Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
Encyclopedia
The Boeing 377, also called the Stratocruiser, was a large long range airliner which was built after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter
C-97 Stratofreighter
The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long range heavy military cargo aircraft based on the B-29 bomber. Design work began in 1942, with the prototype's first flight being on 9 November 1944, and the first production aircraft entered service in 1947. Between 1947 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several...
, a military derivative of the B-29 Superfortress used for troop transport. The Stratocruiser's first flight was on July 8, 1947.
Released in the late-1940s, the aircraft was powered by four piston engine
Reciprocating engine
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common features of all types...
s, driving tractor
Tractor configuration
thumb|right|[[Evektor-Aerotechnik|Aerotechnik EV97A Eurostar]], a tractor configuration aircraft, being pulled into position by its pilot for refuelling....
propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
s. The aircraft had surprisingly low fuel consumption for the era and was able to cruise at about 32,000 feet. It also had a pressurized cabin
Cabin pressurization
Cabin pressurization is the pumping of compressed air into an aircraft cabin to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for crew and passengers when flying at altitude.-Need for cabin pressurization:...
, which was a relatively new feature to transport aircraft at the time. At cruising altitude the cabin altitude was 5500 ft (1,676.4 m).
Airlines were able to make transoceanic flights easier and faster with the new aircraft, which enabled easier international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
travel. The aircraft often made transoceanic flights to places like Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
that were much harder to get to before it. Nevertheless, they did not have great reliability (chiefly due to chronic problems with the extremely complex 28-cylinder R-4360 engines and the associated propellers), and only 56 were built for airlines.
The aircraft also had two decks. The upper deck was for economy class customers, while the lower was a VIP lounge and bar. Passengers could walk down and get a drink on the long flights, once the plane leveled off at cruising altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
. Most Stratocruisers had economy seats on both decks.
When jet airliners were introduced in the late 1950s, propeller planes such as the Stratocruiser became uncompetitive for major airlines, and many were sold off to feeder lines. Others scrapped, while some were converted by Aero Spacelines
Aero Spacelines
Aero Spacelines, Inc. was a United States aircraft manufacturer which made a name for itself by converting Boeing 377 Stratocruisers into the famous Guppy line of airplanes re-engineered solely for transporting over-sized cargo.- History :...
to Guppys, which were versions of the Stratocruiser with an enlarged fuselage and turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
s. One version, the Super Guppy, was used by Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
to transport aircraft parts between factories, since replaced with Airbus Beluga
Airbus Beluga
-External links:*...
s.
Design and development
Like the C-97, the 377 was developed towards the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by adapting an enlarged upper fuselage onto the lower fuselage and wings, which were essentially the same as those of the B-50 Superfortress
B-50 Superfortress
The Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber was a post-World War II revision of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, fitted with more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, stronger structure, a taller fin, and other improvements. It was the last piston-engined bomber designed by Boeing for...
, the high-performance evolution of the B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
bomber. The 377 was larger and longer-ranged than the Lockheed Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
and Douglas DC-6
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
, with nonstop transatlantic range eastbound, but the P&W R-4360 Wasp Major engines proved uneconomical, with production ending in 1950.
The "inverted-figure-8" double-deck fuselage design provided 6,600 ft³ (187 m³) of interior space where the lower deck had a smaller diameter than the upper deck. It offered seating for over 100 passengers, or sleeping berths for up to 28 berthed and five seated passengers. It first flew on July 8, 1947. It had the speed and range to span ocean routes, enabling flying from New York to Hawaii in less than 24 hours. Pressurization (previously introduced on the Boeing Stratoliner
Boeing 307
The Boeing Model 307 Stratoliner was the first commercial transport aircraft with a pressurized cabin. This feature allowed the plane to cruise at an altitude of 20,000 ft , well above weather disturbances. The pressure differential was 2.5 psi , so at 14,700 ft the cabin altitude...
and also designed into the B-29) allowed sea-level cabin pressure at 15500 ft (4,724.4 m) altitude. At 25000 ft (7,620 m), passengers enjoyed a "cabin altitude" of only 5500 ft (1,676.4 m).
