POST-WAR AIRLINERS By mid-1948, the airlines had made most of their decisions with regard to four-engine equipment (already delivered or on definite order for the Constellation, DC-6 or Stratocruiser), but not so with the twin-engine variety. The only postwar two-engine airliner then flying was the M202's by NWA. Five airlines had the CV240 about to enter service (American was the first, in August). The ' CAA gave the scheduled airlines until the end of 1952 to retire the DC-3. United didn t approve of the M3o3 and cancelled their order. The project was dropped by Martin and they tried to make ' a tax-free donation of the one prototype to the Navy. The IRS wouldn t approve of the gift, so Martin destroyed the plane and all of its records in order to qualify for a tax write-off. TWA had seen a number of changes it top management starting with the resignation of Jack Frye Fl1m in February 1947, followed by Paul Richter. Frye became President of General Aniline and Co. LaMotte T. Cohn, who had been the senior member of the TWA Board of Directors, was the President as of 4/24/47. Jack C. Franklin (VP Engineering) took a leave of absence in September, and joined General Aniline. Lou J. Koepnick was named Chief Engineer. On 6/1/48, Cohu resigned ' and took the position as President of Consolidated Vultee. R. C. Loomis, TWA s Engineering Pilot (and head of Domestic Overhaul) resigned and also went with Consolidated Vultee. POST-WAR AIRLINERS During most of the war years TWA operated into 25 domestic stations (service to EWR, HUF and PHX was temporarily suspended). The DAY-DCA route was added in 1943 and TOP as a stop on the transcontinental route in 1944 .1 In May of 1 945, the PIT to BOS route via Albany and Williamsport was authorized. By mid-1948, TWA was operating into 58 stations on its domestic routes. Most of the additions were in the Ohio Valley and to the east, and many were small airports. The DC-3 did a fairly good job, as many stops were less than a half hour flying time apart and the advantage of a pressurized cabin or more speed was not too important (then). It did require the pilots to plan the descent from cruise altitude to landing at 300' per minute and the hostess to remind the passengers to chew on their Chiclets chewing gum (a gift after boarding) to equalize the change in pressure. A number of CV240's had problems with the pressurization system and were operating unpressurized. Since Mid-1943 TWA had been studying every possibility for a DC-3 replacement. All potential aircraft had certain advantages (or disadvantages) as to how it would operate (also considering the cost factors) on the short flight segment. For the first four years after the war, TWA's main objective was to be competitive on the long-haul segments (as well as the International Division) by utilizing the 4-engine equipment (Connies, DC-4s and Stratoliners). The subject of how much severe turbulence an airplane can take and not "come unglued" has always been debatable between engineers who designed the plane, company recommended procedures, CAA/FAA and the pilots who experienced the turbulence. TWA lost two airplanes flying into thunderstorms: a Fokker F-10A (1931), which had more than the usual share of adverse publicity because football coach Knute Rockne was among those killed and in 1944, a TWA DC-3 fell out of a storm near Hanford, Ca, killing all 24 on board. On 8/29/48, a NWA M2o2 literally fell out of the sky after entering a storm area near Winona, Minn., killing all 37 on board. The flight originated from MDW and was letting down for an
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