Boeing 307 Stratoliner NX19901 1939 Prototype Photo
4.50x2.75in Boeing FieldThe World's First Pressurized Airliner...
Photographed Weeks Before Its Fatal Test FlightDESCRIPTIONThis is an original vintage photograph of NX19901, the Boeing 307 Stratoliner prototype, on the ramp at Boeing Field in Seattle sometime between its first flight on December 31 1938 and its fatal crash on March 18 1939.The Stratoliner was the world's first pressurized commercial airliner, capable of cruising above 20,000 feet, well over the weather that grounded every other airliner of its day.Every pressurized airliner flying today traces its lineage back to what Boeing proved with this exact aircraft. The photo shows ground crew and onlookers in period clothing gathered near the inboard engines, with the registration NX19901 clearly legible on both the wing and the tail. This particular airframe existed for only 80 days.On March 18 1939 it crashed near Alder, Washington during a demonstration flight for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines representatives, killing all ten aboard, including Boeing test pilots, engineers, and a TWA representative.The investigation traced the cause to rudder lock during an engine-out maneuver, and the redesign that followed, a larger vertical stabilizer and rudder, was later carried over onto the B-17E and every subsequent B-17 built. This photo comes from the AIRPHOTOS archive of Jamestown, New York, stamped and numbered on the verso (Photo No. 2756) with the Richard L. Seely Aero Literature imprint, placing it in a documented mid-century aviation photography distribution chain.The photograph has been archivally scanned at 600dpi so all documentation, provenance markings, and detail are preserved. Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives.If any listing is incorrect in any way and you're unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I'll make it right.Orders placed before Noon CDT will ship same day Ground Advantage with tracking so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. Rigid, professional packaging on all shipments, sealed and protected in acid free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONOriginal period photographic print, gelatin silver, on Kodak paper stock as noted by the verso watermark.Image is clean and well defined with the registration numbers and ground crew sharply legible.Corners and edges appear intact with light handling wear consistent with age and archival storage. Verso carries the AIRPHOTOS Box 1117 Jamestown NY stamp, the Photo No. 2756 designation, the Richard L. Seely Aero Literature imprint, and a period hand notation of the registration in blue ink.No tears, creases, or losses are visible in the archival scan. Please review the included 600dpi scan for full detail before purchase, as this is what you are purchasing.
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