Transcontinental & Western Air    Boeing 307 Stratoliner  NC1940    (c/n  1998)

                                    

                                        Of the ten pressurized Stratoliners built, TWA had five of them (six if you include Howard Hughes'
                                        private one) and were the only airline to use them on domestic revenue passenger scheduled services.
                                        (PanAm did operate theirs briefly out of Miami, but I suspect they were pretty much all "proving flights").
                                        TWA inaugurated transcontinental service with their 307s on 8 July, 1940.  Unfortunately it was rather
                                        short-lived since they were all impressed into US military service (as the C-75) when war broke out at
                                        the end of 1941.  TWA were largely responsible for the design work which went into this aircraft, having
                                        been involved, through their test pilot Tommy Tomlinson, with high altitude flight for many years previous
                                        to its debut.  Seen above is NC1940.  This aircraft was built as NC19906 but the registration was
                                        changed to NC1940, the year of its introduction, for publicity purposes.  Seen below is a rare shot
                                        from the Mike Sparkman collection of the aircraft used by Howard Hughes (NC19904) .  It is seen
                                        post war carrying Trans World titling.  It was damaged in a hurricane and later used as a houseboat.
                                        At the foot of the page is a photo from the John Cilio collection of  the cabin of a TWA Stratoliner.
                                     .  Note curtained-off private "rooms".

                                       Boeing 307 Stratoliner  N19904                   (c/n  1997)