In 1936 the "Big Five" U. S. airlines Pan American, United, American, Eastern, Transcontinental & Western Air hatched a plan for a Douglas four-engined super-airplane. They agreed to pool their knowledge and to share the expense of development. Meanwhile, they also agreed to a limitation of airliners: pending the result of the joint effort none of the lines would put in service ships of the projected size (43,000 Ib. to 75,000 lb.). While they had their heads together, T. W. A.'s Captain Daniel W. Tomlinson was working on plans for substratosphere flying for...
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