January 1945 - Boeing's C-97 set a new record on the Seattle to Washington route

This new super cargo and troop transport for the Air Forces is capable of carrying more than 100 fully equipped troops for long distances at high speed. 

Details of the plane's performances, operating range, etc., are restricted, but the C-97 is larger, faster and will carry a greater load farther than any other military land transport. It has a maximum speed of well over 300  mph. 

Wings, tail surfaces and landing gear are identical to those of the B-29, but the volume, 10,000 cubic feet, is more than twice that of the B-29. It has usable cargo space almost equal to that of two caverage railway box cars. It utilized the Boeing "117" low-drag  wing and other aerodynamic advancements proved on the B-29. 

The C-97 is powered by four 18-cylinder Wright Cyclone engines, the same as those used on the B-29. They drive four-bladed Hamilton Standard propellers. The plane is 110 feet, four inches long, 12 feet longer than the B-29. It has a wing-spread of 141 feet, three inches, the same as the Superfortress. Its design gross weight is 120,000 pounds. Payload is 25,000 pounds. 

A unique feature of the C-97 is a pair of large loading doors which open under the rear of the fuselage with a drive-up ramp which is let down from within. The ramp is self-contained and is retracted by an electrically powered hoist eliminating the necessity for special equipment on the field to load or unload the plane. Two fully-loaded ton and one-half 'trucks can be driven up the ramp and into the airplane with room for other equipment or cargo, or two light tanks can be accommodated. The cargo hoist operates on a ceiling rail along the entire length of the fuselage. 

To facilitate loading and unloading, the powered traverse hoist operates directly over the main loading doors so that a truck can be backed under it or loads can be picked up direct from the ground. Latest de-velopments in cargo tie-down systems are included, making obsolete systems of ropes and nets.