The Striking Lines of the Howard 250 Executive

How a World War II-era military transport became a go-to luxury airplane for large corporations.

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at 07:00 AM ET

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The Gulfstream of its day, the Howard 250 was converted from a military cargo airplane to a luxurious executive transport. [Photo: Jason McDowell]

Key Takeaways:

After World War II, many surplus military aircraft found new, diverse roles, including air racing, aerial firefighting, and notably, executive and corporate transport.
Companies transformed these military aircraft, such as the Lockheed C-60A Lodestar into the Howard 250, by adding luxurious interiors, speed enhancements, and comfort features for VIP travel.
The Howard 250 exemplified these sophisticated conversions with plush seating, wet bars, and panoramic windows, essentially serving as an early corporate jet for executives.
Despite innovative designs, only a small number of these propeller-driven executive aircraft were produced, as they were rapidly overshadowed by emerging jet and turboprop technologies in the early 1960s.

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Of the countless captivating stories centered around the people and aircraft of World War II, most are understandably focused on the war effort itself. From tales of ferocious aerial battles above European farm fields to bombing missions in the Pacific Theatre, there was a lot of action, and military aircraft were in the midst of it all.

Shadowed by the drama of war and often overlooked are the lives led by many aircraft after the war ended. Like the pilots who flew them, a significant number of aircraft found new missions serving in altogether different roles.