Invisible Themepark

Category: 1950s

Cutaways from the 1950s (1950 to 1959).

  • British DeHavilland Comet Passenger Jet, 1950

    British DeHavilland Comet Passenger Jet, 1950

     

    In 1950, easy passenger jet travel was still a dream that could excite the public.  The deHavilland Comet was still in its infancy when, for a test flight, it flew from London to North Africa, a distance of 3,000 miles, at a top speed of 450 miles per hour.

    See Another Cutaway View of a Comet, 1950

    The Comet was designed for maximum passenger (and crew) comfort and safety, with feature unheard of in today’s jets:  separate room for hats and coats, gender-segregated washrooms, a dinghy stored in the wing, a First Class front cabin, large galley, and a room for stewardesses.

    The Comet officially took off for regular passenger service on May 2, 1952.  But the Comet was not destined for great things.  Within only a year, the deHavilland Comet first crashed, a victim of metal fatigue.  The accident in Karachi, Pakistan, which killed 11 people, bestowed a new distinction on the Comet:  the first passenger jetliner crash resulting in fatalities.

    Click to Enlarge to 1526 x 700 px:

    British DeHavilland Comet Passenger Jet, 1950
    British DeHavilland Comet Passenger Jet, 1950

    Popular Mechanics:  April 1950

  • Walker Bulldog T-41 Tank Cutaway, 1951

    Walker Bulldog T-41 Tank Cutaway, 1951

    Walker Bulldog T-41 Tank Cutaway, 1951
    Walker Bulldog T-41 Tank Cutaway, 1951

    The Walker Bulldog tank was named after General Walton Walker who served in World Wars I and II and the Korean War.  He was killed in a car accident in Korea in 1950.

    The Bulldog was a fast, lightweight tank that could reach speeds of 40 mph under its 51,000 pounds of weight.  It was made at Cadillac’s tank plant near Cleveland, OH.

    Source: Popular Mechanics October 1951

  • House Cutaway Showing Movement of Water Vapor, 1951

    House Cutaway Showing Movement of Condensation 1951
    House Cutaway Showing Movement of Condensation 1951

    This is a cutaway drawing from 1951 showing how water vapor moves throughout a house.

    Source:  Popular Mechanics, September 1951

  • Oceanliner Cristoforo Columbo Cutaway, 1955

    Oceanliner Cristoforo Columbo Cutaway, 1955
    Oceanliner Cristoforo Columbo Cutaway, 1955

    Behold, in all its gigantic 2500 x 1060 px glory, the oceanliner Cristoforo Columbo from 1955.

    This 29,100 ton Italian Line ship provided 703 tourist class, 225 first class, and 320 cabin class cabins.

    It’s a Rolf Klep masterpiece, part of a larger LIFE double spread that included an Super-G Constellation in the upper left.  I’ve done my best to stitch it together from separate images.

    Source:  LIFE June 27, 1955

  • Super-G Constellation Cutway, 1955

    Super-G Constellation Cutaway, 1955
    Super-G Constellation Cutaway, 1955

    A fine cutway from 1955 by famed illustrator Rolf Klep, of a Super-G Constellation.

    This is actually part of an amazing double-spread from a LIFE magazine, showing both this aircraft and the oceanliner Cristoforo Columbo.

    Accompanying text notes that the Constellation had a flexible seating arrangement.  In this drawing, tourist class passengers occupied the forward compartment, while first class passengers enjoyed reclining seats with foot rests in the middle compartment.

    The Super G was produced from 1951 to 1958.

    Source: LIFE Jun 27, 1955