The Boeing 377, also called the Stratocruiser, was a large long-range airliner built after World War II. It was developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter, 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 engines, driving tractor propellers. It had a pressurized cabin, which was a relatively new feature to transport aircraft at the time, and two decks. Airlines were able to make transoceanic flights easier and faster with the new aircraft, which enabled easier international travel to places such as Hawaii.
Despite this, the Stratocruiser was considerably more expensive to buy and operate than the competing Douglas DC-6 and Lockheed Constellation. They also had mediocre reliability, said to be chiefly due to chronic problems with the four 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major radial engines and their associated four-blade propellers. As a result, only 55 Stratocruisers were built for airlines.
Read more about Boeing 377: Design and Development, Operational History, Operators, Safety Record, Variants, Specifications (377)