Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
N1024V, L/n 15924
The third Stratocruiser built, N1024V first flew on 7 October 1948, but was retained by Boeing for tests with Clipper America titles before delivery as Clipper Bald Eagle on 12 June 1949. It carried Japanese politicians to the signing of the San Francisco Treaty on 8 September 1951, which was the final instrument of peace between the US and Japan. Later renamed Clipper Kathay and used mainly in the Pacific. It remained in service long enough to wear the ‘White Crown’ colours introduced on the 707. Withdrawn in 1960 and stored at Miami, it was sold to Aero Spacelines and converted to 377G Pregnant Guppy configuration in 1962 with an outsize new fuselage and used to deliver sections of Saturn rockets for NASA. As N126AJ it was sold to American Jet Industries and broken up for spares in 1979.