Customer Reviews

Boeing 377 Stratocruiser - Airliner Tech Vol. 9

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Detailed pictures of the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser are notoriously difficult to find. Nicholas Veronico, however, has assembled a wealth of sharp photographs showing the aircraft under construction, the mighty (and equally temperamental) Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines, flight decks (including navigator's and flight engineer's stations), and interiors (including the main deck, lower deck lounge, sleeping births, lavatories, and galleys) - all this and more in a slim 104-page volume! Mr. Veronico does an admirable job showing the configurations unique to each airline customer, and he includes information on secondary operators of the type.

Mr. Veronico's text is both enjoyable and informative, covering the development of the mighty Strat, along with narratives of the aircraft in airline service. This technologically advanced (for its time) airliner, unfortunately, had more than its share of trouble; the author describes the untimely endings of these ill-fated birds, including Captain Richard Ogg's heroic water landing of Clipper 953, Clipper Sovereign of the Skies. Detailed charts at the end of the book present the serial numbers and construction IDs of all the Stratocruisers by major carrier, along with individual histories of each and every Stratocruiser built.

I have yet to find more information on a particular aircraft in a single volume; Mr. Veronico truly outdid himself here. I heartily recommend this excellent book.

This book is a solid cut above most of the breed, very well written and adorned with first-class drawings and photographs. The only element of the Stratocruiser story it overlooks is the fascinating tale of hidden US goverment financial support for the airlines that purchased it, which is covered in Ernest K. Gann's 1974 book "Flying Circus."

It's a real tragedy that no Stratocruisers were preserved; it seems I was just born too late.

Boeing's model 377 was originally developed from the B-29 bomber that flew so effectively during World War II. The four-engine civilian passenger liner model was named "Stratocruiser" and bridged the gap for Boeing in its transition from war-time bomber production to the development of the all-jet 707 in the late 1950s. The Stratocruiser set the standards for airborne luxury travel and ushered in a romantic era in the golden age of commercial aviation. Highly recommended for all aviation history enthusiasts and the ninth volume of the outstanding AirlinerTech series, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser's text is enhanced with 160 photos and line art, including eight pages of color photography.

I doubt if anyone could do a better job than recalling the details on this commercial aircraft from an era sadly gone by. My mother's sister, who lived in California, made several trips to the UK in this aircraft and I remember going to Prestwick airport as a lad of 8 and ogling at this huge 'plane.

In 2003 I started writing White Stag to Queen's Pawn under the ndp of Martin MacDowall currently available on Amazon. The fate of the Stratocruiser figures large in the opening sequences of this book and without Nicholas Veronica's excellent descriptivness of this aircraft the authenticity of the appropriate passages would have been lacking.

The vivid detail of the Pratt & Whitney radial engines was first class and I used some of Mr. Veronica's descriptivness in my novel. I have, of course, acknowledged Mr. Veronica at the back of the book and thank him for his quick replies to my occasional e-mail.

Well done Sir!

This book is truely a must have item if you want to know all about a beautiful Boeing Airliner of yesteryear This book really is very informitive & is full of great pictures of the mighty "Stratocruiser" a true "QUEEN" of the SKIES that left to early in HER life! It takes your interest from page to page.The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation from Toms River NJ now ownes & operates one of the last surviving "STRATS" that is still AIRWORTHY! This is the military version the C-97G that flew with the USAF & SAC n the 50's& 60's.Truely a one of a kind great Propliner from the past! (...)