Operational history
Despite a service record remembered for one or two early disasters arising from a propeller design fitted to the Stratocruiser in its earlier years, Boeing's remarkable airliner was one of the most capable of post-war propeller-driven transports, and certainly among the most luxurious. Only 55 were built as airliners, joined eventually by the reconditioned prototype to make a total of 56. Another 60 of this general design, with significant engineering differences, were built as C-97C-97 Stratofreighter
The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter was a long range heavy military cargo aircraft based on the B-29 bomber. Design work began in 1942, with the prototype's first flight being on 9 November 1944, and the first production aircraft entered service in 1947. Between 1947 and 1958, 888 C-97s in several...
military transports, but the majority were built as KC-97 tankers, with many more military successors to follow. The jet-powered Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
would regain Boeing's dominance in the civil airliner market, while the KC-135 would continue to serve as a jet tanker into the twenty-first century. The Lockheed C-130 of the mid-1950s was somewhat similar in size and speed, but it had turboprop power and was designed from the start as a combat airlifter, with a tail ramp and ability to operate from rough fields, so is not strictly comparable.
The Stratocruiser flew premier services to Hawaii, across both oceans, and elsewhere in the world until superseded in the 1960s by jets such as the Boeing 707 and de Havilland Comet
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
. Its spiral staircase, which led to a lower-deck lounge, inspired the one on the 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
. It was one of the few airliners with a double-decker seating arrangement (another was the French Breguet Deux-Ponts
Breguet Deux-Ponts
The Breguet 761/763/765 were a family of 1940s and 1950s French double-deck transport aircraft produced by Breguet. The aircraft were normally called the Deux-Ponts but it was not an official name.-Design and development:...
) until the 747, though some airlines did have lower-level lounges on their L-1011 Tristar aircraft. The only survivors are converted Super Guppies.
In the early 1960s these planes were starting to become obsolete when jet airliners such as the early Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
and Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
became available. Most airlines moved towards them to replace the 377s and they were moved off into scrap yards. The select few that made it were either sold to smaller airlines or made into a version of the plane called a Guppy. As the airlines began to upgrade so did the militaries that were using them. The Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
377 was primarily used in only two militaries, which were the US and Israeli. These two militaries began to buy jet engine
Jet engine
A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet to generate thrust by jet propulsion and in accordance with Newton's laws of motion. This broad definition of jet engines includes turbojets, turbofans, rockets, ramjets, pulse jets...
aircraft and replace the 377s in service. The 377s were sent off to the scrap yards along with other propeller-driven aircraft of the time.
In the early 1960s, the Israeli Air Force wished to upgrade to the C-130 Hercules which could lift larger payloads, but it was expensive and sales were embargoed by the United States. Instead, Israeli Aircraft Industries at Ben Gurion International Airport offered to modify Boeing 377 Stratocruisers it had with a stronger cabin floor which could handle cargo, plus a C-97 military Statocruiser tail section, which included a clam shell cargo door. These were dubbed Anak
Anak
According to the Book of Numbers, during the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites, Anak was a well known figure, and a forefather of the Anakites who have been considered "strong and tall," they were also said to have been a mixed race of giant people, descendants of the Nephilim...
(or Giant in Hebrew) and served starting in 1964. Three of these were modified by the use of a swing tail section, similar to the Canadair CL44D-4 airliner. Two others served as aerial tankers with underwing hosereel refuelling pods. Two others were ELINT-platforms for electronic reconnaissance, surveillance and ECM-missions (ECM-Electronic Counter Measures). These were later joined by four KC-97G's with the flying boom system.
In addition to the Israeli converting Anaks a company called Aero Spacelines
Aero Spacelines
Aero Spacelines, Inc. was a United States aircraft manufacturer which made a name for itself by converting Boeing 377 Stratocruisers into the famous Guppy line of airplanes re-engineered solely for transporting over-sized cargo.- History :...
was converting the old 377s to planes called Guppys. There were three types which were the Pregnant Guppy, Super Guppy, and Mini Guppy. These planes were mega transports that could hold either a massive amount of cargo, or several decks of passengers. The main thing that was done to these aircraft to modify them was adding a huge dome like addition to the top of the original Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
body. Several Super Guppies were used by Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
to transport aircraft parts between their factories. In the 1990s Airbus retired them due to rising operational costs and they have been replaced with Airbus Beluga
Airbus Beluga
-External links:*...
s.
