Boeing 747-100 (N134TW) Old Colors
TWA went back to Douglas Company and commissioned a new airliner - the Douglas DC-2. TWA placed an order for 20 of the aircraft in September 1933 and was the launch airline for the type. The DC-2 entered service on TWA's New York to Columbus segment of the Trans-continental route on 18 May 1934 and was an immediate success. It proved superior to UAL's Boeing 247 and so TWA ordered more of the type and introduced it on the Los Angeles - New York route with flights three times daily. The passengers loved the DC-2. The trans-continental route was the USA's major route and had four major airlines in direct competition (United, American, TWA and Eastern). The domestic airliner market was based around the airline needs for this coast-to-coast route and the competition was fierce. The Boeing 247 vs. Douglas DC-2 competition was the start of a commercial need for faster and more comfortable airliners on this route network and all four airlines fought to win passengers. TWA introduced the USA's first trans-continental non-stop service in 1935 using DC-2s although this was only non-stop eastbound, with the prevailing winds. By 1937 United Air Lines had introduced the new Douglas Sleeper Transport (DC-3) and TWA successfully purchased a fleet of these DC-3s with beds and comfort to compete with UAL on the New York to California route. The DC-3 DSTs were a great success for the airlines using them and the Dakota story is a history lesson in itself. TWA were always looking ahead though and in 1937 they collaborated with Pan American Airways and Boeing Company to build a new four-engined airliner with a new angle - it was to be pressurised allowing it to fly higher above any weather. This was the Boeing Type 307 Stratoliner and it was developed quickly because it came from the Boeing 299 (B-17) Flying Fortress bomber design. TWA flew it's airliners with the title The TRANSCONTINENTAL Line - as seen below on the 307 and the two DC-2s. The Boeings were delivered from 1940 but due to the war TWA only introduced the Boeing SA307b on the trans-continental route on 15 February 1946. The five TWA aircraft were used extensively until the USA entered the war from which time they were flown by TWA crews for the USAAF Air Transport Command and designated C-75 aircraft. By 1940 TWA was carrying about 370,000 passengers, a similar load to United but less than half that of American Airlines. The Boeing 307 once again caused TWA's competitors to search for a new trans-continental airliner to replace their DSTs. In 1946 the Douglas DC-4 was the aircraft they chose so in 1947 TWA introduced the Lockheed L.049 Constellation to compete with the DC-4 and the very new DC-6. In July 1945 TWA was awarded routes on the North Atlantic with extensions to China. On 5 December 1945 TWA flew it's first flight to Europe on a Washington to Paris service using Constellations.
Boeing 767 (N651TW)
On 17 May 1950 Transcontinental & Western Air changed it's name to Trans World Airlines. Two new European points were flown in 1950 - Frankfurt and London. The London-Heathrow route was typical of the 'across the pond' routes with Connies flying from New York via Gander, Shannon to London. Trans-continental competition continued with the Douglas DC6-B longer-haul airliner. TWA purchased the Lockheed L1049C Super Constellation in response to the new DC6-B planes used by it's competitors, especially American Airlines. The Super Connies flew on the trans-continental route non-stop in October 1953 on the new 'Ambassador' service and it took 8 hours eastbound. Westbound it flew against the prevailing winds and stopped at Chicago for refueling. American Airlines countered the Super Connie threat with the Douglas DC-7, introduced in 1954 so TWA introduced the 'Super G' variant of the Super Constellation a year later in 1955. TWA used a second-line domestic fleet of DC-2s, DSTs (DC-3), and the newer Martin 4-0-4 twin. These were used mainly to feed the main trans-continental coast-to-coast route hubs on TWA's domestic network. In 1956 TWA placed orders for Boeing 707s and Convair 880s but with the long-haul Douglas DC-7C piston airliner introduced by competitor airlines on the trans-continental route TWA purchased a short-term stop-gap airliner, the lastest Connie variant - the L1649 Starliner. But it's life with TWA was short-lived as the Jets were coming. TWA's Jet Age started with a single Boeing 707-120 medium-haul jet. To