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| The Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser was a commercial transport development of the Model 367 (military C-97), and based on the improved-structure YC-97A with Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engines. The first flight of the prototype Model 377-10-19 was made on 8 July 1947, and it was delivered subsequently to Pan American World Airways, which was the biggest user of the Stratocruiser. There were a variety of interior configurations in the Models 377-10-26, -28, -29, -30, -32 accommodating from 55 to 112 passengers or, if equipped as a 'sleeper', with 28 upper- and lower-berth units, plus five seats. The main cabin was in the upper lobe of the 'double-bubble' fuselage, with a luxury lounge or cocktail bar seating 14 on the lower deck, reached via a spiral staircase.
Of the total of 55 that were built, Pan Am was operating 27 at one period. Of these, 10 were given additional fuel capacity to make them suitable for transatlantic operations, and were known as Super Stratocruisers. At a later date the entire fleet was equipped with General Electric CH-10 turbochargers, enabling each engine to develop an additional 37.3kW. British Overseas Airways Corporation also acquired a fleet of 17: only six of these were original purchases from Boeing, the remainder acquired from other airlines. After just over nine years' service with BOAC, 10 were sold to Transocean Airlines in the USA during 1958. Of these, four were converted to 117-passenger high-density seating, the remainder each having an additional 12 seats added to their standard 63- and 84-seat layouts. Before Stratocruisers disappeared from service during 1963, a few had been modified to a cargo configuration, but by far the strangest conversion resulted from those airframes acquired by Aero Spacelines Inc. Under the designation 377-PG, this company built an oversize cargo aircraft which it named 'Pregnant Guppy' and subsequently built other examples, using both Model 367 and 377 airframes, under variations of the Guppy name.
| MODEL | Boeing 377 |
| CREW | 5 |
| PASSENGERS | 55-100 |
| ENGINE | 4 x Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial piston engines, 2610kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 66134 kg | 145801 lb |
| Empty weight | 37875 kg | 83501 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 43.05 m | 141 ft 3 in |
| Length | 33.63 m | 110 ft 4 in |
| Height | 11.66 m | 38 ft 3 in |
| Wing area | 164.34 m2 | 1768.94 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 604 km/h | 375 mph |
| Cruise speed | 547 km/h | 340 mph |
| Ceiling | 9755 m | 32000 ft |
| Range | 6759 km | 4200 miles |
| Alan McDonald, e-mail, 04.08.2023 18:36 In 1953 I was deported to Australia aboard one of these aircrafts. The flight took two days and several stops in the Pacific. One place I remember Canton Atoll where the runway was so that the wings were over the ocean. This the only time I have ever flown first class thanks to the American tax payer. the flight was an experience I remember looking out the window and seeing the flame from the exhaust and the crew took me into the cockpit where I looked through the observation glass and saw a submerged submarine as we flew over the ocean, pretty exciting for a 12 year old kid. If any of you are interested I wrote a book about my early life ( Stamped Excess Baggage) that aircraft was amazing. reply | | Lonnie, 12.03.2017 07:56 IN 1958 my mother, my two brothers and I flew on a Pan Am Stratocruiser from LA scheduled to land in Singapore. However, we encountered the tail end of a typhoon after leaving Guam and we ended up crash landing in Manilla. The plane was great until that happened. reply | | Ron Curtis, e-mail, 24.02.2017 19:49 I was stationed at Hunter AFB Savannah GA from July 1956 until October 1959 A /2C 2nd Field Maintenance Squadron. Does anybody remember the KC97 crash on November 12th 1958 just east of the runway at Hunter. Going TDY to England 11 airmen on board no surviors. I still have the front page of the Savannah Morning News November 13th 1958 and a letter i sent to my parents. I was on a cleanup detail at the crash site, picking up body parts not very pleasing duty!! Here is the exact location of the crash between Salcedo Ave and Easy Street. just east of Harrock Hall DR. The nose (emph) came to rest just short of a brick home and some of the remains of the crew members was plasterd on the brick walls. The House at 7420 Harrock Hall Drive i think was the house it was built in 1955 and if i remember right it was unfinished at that time. I would like to hear from anyone stationed at Hunter at that time. Ron Curtis Parsons KS reply |
