Boeing Stratocruiser Cutaway, 1952

Click Image For Full 1636 x 781 px Size In 1952, the 67.5 ton Boeing Stratocruiser cost a (then) whopping $1.5 million.  With a 3,000 mile range, this craft–first delivered to PanAm–offered up luxury as few commercial passengers had seen before:  a galley, a lower-deck lounge, sleeping berths, a forward stateroom, and more. Truly a case… Continue reading Boeing Stratocruiser Cutaway, 1952

Triple Deck Auto Transport Plane Cutaway, 1952

  A lovely 3-color cutaway by Popular Science stalwart, technical illustrator Ray Piotch, of the Blackburn Universal Freighter (“BUF”). The BUF had two lower freight decks that could accommodate 6-8 autos, depending on size, and an upper deck for 42 passengers. This hulking beast wasn’t known for its speed, though, reaching a maximum of 180… Continue reading Triple Deck Auto Transport Plane Cutaway, 1952

B-24 Liberator Bomber Cutaway Drawing, 1943

B-24 Liberator Bomber Cutaway 1943

Naturally, in the popular press of the time, Consolidated Vultee’s B-24 Liberator bomber would be hailed as a magnificent fighting machine, capable of plowing down any obstacle like cutting through butter. While the B-24 did have its strong points, crew members had a different angle on the craft. Lately, I have been reading Laura Hillenbrand’s… Continue reading B-24 Liberator Bomber Cutaway Drawing, 1943

Atomic Airplane Cutaway, 1951

Atomic Airplane Cutaway 1951

Even though I like Ray Pioch, his 1951 cutaway drawing of this fanciful atomic airplane really isn’t very good.  It’s got the typical middle-of-magazine two-color scheme, and the perspectives within this so-called atomic airplane are all wrong. That said, it was predicted that, by 1980, atomic-powered jets would already be in use.  However, more realistically,… Continue reading Atomic Airplane Cutaway, 1951

Soviet TU-10 Two-Jet Bomber Cutaway, 1951

Soviet TU 10 Two Jet Bomber 1951

This is the Tupolev TU-10 bomber.  I have not been able to find information on this aircraft.  If anyone has leads, please leave information in the comment section. Click to Enlarge Image to 1375 x 745 px: Source:  Popular Science August 1951