Lost Twin Cities 2: Boeing Stratocruisers

In 1949, Minneapolis/St. Paul became home terminal to one of the first of the wide-body airliner passenger planes. It was known as the Model 377 Stratocruiser, and through it the aeronautical engineers at Boeing introduced us to a level of luxury and convenience that was previously inconceivable in air travel, and today is taken largely for granted.

Our post-war leap into the forefront of aviation history had much to do with the presence of one of Minnesota's most established corporate entities, Northwest Airlines. During the war, the NWA workforce was instrumental in overseeing operations of the Bomber Modification Plant in St. Paul, where the housewives and secretaries of the "Rosie the Riveter" homefront movement installed everything from machine guns to radar on the Boeing-made B24s and B25s. And on the warfront, NWA's own fleet of planes provided an aerial lifeline of supplies to our forces in the Pacific. By war's end, NWA had established a network of communcation links to the Far East and a stable of seasoned pilots who knew all the routes.

So when Boeing introduced the Stratocruiser, a plane with passenger quarters that would make frequent, long distance travel ultimately bearable, and even fun, it made perfect sense that NWA become the primary commercial carrier of routes to Hawaii, Japan and other points Far East.

Stratocruisers were also a big hit with domestic travelers, and they had to fly Northwest if they wanted to experience one. What most people marvelled at most was the big bellied plane's size: first class seats came with fold-down berths that promised "accomodations as restful as sleeping on a cloud." "What time does this place get to New York?" someone asked a stewardess. It was the wonder of its age, the fastest, most comfortable passenger airplane the world had ever seen.

A reworked bomber design, the Stratocruiser reflected both the can-do know-how of World War Two, and the slightly over-stuffed luxury of the fifties. What other airplane had a spiral staircase leading down to a sumptuous lounge? Here you could find aviation's first "sky-high high-ball." Problem was, in those days, the crew had to enforce the liquor laws of whatever state they flew over. So a plane leaving New York City took orders on the ground, and served drinks over New Jersey. It was last call before Pennsylvania, and the bar opened again over Ohio -- with an added three per cent liquor tax. It was then party-time all the way to Idaho -- except on Sundays and Election Days, of course. Flying could be a sobering experience!

All that space had to be used, of course, and there were all sorts of special attractions on board. The "Hawaiian Express" featured hula dancers and guitarist "Johnny Pineapple" ... And on "Strato Fashion Flights" from Chicago to Minneapolis, passengers saw the latest styles from the Young-Quinlan Department Store modeled by University of Minnesota Co-eds.

In the history of propeller-driven aircraft, few had as many fans as the Stratocruiser, and few were as costly to operate. So with the appearance of jet engines, the slow, gas-guzzling plane was grounded in 1960.

But for all its foibles and follies, the Stratocruiser lasted more than a decade and became the standard for air travel. It was a symbol of an era when hopes were as high as sixteen thousand feet, and we traveled at three hundred glorious miles per hour!

Images marked with this logo are reproduced here courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society. All images are for viewing only and subject to international copyright laws. Reproduction or publication of images is prohibited without written permission from the Minnesota Historical Society. Contact the Library and Archives Division for permission.