| BERGE J, e-mail, 08.03.2016 20:29 Latest news on the C-97G belonging to the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation, N117GA, located at FBF received FAA Experimental certificate, which will allow the BAHF fly the plane. reply | |
| | Bruce R Nelson, e-mail, 17.03.2015 21:13 Now 76 but fond memories as an 18 yr old A3C I served over 1500 air hour as a light Arrendant and Loadmaster having completed at Est Palm Bch AFB in last clas for training C-97 air crew duty. I flew the entire South Pacific with the droning of Pratt Whitney 43602 endless droning. At 18 I accepted the noise /vibes as part of the job. Many yrs later I learned at Quinlan VA Hospital, Mt. Home, TN that I ended up suffering dramatic hearing loss. They, thank God, equipped me wit "Phontal bluetooh hearing aids. Quilan audiology believes my many hours of the 4360s caused the loss and if any fellow Airman has hearing losses worsening at my age they really should visit their closest VA audiologist that has first rate clinicians and state of art testing technology. You may have disability benefits. But my C-97 history is not lost (they should have employed ear plugs through the Flight Surgeon. I flew thru the atolls of the now infamous atomic test sites, Johnson, Enie Weenie, Bikini, Rotyonga, Kwajalien (my favorite., Guam, Wake, Midway (love this wacky goony birds!~) Siapam, Manila (where some of our flights took us on "secret" flights to, perhaps, Siagon during the "we weren't at war era of Laos and Cambodia. I still have bad dreams of the young men I probably escorted into "dark" area. At 18 it was my job and I am still proud and honored I served in the 1501st ATW, 1201 ATS MATS /WESTAF out of Travis. Gob bless all the air crew mwmbwes I was privileged to fly with and serve. reply | | Walter H. Polk, e-mail, 24.01.2015 02:24 The Cadillac of the USAF from the 50s to the late 60s.Best aircraft for a flight engineer ever built. He had the catbird's seat !!!!!!! reply | | julie mcconihe, e-mail, 22.10.2014 03:45 In 1951, I, age 5, flew DC-SFO; then SFO-HAWAII. In Hawaii we got off the plane for about 2 hrs. while they changed the seats into sleeper bunks with privacy curtains - upper and lower berths. I will never forget leaving hawaii at midnight with a full moon as we took off for sydney, au. In the morning, we landed on a sandy palm tree beach to refuel and everyone got off and walked around in bathrobes. Where did we stop? Anyone remember the sleepers? reply | | Ralph Spilsbury, e-mail, 28.07.2014 20:10 In 1958 I left the tented Terminal at London Airport to fly to Kano Nigeria,on a BOAC 377 Stratocruiser,We landed at Algiers to refuel,for our own safety we were "arrested" and locked in the Terminal,due to a uprising.The Pilot bravely took off,despite nearby gunfire.I think I recall we reached Kano 3 days late reply | | Klaatu83, e-mail, 24.07.2014 03:54 Essentially an airliner version of the B-50 bomber, the "Stratocruiser" enabled Boeing to remain competitive against Douglas' DC-6 and Lockheed's "Constellation" in the post-WW-II long-haul airliner market. reply | | Berge J, e-mail, 29.04.2014 07:48 I worked as an A&E mechanic on NWA's B377s at JFK. It was a great airplane and gave me a lot of overtime getting the repairs done. Presently am working on restoring a C-97G /L at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, NY. reply | | Howard Wahl, e-mail, 09.01.2014 03:31 A. Martin commented, 31.12.2011, "My father-in-law, BB Lien (Buckshot) rode as check pilot on one of these for Pan Am. 1st flight to Japan. Remember seeing news pic of the event. Anyone out there remember Buckshot?"
