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During the later part of the WWII, Boeing developed the C-97 transport aircraft using the the wings and tail surfaces of the B-29. It first flew on November 9, 1944. After the war, the C-97 was developed into an aerial tanker for the U.S. Air Force. 888 of the C/KC-97 series were built. The model 377, "Strato Cruiser", A commercial passenger conversion of the C-97, made its first flight in July of 1947, On April 1, 1949, Pan American Airlines inaugurated service with the Stratocruiser on a flight from San Francisco to Honolulu.
The main selling point of the Stratocruiser was its comfortable passenger accommodations. Ths Stratocruiser, with its double lobe fuselage and pressurized cabin, accommodated 52-60 passengers in first class luxury.
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