Operators
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- Línea Internacional Aérea
- Israeli Air ForceIsraeli Air ForceThe Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
- British Overseas Airways CorporationBritish Overseas Airways CorporationThe British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
- American Overseas AirlinesAmerican Overseas AirlinesAmerican Overseas Airlines was an airline that operated between the United States and Europe between 1945 and 1950. It was headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.-Early history:...
- Northwest Orient AirlinesNorthwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
- Pan American World AirwaysPan American World AirwaysPan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
- Transocean Air LinesTransocean AirlinesTransocean Air Lines was an Oakland, California based airline that operated from 1946 until 1960.-History:The men and women of Transocean Air Lines helped make modern air transport possible for today's world. At its height the Transocean organization included ten companies, making it the first...
- United AirlinesUnited AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
- Rutas Aéreas Nacionales SA
- Scandinavian Airlines SystemScandinavian Airlines SystemScandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
(aircraft not delivered - passed to BOAC)
Safety record
This aircraft type suffered 13 hull-loss accidents between 1951 and 1970 with a total of 140 fatalities. The worst single accident occurred on April 29, 1952.- 12 Sept 1951: United Air Lines' Boeing Stratocruiser "Mainliner Oahu" was being used for a semi-annual instrument check of a captain. At 10:39, the flight was cleared for an ILS approach to the San Francisco Airport. The aircraft, with No. 4 propeller feathered, stalled and abruptly dived from an altitude of approximately 300 feet and was demolished upon impact in San Francisco Bay. All three crew aboard were killed. probable cause was an inadvertent stall at low altitude.
- 29 April 1952: Pan AmPan American World AirwaysPan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-26 registration N1039V operating flight 202 en route from Buenos Aires-EzeizaMinistro Pistarini International AirportMinistro Pistarini International Airport , more commonly known as Ezeiza International Airport owing to its location within the Ezeiza Partido in the Greater Buenos Aires, is an international airport located south-southwest of Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina...
and Rio de Janeiro-Galeão to New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
via Port of SpainPiarco International AirportPiarco International Airport is the main airport serving Trinidad and Tobago located in Piarco, a town in northern Trinidad, about east of the capital city, Port of Spain. It is one of two international airports serving the twin isle republic. The other is located on the island of Tobago, A.N.R...
crashed in the jungle in the south of the State of ParáParáPará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
. Probable causes are the separation of no. 2 engine and propeller from the aircraft due to highly unbalanced forces followed by uncontrollability and disintegration of the aircraft. All 50 passengers and crew died. - 27 July 1952: Pan AmPan American World AirwaysPan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-26 registration N1030V operating flight 201 en route from New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Rio de Janeiro-Galeão to Buenos Aires-EzeizaMinistro Pistarini International AirportMinistro Pistarini International Airport , more commonly known as Ezeiza International Airport owing to its location within the Ezeiza Partido in the Greater Buenos Aires, is an international airport located south-southwest of Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina...
following pressurization problems during climb from Rio de Janeiro, a door blew open, a passenger was blown out and the cabin considerably damaged. One passenger died. - 25 December 1954: British Overseas Airways CorporationBritish Overseas Airways CorporationThe British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
Stratocruiser 10-28 G-ALSA crashed on landing at Prestwick at 0330 hours, killing 28 of the 36 passengers and crew onboard. The aircraft had been en route from London to New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, when, on approach to Prestwick, it entered a steep descent before levelling-out too late and too severely, hitting the ground short of the runway. A number of factors have been attributed to the cause of the crash, including pilot fatigue (the captain was well over his duty limit due to the aircraft being delayed), the landing lights at Prestwick being out of action due to repair and the First Officer either not hearing a command from the Captain for landing lights (which may have helped judge the low cloud base) or mistakenly hitting the flaps, causing the aircraft to stall. - 26 March 1955: The no. 3 engine and propeller tore loose from the wing, causing severe control difficulties. The aircraft was eventually ditched 35 miles off the Oregon coast. The Boeing, named "Clipper United States", sank after 20 minutes in water of about 1600m deep. There were four fatalities out of the 23 occupants, including two of the crew.
