didn’t feel a restriction when they did a full and free range of movement check as part of the pre start or taxi checklist.
Meals on plates, a bar, smoking, no seatbelts. Safety was very low on the list of amenities! The good old days.
Its reliability was poor, chiefly due to problems with the four 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines and structural and control problems with their propellers. Only 55 Model 377s were built for airlines, along with the single prototype. Lots of crashes.
When I was 5 years old in 1955 I crossed the Atlantic in one of these. A couple hours out of Goose Bay an engine caught fire and we had to turn back. After about 12 hours on the runway in Labrador we tried again. Somewhat more than half way the engine caught fire again. The fire was extinguished and we went on to Shannon Ireland on 3 engines. My father (a WWII pilot) was so outraged he never took us anywhere on an airplane again.
@@kennethhoover2748 That is an amazing story. Many crashed, and many military versions crashed with great loss of life.
The truth is, is that most B-29 crews were more frightened of take-offs than flying over enemy territory such was the prepensity of those engines to fail at full power.
Maybe it was a flop but it sure was an interesting plane. It was far more efficient than a jet. It was fast enough even for travel today. With advanced props perhaps they will build something similar in the future. They can skill the radial engines though.
the Commemorative Air Force would love to get their hands on a few of these to crash them at an air show
Looks like a C 97 to me with fancy seats
737 max in 2020 imma make my mark today!
amazing aircraft really. however the model shown n the movie clip has no major P&W engines as it is said but the Wright duplex cyclone which were originally used in the air force cargo plane which was the origin of this civil version airplane. The major proved to be troublesome and very expensive to maintain, but it was chosen at the request of PanAm president at the time. Because of that the plane wasn't profitable without heavy subsidies. Possibly, if the wright engines would have been kept the aircraft had been more successful.
We take longer today with jets to go the same distance
I was a passenger aboard several Stratocruisers. I was just a kid but the Stratocruiser was the first time i was on a plane. They weren't a success, between the engines and the propellers failing. See Pan American flight 6 for an example. I loved flying aboard Stratocruisers, but I believe 11 of the 56 Stratocruisers made were lost.
Book me a seat. One way to Southern California
The days when people dressed smartly to go on a flight.
I had to "Wiki" this thing. Boeing built a whopping 56 of these guppies, but he against the Connie..
Enough said
.
Richard Branson was heard to say 😂.
These lovely planes used to crash rather regularly, no?
why they haven't painted planes back then?
Interesting. But I found the numbers countdown annoying.
The double bubble fuselage design was a patented Curtiss Wright design. Boeing had to pay patent rights to use it. The Dash-80, KC-135, 707, 727, 737, and 757 all use this double bubble design.
NEED TO GO BACK TO OLD SCHOOL. BOEING FAMILY BE UPSET NOW WITH QUALITY CONTROL.. 2. COMPANIES MD- BOEING MERGER NEVER SHOULD HAPPENED😢. .MYFATHER WOULD BE VERY VERY UPSET ON BOEING.... WORKED THERE FOR 52. YEARS. BOEING NOW IS NOT THE SAME AS OLD. SCHOOL😢😢😢 BOEING
The DC3 beat the crap out of the 247!
Pe america o durea exact la kalbasan !
This was the golden age of flying. Not like today, where your only hope of a decent flight is to pay for an exorbitant first-class ticket. Otherwise, you are forced to sit with the scum in steerage. If you ever want to witness the absolute worst cross-section of American mediocrity, book a 4 hour plus flight in coach and sit with all the scum. It's an experience you won't soon forget.
Why was everyone here 4hrs ago
All I can say is this guy must have been super busy; one hears him on a ton of old advertisements, etc..
Not a very pretty airplane. Also, not many windows?
They hadn't made the passenger version yet when the movie was made, they only had the transport version with few windows flying.
That was when Boeing was run by engineers.
14:55 I know that guy. I can’t stand that guy.
It's too bad Boeing isn't what it used to be, the damn bean counters are hurting the company.
Boeing went downhill when they moved HQ from Seattle to Chicago. A stupid move away from the primary production hub.