counter American Airlines' own new domestic Boeing 707 services TWA took a chance and introduced it's own Boeing 707-120 on the trans-continental route on 23 March 1959. The gamble was a success and the single jet flew reliably until a further 7 series 100 jets were delivered. Long-haul Boeing 707-331B jets were also ordered and used on international routes to Europe and Hong Kong. The 707s were delivered in a new TWA livery with a large red arrow-cheatline and bold TWA titles. TWA Boeing 707 sits at Heathrow alongside another 707 owned by it's international rival, Pan American. The 30 Convair 880 jets didn't begin delivery until 12 January 1961 due to financial difficulties. Howard Hughes was one of the airline's biggest shareholders and had a controlling interest in TWA. The airline made moves to regain control and this was what caused the financial delays. By the early 1960s the TWA Jet livery was modified with twin globes encompassing the TWA title. By 1961 TWA had become a major freight transport airline carrying 4000 tonnes over 90 million miles in that year. For a US carrier this was only slightly less than Pan American and the pure-freight airline, Seaboard World. TWA used specially configured Boeing 707-331C jets with side cargo doors for pure-freight operations. They flew under the banner TWA - CARGOJET. TWA became a pure-jet airline during the 1960s with the exception of a single piston aircraft - a Fairchild C-82 'Flying Boxcar' (the civil variant of the military 'Jet Packet'. This aircraft flew outsized loads around the world and from 1969 it flew the original Jumbo-Jet engines to TWA's original fleet of 747s which often had failed engines. During the 1960s TWA introduced several domestic jets including the Boeing 727-100. And the Douglas DC-9. Several versions were used including the series 32, the series 41 and the short-body series 15.
Boeing 767 (N632TW) New Colors
1969 saw TWA inaugurate a 'Round-the-World' service along with the introduction of the new Boeing 747-100 Jumbo-Jet. TWA was the first airline to fly a Jumbo into London-Heathrow and to Europe generally. By 1972 TWA had also introduced the medium-haul Tristar 100 widebody jet. Although it was intended for use domestically it could fly long-haul and was later to be used extensively on the European routes. Toward the end of the 1970s TWA introduced a new red-fin livery with titles 'TRANS WORLD' replacing the older TWA. Toward the end of the 1970s TWA purchased two Boeing 747-SP special performance long-haul jumbos. These short and pointy jets were used internationally often to the Middle East and occasionally to Europe. 1982 saw TWA introduce the Boeing 767 series 200 jet with 767-300ER jets to follow. 1986 saw TWA acquire the US domestic carrier, Ozark Airlines. In the 1990s a slimming down of TWA's routes and equipment. The extensive USA to London-Heathrow routes, which TWA had flown since the 1950s, were sold off to American Airlines in 1991. By the early 1990s TWA was suffering financial difficulties but by 1995 it had emerged from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection and became part-owned by the airline's employees. 1995 also saw a new livery introduced as seen below on the newMD-80, MD-82 and MD-83 jets. A year later in 1996 Boeing 757-200 jets were purchased. The airline had plans to purchase Airbus A330 long-haul jets but the airline continues to fly old types like the Boeing 747-100.... and even the early model Boeing 727-100. TWA leased an MD-80 which was sponsored by the proud employees of the airline. It flew in a special 'Wings of Pride' red livery and had subtitles 'Sponsored by the Employee - Owners of TWA' along the fuselage. And following the 1990s trend for attracting extra revenue with plane painting / advertising TWA one of the airline's Boeing 727-200ADV jets was partially repainted for the football team The Rams. The most important long-haul jetliner to be built until the Boeing 747 replaced it in 1969 was the Boeing 707. TWA used it's fleet of Boeing 707-331B jets until the early 1980s when they were finally retired in the Mojave desert. TWA had a very large fleet of Boeing 707s and domestically and internationally TWA will doubtless be remembered as one of the world's most well known 707 operators - the icon of international travel for the 1960s decade. TWA continue to make poor financial progress. In 2001 while trying to fight off bankruptcy TWA was taken over by American Airlines.