- In April 1956, Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2 was a Boeing Stratocruiser aircraft that was ditched into Puget Sound just off the Seattle waterfront shortly after takeoff from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on April 2, 1956...
ditched into Puget SoundPuget SoundPuget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
after the flight engineer mistakenly failed to close the cowl gills on the plane's engines, an error attributed to confusing instrument layout. Although all aboard escaped the aircraft after a textbook landing, four passengers and one flight attendant succumbed either to drowningDrowningDrowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
or to hypothermiaHypothermiaHypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
before being rescued. - In October 1956, Pan Am Flight 6 ditched northeast of Hawaii, after losing two of its four engines. The aircraft was able to circle around USCGC Pontchartrain until daybreak, when it ditched; all 31 on board survived.
- The Romance of the Skies, Pan Am Flight 7Pan Am Flight 7Pan Am Flight 7, registration N90944, Clipper Romance Of The Skies, was an around-the-world-flight originating in San Francisco that flew westbound with several stops before arriving in Philadelphia. On the morning of November 8, 1957 the aircraft, a Boeing 377, departed San Francisco on its first...
, left San Francisco on November 8, 1957, headed for Hawaii with 38 passengers and 6 crew. The 377 suffered a mechanical failure that may have been sabotage, and crashed around 5:25 p.m. in the Pacific Ocean. There were no survivors. There is speculation that two passengers had a motive to bring the plane down. Eugene Crosthwaite, a 46 year old purser, had shown blasting powder to a relative days prior to the flight, and had cut a stepdaughter from his will only one hour before the flight. William Payne, an ex-Navy demolitions expert, had taken out large insurance policies on himself just before the flight, and had a $10,000 debt he was desperate to pay off. The insurance investigator later suspected him of never being on the plane. His wife received at least $125,000 in payouts. - 2 June 1958 a Pan Am Boeing Stratocruiser (registration N1023V) was on a flight from San Francisco to Singapore with some in-between stops. As the aircraft touched down at Manila (runway 06) in a heavy landing in rainy and gusty conditions, the undercarriage collapsed. The plane skidded and swerved to the right, coming to rest 2850 feet past the runway threshold and 27 feet from the edge of the runway. One of the passengers was killed when one of the blades of the number 3 prop broke off, penetrating the passenger cabin.
- April 10, 1959 :The Boeing 377, named "Clipper Midnight Sun", undershot on finals and collided with an embankment. The aircraft caught fire and was destroyed but all passengers and crew survived.
- 9 July 1959 The Boeing Stratocruiser, "Clipper Australia", was on finals for Tokyo when the gear was extended, showing three greens. When power was reduced prior to touchdown, the gear unsafe warning horn sounded and a red gear unsafe warning light illuminated. The captain first called for a go-around, but noticed that the airspeed was too low. The gear was retracted quickly and a belly landing was carried out. Zero casualties.
- August 1967: a ground collision with Stratocruiser N402Q; the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
- 12 May 1970: The Aero Spacelines 377MGT was a converted Boeing Stratoliner. Prototype N111AS first flew on March 13, 1970. In the following period flight testing was carried out, a.o. at Edwards AFB. The accident occurred during the sixth takeoff of Flight Number 12 following the scheduled shutdown of the engine number one at about 109 knots IAS (indicated air speed). The takeoff was being made on runway 22 and the wind was from approximately 200 degrees at about 10 knots. Rotation occurred at about 114 knots and several seconds after rotation, according to one witness, the aircraft turned and rolled to the left, settling as it did so. The left wingtip subsequently contacted the ground, causing a severe yaw. The forward fuselage struck the ground, causing the flight deck to be destroyed. All four crew aboard were killed.
Variants
377-10-19- Prototype Stratocruiser. Only one example constructed. Was later brought up to 377-10-26 standard and sold to Pan American World AirwaysPan American World AirwaysPan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
in 1950.
377-10-26
- 20 aircraft delivered to Pan American World Airways with round windows and a rear galley.
- 377-10-26S
- :10 aircraft refitted with more powerful engines and a larger fuel capacity for transatlantic operations. Called the "Super Stratocruiser"
377-10-28
- Four aircraft ordered by the Scandinavian Airlines SystemScandinavian Airlines SystemScandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
, but taken up by BOAC instead after SAS cancelled the order. Aircraft had similar features to the 377-10-26.
377-10-29
- Eight aircraft originally delivered to American Overseas AirlinesAmerican Overseas AirlinesAmerican Overseas Airlines was an airline that operated between the United States and Europe between 1945 and 1950. It was headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.-Early history:...
with round windows for the main cabin and rectangular windows for the lower cabin as well as an aft galley.
