The Bomber That Created a Bridge to Modern Airliners

Ride along on a ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020’ journey in a Boeing 307 Stratoliner.

Patrick Chovanec

Friday, July 12, 2024 at 01:30 PM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

The Boeing 307 Stratoliner in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. [Courtesy: Patrick Chovanec]

Key Takeaways:

The Boeing 307 Stratoliner was a pioneering aircraft, being the first commercial airliner with a pressurized cabin, which allowed it to fly at higher altitudes (up to 20,000 feet) to avoid turbulence and provide a more comfortable passenger experience.
Derived from the B-17 bomber, it featured advanced luxury for its era, including sound-proofed cabins, hot meals, and sleeping berths, initially serving prestigious cross-country routes for TWA and Pan Am.
Only 10 Stratoliners were ever built, primarily due to their high cost, complex maintenance, and the advent of World War II, which repurposed TWA's fleet as vital C-75 military transports for early transatlantic missions.
Despite its innovative design and crucial wartime service, the Stratoliner was quickly overshadowed by newer, more efficient aircraft post-WWII, leading to its limited commercial lifespan and eventual retirement.

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Today in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, I’ll be flying the Boeing 307 Stratoliner, the first commercial airliner with a pressurized cabin that shared much of its DNA with the B-17 bomber.

In 1935, the major airlines in the U.S. had a problem. They had contributed $100,000 each for Douglas Aircraft to develop a four-engine successor to the two-engine DC-3. But it was clear that the new DC-4 had problems and would be delayed. So they dropped out of the program and TWA (Transcontinental & Western Air) approached Boeing Corp. to see if it could adapt its promising new B-17 bomber into a passenger plane.