Bat Project 72011 Boeing S-307/SB-307B Stratoliner US Passenger Aircraft

Note: Rare find! The premium price of this kit reflects its absolute exclusivity—the worldwide production run is strictly limited to just 150 pieces. Given the niche appeal of the real aircraft, it's highly unlikely any mainstream manufacturer will ever tool up a Stratoliner, ensuring the collector's value of this release will only go up.

Boeing S-307/SB-307B Stratoliner US Passenger Aircraft

In 1935, the Boeing Aircraft Company designed a four-engine commercial transport derived from its B-17 heavy bomber, developing the project under the designation Model 307 Stratoliner. In an unprecedented move for an airliner of its class, the aircraft incorporated a pressurized cabin, enabling a significant increase in operational ceiling. Boeing engineers designed the Stratoliner to cruise safely above 25,000 feet, clearing severe atmospheric turbulence and adverse weather. It also became the first land-based commercial transport to include a flight engineer as part of the flight crew. The maiden flight of the prototype Model 307 (registration NX19901) took place on December 31, 1938, from Boeing Field in Seattle.

The passenger cabin offered an advanced standard of comfort, configured to accommodate 33 passengers in daytime seating or 16 in convertible sleeper berths. Pan American Airways System, widely known as Pan Am, served as the launch customer, taking delivery of three S-307 production aircraft. Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) acquired five SA-307B variants. An additional custom-built SB-307B (registration NX19904) was delivered to billionaire industrialist and aviator Howard Hughes, who intended to fly the aircraft on a round-the-world record attempt to surpass his own mark of 91 hours and 14 minutes.

Both trunk carriers launched scheduled commercial service in early July 1940. Pan Am deployed its fleet out of Florida on routes serving the Caribbean and South America, while TWA inaugurated transcontinental passenger service linking New York and California.

Following the United States' entry into World War II, TWA's five Stratoliners were impressed into military service with the U.S. Army Air Forces under the designation C-75. Pan Am’s aircraft remained under civilian operation, flying wartime strategic transport routes under military contract. At the conclusion of hostilities, the aircraft were returned to their commercial operators. Several airframes remained active well into the mid-1970s before being retired strictly due to structural aging and flight safety considerations.

Technical Specifications of the Boeing S-307

• Length — 74.34 ft
• Wingspan — 107.22 ft
• Height — 20.80 ft
• Wing area — 1,485 sq ft
• Empty weight — 29,996 lb
• Maximum take-off weight — 45,000 lb
• Powerplant — 4 × Wright Cyclone GR-1820-G102A radial engines, 1,100 hp each
• Maximum speed — 246 mph
• Service ceiling — 26,198 ft
• Operational range — 2,390 miles
• Crew — 5
• Passenger capacity — up to 33 passengers