National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Commercial Aviation
December 15, 2003 – Permanent
Flying was new and daring in the early years of the 20th century and traveling by airplane was rare. Airlines, airliners, airports, air routes—none of these existed. But by century's end, you could travel to almost anywhere in America by air in a matter of hours. Commercial aviation is now both a commonplace and an essential aspect of modern life. Some of the aircraft that marked important points in the evolution of air transportation are on view:
- Junkers Ju 52/3m, a popular German airliner of the 1930s
- Boeing 307 Stratoliner, the first pressurized airliner
- Boeing 367-80 Dash 80, the prototype for the Boeing 707, America's first commercial jet airliner
- Air France Concorde Fox Alpha, the first supersonic airliner
Boeing 367-80 Jet Transport