377-10-30
- Ten Aircraft built for Northwest Orient AirlinesNorthwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
with all rectangular windows and an aft galley.
377-10-32
- Six aircraft built for the British Overseas Airways CorporationBritish Overseas Airways CorporationThe British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
(BOAC). Featured a midships galley and all cabin windows were circular.
377-10-34
- Seven aircraft built for United Air LinesUnited AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
. Featured rectangular windows for the main cabin and circular windows for the lower cabin. Aircraft were later sold to BOAC.
377F
- Freighter conversion.
377M
- When the Israeli military began to buy new aircraftAircraftAn aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
to replace the Stratocruisers it had in its fleet, the US imposed an embargoEmbargoAn embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
against Israel. In response to this, Israel started to convert the Stratocruisers to Anak standard. The Anaks were ten ex-Pan American Stratocruisers converted by Israeli Aircraft Industries for the Israeli Air ForceIsraeli Air ForceThe Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
. They featured a C-97 tail section, mechanical installations and a strenghtened cabin floor for cargo operations. Three were converted to have swing tail doors similar to the Canadair CL-44Canadair CL-44The Canadair CL-44 was a Canadian turboprop airliner and cargo aircraft based on the Bristol Britannia that was developed and produced by Canadair in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
. The word "Anak" is Hebrew for "giant".
Aero Spacelines Guppy
Aero Spacelines
Aero Spacelines, Inc. was a United States aircraft manufacturer which made a name for itself by converting Boeing 377 Stratocruisers into the famous Guppy line of airplanes re-engineered solely for transporting over-sized cargo.- History :...
was converting old 377s to aircraft called Guppys in the 1960s. There were three types: the Pregnant Guppy, Super Guppy, and Mini Guppy. These were outsize transports that could hold either a massive amount of cargo, or several decks of passengers. The main feature of the modifications was the huge dome-like expansion of the top of the original Stratocruiser fuselage.
The first of these was the Pregnant Guppy
Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy
|-See also:-External links:* by Boeing. Retrieved October 5, 2006.* , by Daren Savage. Updated September 17, 2006. Retrieved October 5, 2006.* by Robert S. Tripp. Written Spring 2002. Retrieved October 5, 2006....
, followed by the Super Guppy
Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography*Taylor, Michael J.H. . Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions. London. 1989. ISBN 0-517-69186-8-External links:* * *...
, and finally the Mini Guppy
Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy
The Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy is a large, wide-bodied US cargo aircraft used for aerial transport of outsized cargo components. The Mini Guppy is only one of the Guppy line of aircraft produced by Aero Spacelines, Inc..-Mini Guppy versions:...
. The Super Guppy and the Mini Guppy were both powered by turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
engines.
Aero Spacelines 377PG Pregnant Guppy
- Conversion done to one 377-10-26, incorporating an enlarged upper deck and a fuselage lengthened by 16 feet to carry sections of the Saturn VSaturn VThe Saturn V was an American human-rated expendable rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973. A multistage liquid-fueled launch vehicle, NASA launched 13 Saturn Vs from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida with no loss of crew or payload...
rocket. One converted.
Aero Spacelines 377SG Super Guppy
- A single heavy-lift transport similar to the Pregnant Guppy constructed by Aero Spacelines. The aircraft contained parts of a YC-97J Stratofreighter and a 377-10-26 mated with a larger main fuselage, larger tail and Pratt & Whitney T34 turboprops.
Aero Spacelines SGT-201 Super Guppy Turbine
- Originally designated the 377SGT, it was similar to the 377SG but with a more aerodynamic fuselage, a Boeing 707Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
nosewheel, wings stretched by 23 feet, and four Allison 501-D22C turboprops. There were four built, and they were used by Airbus to transport aircraft parts between its factories. In the 1990s Airbus retired them due to rising operational costs and they have been replaced with Airbus BelugaAirbus Beluga-External links:*...
s.
Aero Spacelines 377MG Mini Guppy
- Conversion of a 377-10-26, it featured a larger main cabin for oversize cargo, stretched wing and a hinged tail.
Aero Spacelines MGT-101 Mini Guppy Turbine
- Originally designated the 377MGT. Similar to the 377MG but powered by Allison 501-D22C turboprop engines. One built.