Very well. Buckshot and my dad, Milo Wahl, were great friends from their college days in Moorhead, MN. Buckshot convinced my dad to move to Seattle in 6 /41 and work for PAWA, later PANAM, as a mechanic. Buckshot was a "bush pilot" in Alaska at the time, but moved to Seattle during the war. I have lots of memories of Buckshot to share. Hope this finds you.
Howard Wahl reply |
| jay stapleton, e-mail, 01.11.2013 03:00 OOOPS!!! Acft. retained the 4 4360 big eng...jet pods was added...giving the KC97 six engs....now it was able to refuel the B-47,,B-52, and several fighters. with ease... reply | | jay stapleton, e-mail, 01.11.2013 02:52 several of the KC-97 are on display Wright Pat.Ohio,,,and at Az.bone yard....the USAF after 1962 install jet pods (jet eng.) on the acft. made a fine acft....I was based at Whiteman AFB, (MO) 1958 thru 1962...I have over 5 years on the acft. remember it very well....Anyone remember the 340th OMS..group /. /. /.was in 8th AF HDG. at Barksdale... reply | | Matthew Sharp, e-mail, 04.08.2013 23:49 In 1957 or thereabouts, when I was about four and a half years old, my mother, my baby sister and I flew with BOAC from London Heathrow to Accra to join my father. The journey was made in several legs and I remember landing at Rome; it was hot and dark, the plane was apparently refueling, and for some reason we all had to disembark. The walk to the terminal, I remember as a tired and very thirsty toddler, seemed to go on forever, and I complained vociferously to mum. Later in the journey we encountered severe turbulence and a storm with big air pockets. The plane was tossed from side to side and up and down. I thoroughly enjoyed bouncing around in my seat and threw myself from side to side to increase the fun. Mother, on the other hand, was absolutely terrified, presumably along with most of the other adults on board. My sister was thrown out of her cot and had to be retrieved from the other side of the cabin, and thereafter the stewards had difficulty serving food because most of the crockery had been smashed. Children have a different perspective on events. Sadly I don't remember being allowed to go down the spiral staircase or explore the other areas of plane. reply | |
| | Paul, e-mail, 12.07.2013 01:07 As a youngster 7, I flew from hawaii...twice in this aircraft. Left Honolulu headed for LA, got almost halfway, only to have to feather an engine. Erring on the side of caution we returned to honolulu for repairs while we remained on board. After an hour or more Of the mechanics working on the engine we took off again bound for LA. Again, near the halfway point the same engine failed for the same reason.but it was decided to divert to SF. flew the heck out of the remaining three and finally made it. Years later an aircraft of this type was lost on the same run reply |
| L Yannotti, e-mail, 17.04.2013 02:59 My Air force Career started with the C-97 at Travis 57-58 then with Transocean Airlines on Wake Island 59-60 where I met my Wife and on to the Utah ANG in SLC 1961- 1973 when they went to the Bone Yard. Great Aircraft with 28 VDC Landing gear and little Hyd. Systems over 18 years Service reply | | loomas marshall, e-mail, 21.01.2013 15:35 does anyone remember what happened to the 377 which served lt.gen Old at march afb?? tail #8411?? it was so shinny it looked like sterling silver.. reply | | barbara gregorio, e-mail, 22.09.2012 01:29 Many fine memories of "flying the cabin" as a flt. attd.
I was in the "Presidents Special" with Pan Am. We had 44 seats & 17 sleeping berths. Food was prepared by Maxims of Paris. Those "were the days". barb.g. reply | | Ed Hausafus, e-mail, 15.08.2012 09:26 I once "flew" it sitting in dad's lap who was PAA Capt for 30 some years. It was during a ferry flight from SFO to LAX. I loved that moment which I still remember at 71. reply | | Jerry Plumbley, e-mail, 23.07.2012 00:04 In late 1953 and into 1954 I flew in the KC97 as a Radio operator and we were refueling the B-47 Jet bomber.I was based at Barksdale AFB. reply |
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Howard Wahl
I just read this thread and had to respond. My dad was stationed at Hunter and had orders to be on that flight. He was unexpectedly granted early release to attend college. He still talks about it.
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