Your uncle was recently fortunate enough to have a guided tour of Boeing's superbly restored Model 307 Stratoliner. With the rain hammering down on the roof of the old hangar (originally built for the B-29 flight test programme) where it is hidden at Boeing Field, trustee Mark Kempton explained the link between the world's first fully pressurized, four engined airliner and the BBJs sitting outside. Although restored to the colours of Pan American World Airways, which first flew the "Clipper Flying Cloud" in 1940, Kempton says it once flew as the personal transport of Haiti's "Pap Doc" Duvalier. Howard Hughes liked the 307 so much he wanted to buy one from TWA. When the airline refused, Hughes bought the entire airline instead! "It's basically Boeing's original concept BBJ, except this is the BBP - Boeing Business Prop", says Kempton.
Source: Flight International
