The National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport is the companion facility to the Museum on the National Mall. The building opened in December, 2003, and provides enough space for the Smithsonian to display the thousands of aviation and space artifacts that cannot be exhibited on the National Mall. The two sites together showcase the largest collection of aviation and space artifacts in the world.
National Air and Space Museum - Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Dulles International Air, Fairfax, Virginia - Boeing 307 Stratoliner Clipper Flying Cloud - First flown in late 1938, the Boeing 307 was the first airliner with a pressurized fuselage. It could comfortably carry 33 passengers and cruise at 20,000 feet while maintaining a cabin pressure of 8,000 feet. This allowed the Stratoliner to fly above most bad weather, thereby providing a faster and smoother ride. The Stratoliner incorporated the wings, tail, and engines of the Boeing B-17C bomber. The fuselage was fitted with sleeper berths and reclining seats. Ten Stratoliners were built five were purchased by TWA, three by Pan American Airways and Howard Hughes purchased a heavily modified version for his personal use.
National Air and Space Museum - Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Dulles International Air, Fairfax, Virginia - Boeing 307 Stratoliner Clipper Flying Cloud - First flown in late 1938, the Boeing 307 was the first airliner with a pressurized fuselage. It could comfortably carry 33 passengers and cruise at 20,000 feet while maintaining a cabin pressure of 8,000 feet. This allowed the Stratoliner to fly above most bad weather, thereby providing a faster and smoother ride. The Stratoliner incorporated the wings, tail, and engines of the Boeing B-17C bomber. The fuselage was fitted with sleeper berths and reclining seats. Ten Stratoliners were built five were purchased by TWA, three by Pan American Airways and Howard Hughes purchased a heavily modified version for his personal use.