Flying in the lap of luxury was the hype for Pan American World Airways's Boeing 377 Stratocruiser with its lower-level lounge. The Stratocruiser's first flight was in 1947 and Pan American took charge of 29 in 1949, twenty years before they bought the Boeing 747. Pan American was the first operational airline of both types and each became game-changers.
The large long-range airliner was developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter military transport, itself a derivative of the B-29 Superfortress. Advanced for its day, its innovative features included two passenger decks and a relatively new feature on transport aircraft, a pressurized cabin. Though larger than the Douglas DC-6 and Lockheed Constellation competition, it cost more to buy and operate and the reliability of its complex Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines had issues. Its dominance was short-lived as Boeing's own 707 jet airliner overwhelmed the 377's performance in less than a decade.
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