1949 | Transportation
Transportation
An Air Force XB-47 jet bomber sets a new U.S. transcontinental speed record February 8, crossing the country in 3 hours, 46 minutes at an average speed of 607 miles per hour (see Doolittle, 1922; Glenn, 1957).
Air Force pilots flying the B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II complete the first nonstop round-the-world flight March 2 (see 1947). They have refueled in midair and arrive at Fort Worth, Tex., after a 23,452-mile flight of 94 hours, 1 minute.
The de Havilland Comet flown in Britain is the first civil jet transport (see 1948; transatlantic service, 1958).
Chicago's O'Hare Airport receives that name November 8 to honor the late Lieut. Commander Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare, U.S. Navy, who earned a Congressional Medal of Honor in 1942 for shooting down five Japanese bombers and crippling a sixth to save the carrier Lexington but died in 1943 at age 29. Originally called Orchard Place, O'Hare will surpass Chicago's Midway Airport by 1961 to become the world's busiest air travel facility; by 1972 it will be handling 2,000 flights per day and a decade later will have to expand once again.
Pacific Southwest Airlines is founded to provide intra-state service in California. It will grow by 1978 to be the nation's largest commuter airline, serving Burbank, Fresno, Hollywood, Lake Tahoe, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Monterey, Oakland, Ontario, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Stockton with more than 200 flights per day at competitive fares.
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy's California Zephyr begins service March 20 on the 50-hour run between Chicago and San Francisco (see 1934). Using tracks of the Burlington, the Rio Grande, and the Western Pacific railroads, it has sleeping cars, a dining car, hostesses ("Zephyrettes"), and five glass-canopied "Vista-Dome" coaches for sightseeing on every train.
A Japanese train wreck August 17 kills three persons. Someone has removed a length of rail, and 20 workers are arrested on charges of sabotage; 14 are Communist Party members. The government was about to announce a mass layoff of workers and uses the incident to suppress the railway workers' union; it is widely believed that U.S. occupation authorities are involved, and Japan's Supreme Court will exonerate the convicted men, but not until 1963.
A federal court convicts General Motors, Standard Oil of California, Firestone Tire, and other companies of criminal conspiracy to supplant electric transit lines with gasoline or diesel buses (see 1932; 1936; 1938). GM has replaced more than 100 electric transit systems in 45 cities with GM buses and will continue this program despite the court action (the company is fined $5,000, its treasurer $1) (see 1955).
U.S. auto production reaches 5.1 million and catches up after 20 years with the 1929 record.
Nash Motor Co. introduces front-seat lap belts bolted to its car frames as optional equipment (see Studebaker, 1964).
Germany's Volkswagen resumes large-scale commercial production and introduces its cars into the United States at $800 per vehicle, but only two of the odd-looking "beetles" are sold in America (see 1947; 1953; 1955).
Saab-Scania AB is founded in Sweden to compete with the 22-year-old Volvo group, but its chief initial focus is on aircraft engines, not motorcars (see 1948).
The Huffy Convertible bicycle introduced by Huffman Manufacturing Co. is the first bike to bear the name Huffy (see 1936). Its rear training wheels with foot steps revolutionize the children's market and will help make Huffy the world's largest-selling brand of bicycle.