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#Onthisday in 1950, the Martin 4-0-4 took off on its maiden flight. The Martin 4-0-4 was designed to be a pressurized postwar replacement for the aging Douglas DC-3. It had a cabin capacity for forty passengers, a medium range, and could be turned over quickly between flights with the use of a built-in air-stair for easy passenger loading and unloading at the lower tail section. Eastern Air Lines ordered sixty of the 4-0-4 and introduced the aircraft in 1951, with scheduled service commencing in early 1952. The airliner was easy to service, reliable, and had a relatively quiet and comfortable cabin compared to the DC-3. TWA (Trans World Airlines) was the only other major carrier to order the airliner, and operated a fleet of forty. Eastern operated the 4-0-4 primarily on its eastern U.S. routes over the next decade and branded the service as the “Silver Falcon.” Image: Eastern Air Lines postcard, Silver Falcon, c. 1951. Gift of Thomas G. Dragges in memory of Robert May. 2001.109.148
This image was posted on October 21, 2019.