A Brief History of the Airlines and Air Cargo Industry Part Three

The post war years, represented a time to restore, rebuild and create the future. Public perceptions of aviation had changed from, a risky and expensive novelty, to an optomistic view of things to come. War had demanded vast technological improvements to aviation in general. For the airlines, the development of the "land-plane", able to operate longer range flights, especially over the water, from airport to airport, with greater speeds had eliminated the slow flying boats of the past decade.

Although these types of aircraft, namely the Douglas DC-4 and Lockheed "Constellation" were in the progress of development at the outbreak of war. Military demands, had reduced many of the features originally planned. And there were postwar plans in the US, however. any serious work was obviously delayed.

The Lockheed Constellation's development at the start of the war, was such that very few changes were made for military needs. The resulting C-69, was primarily used by military staff and high ranking political figures. The Douglas DC-4 though, had early problems concerning size and stability, as the US entered the conflict, the airplane was being redesigned. The US War Department, eliminated the pressurized cabin, made the floor boards stronger and added large side cargo loading doors, among many other changes. It was renamed the C-54 Skymaster (R5D for the US Navy). It served faithfully and bravely
during the final years of the war. When the conflict ended, a total of 1,084 C54s/R5Ds were built, with an additional 79 still in
production. Although the military did not release any C-69's to surplus, Lockheed had 51airplanes still in production as well.
The heroic, and popular C-47 Skytrain (R4D), had literally thousands of surplus aircraft available, and production had ended in 1942.

The conversion of these surplus airplanes to civil airliners became a priority and a big business, to help revive the worlds airlines. The DC-4 was the first of these conversions to begin airline service with American Overseas Airlines at the end of October 1945. The C-69's began their conversions at the factory, as the L-049 Constellation, the first of these beginning service in November 1945 with TWA, between New York and Bermuda. By the end of 1945, passenger traffic rose to 6 million.

The first truly civilian version of the Constellation, known as the L-649 inaugurated US to Europe service with TWA in February 1946. American Airlines began New York - Los Angeles DC-4 service in March 1946. Both the DC-4 and "Connie" were pretty much equal in size and capacity (42 seats on the DC-4 versus 40 on the Constellation) and neither airplane had the capacity to fly across the Atlantic Ocean non stop. The Douglas DC-4 was unpressurized and this resulted in a lower cruising altitude and a rougher ride. This put the pressurized three tailed Connie, at a clear advantage at first.

Instead of upgrading the DC-4 to compete (although the last few in production were pressurized). A new restyled version called the DC-6, fully pressurized, more powerful, longer and with room for 68 and with better range began service with United Airlines in April 1946.

This began a hot competition between Douglas and Lockheed for type dominance. Each producing bigger, and faster versions of the original DC-4 and Constellation airframes.

The rebuilding of the civil airliner market, also was a purpose for keeping the airplane plants open to create jobs for the troops returning from the war. The effort of the thousands of hard working women, known forever as "Rosie the Riveter" and who, produced a literal arsenal of air power that led the allies to victory, should never go un-noticed or be forgotten.

The Martin Airplane Co, of Baltimore, was among those factories. They in turn were the first to produce a new post-war airliner. The model 2-0-2, an unpressurized twin-engined 40 passenger type, suited to the short and intermediate range (under 1000 miles) needs of the airlines. Although the C47's which had been converted into DC-3As were still very popular and available in great numbers, they were too slow and too small to meet the anticipated airline growth. The Martin 2-0-2 and another new type, the pressurized Convair 240, which was being evaluated at this time would begin to take the most lucrative routes formally owned by the DC-3, but they would not totally replace it.

In 1948, Boeing, who up until now had been involved in post war bomber development and production, introduced the model 377 Stratocruiser. The B-377 was a civil version of the model 367, which was developed as part of a program to produce a "tanker" aircraft capable of mid air refueling for the USAF. The Stratocruiser, was based on the B-29 bomber airframe, wings and engines. It featured a double-deck arrangement, the lower deck having a cocktail lounge, with 89 passengers and a range up to 2800 miles. Although the Boeing B-377 would not be built in great numbers, it would set the bar on comfort spaciousness and luxury, and not be outclassed. Among the airlines United, American, Northwest, and Pan American were US operators. Many other foreign airlines flew "Strats" as well.

As the 1950's began, improvements to the original Douglas and Lockheed airliners by stretching, new wing designs and more power were being developed, with increasing emphesis on speed and comfort. The foundations and standards established during this period in the airline industry projected the impression of glamor. In 1951, passenger boardings increased to 21 million, although air travel was still considered too costly for most people in the US, and the major form of mass travel was still by rail.

The major airlines were operating all cargo flights over their route systems. Although they were using the DC-3's and DC-4's that were mostly veteran war birds, they had also, as in the case of American Airlines and United, brand new all cargo versions of the DC-6A's which were longer than the original passenger versions. They had large loading doors, reinforced floor boards and a better payload for up to 10,000 lbs.Cargo planes had to be bulk loaded then, and tied down to the floor-boards. During this time the anticipation of future growth was as intense as that for flying people.

During this early post-war period, the further development of the new gas-turbine or "jet" engine was being given serious consideration for civil use. The principles of this revolutionary form of power were conceived in Britain before the war, and it was the Germans, who developed it and made it practical and operational during the war. As early as 1945, the British had
begun design of a jet powered mail plane. This concept was re-considered and emerged as a four-engined jet airliner called the De Havilland DH-106 "Comet", and flew in 1949. By May of 1952, the first Comet began scheduled jet airliner service in Europe.

In North America, AVRO of Canada introduced a four engined 35 seat jet powered airliner. This little known and largely unrecognized airplane flew for the first time, just three weeks after the Comet in 1949. It was called the C-102 "Jetliner".
In the US, Boeing, had developed a jet powered version of the tanker airplane, as part of the model 367 program for the USAF.
This prototype, called the model 367-80, or "Dash 80" would eventually go on the become the start of something good.
It would be called the Boeing 707.

The Soviets, as well had developed a civil version of their TU-16 "Badger" jet bomber, this airplane would become the second jet powered airliner to enter scheduled service as the Tupolev Tu-104 Jet.

The testing and development of these new jets, would continue for several years, and thus have no impact on the US airline industry for the time being. The operation of the British DC-106 Comet, was unique to Europe, and its total existence was taken with a wait and see attitude. However the industry realized that the Jet was coming, and soon.

Part Four, will cover these early jets, their early operations and tragic failures.

The efforts to constantly improve the current technology of the piston powered airliner had produced the Douglas DC-7.
Being the final modification to the original DC-4 airframe, adding more space, power, speed, comfort and eventually range,
with additional models. The Super Constellation which began services in 1951, would break trans-atlantic speed records, and continue to improve until a new model the Lockheed L-1649 "Starliner" was introduced in 1957. By this time, the Boeing 707 and other jet powered types would be arriving very soon, thus these "state of the art" in piston powered airliners would become obsolete in a little over one year.

The faithful DC-6, earlier models of the Connies plus the Martin 2-0-2, larger 4-0-4 and the popular Convair 240, improved 340 and 440 " (all known as Convairliners) would continue to have a life for a few more years yet.

Undeniable was the fact that the "Jet Age" was here, and it would represent much more than airplanes.