# What happened to Howard Hughes's Boeing 307



## T Bolt (Jun 2, 2010)

Howard Hughes owned one of the 10 Boeing 307 made in the late 1930s. He had the interior lavishly rebuilt and named it "The Penthouse" The 307 is based on the B-17 using the same wings and tail. This is what it looks like today!

The Plane Boat | thepirata.com
Superuse.org: Where recycling meets design


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## robwkamm (Jun 2, 2010)

ive seen that boat before . never realized it was Hughes. are any 307s still airworthy out there? good looking plane.


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## vikingBerserker (Jun 2, 2010)

Wow, I'd seen the "boat" before, but had no idea it used to be his plane.


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## RabidAlien (Jun 2, 2010)

They turned his plane into a frikkin BOAT???? Somehow, I feel like I need to take a shower. That's just frikkin WRONG!


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## Matt308 (Jun 2, 2010)

Like others, I've seen the boat... but never realized. Ugh.


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## gumbyk (Jun 2, 2010)

Thats. just. wrong.


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## r2800doublewasp (Jun 3, 2010)

robwkamm said:


> ive seen that boat before . never realized it was Hughes. are any 307s still airworthy out there? good looking plane.



There was one that crashed into a lake after running out of fuel in around 2002(?) but it was restored and put in the Smithsonian Air Museum. I think that was the only airworthy one left.


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## T Bolt (Jun 3, 2010)

r2800doublewasp said:


> There was one that crashed into a lake after running out of fuel in around 2002(?) but it was restored and put in the Smithsonian Air Museum. I think that was the only airworthy one left.



Boeing meticulously restored the last intact Model 307, going so far as having the interior fabric specially woven. The plane flew at least a few times as I''ve seen quite a few pictures of it in flight and there was an article in Air Classics Magazine about the restoration with a lot of post restoration shots. Shortly after I read the article I heard about it ditching in Puget Sound and thought it was all over, but they pulled it out, got it flying again and took it to Dulles International where it's on display at the Smithsonian museum there.
*Picture 1* A post restoration flight
*Pictures 3 4* The ditching
*Picture 4 * A picture I took a year ago at at the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center At Dulles International


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## wheelsup_cavu (Jun 6, 2010)

gumbyk said:


> Thats. just. wrong.



"That's just wrong" is right!!


Wheels


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## Lucky13 (Jun 7, 2010)

How could they!!?? That's just......W-R-O-N-G!! 



Did they only make 10(!) of the 307 Stratocruiser?


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## Vic Balshaw (Jun 7, 2010)

That's AMAZING..................


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## T Bolt (Jun 7, 2010)

Lucky13 said:


> Did they only make 10(!) of the 307 Stratocruiser?



Only ten 

The first one crashed during a demonstration flight.
The second one went to Howard Hughes.
Five went to TWA
Three Went to Pan Am

Only the Boat and the one at Dulles International remain.

Thats 20%....., well maybe 15% asI think counting the boat as 1/2 is generous. Thats a pretty high survival rate for aircraft of that era.

It was a beautiful aircraft. The first airliner with cabin pressurization.


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## Messy1 (Jun 9, 2010)

Yep, read about the Hughes plane getting made into a boat. Just sad!


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