In the March 2021 issue of REFLECTIONS, Bruce Kitt continues the discussion of the evolution of Northwest’s logo through the 1930s and 1940s. From September 1947 into 1949, the logo was featured on timetables, company documents, and even cabin ware – but never flew.
A postcard promoting the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser then on order gives us an idea of what the proposed scheme would have looked like on an aircraft:
If the Stratocruiser had been delivered on its original 1947 schedule, it may well have left Seattle in this scheme. It’s understood company staff weren’t too enthusiastic about it, and from the 21st Century we can criticize it for being imbalanced and unimaginative. However, flip the blue stripe 180 degrees so it fully covers the lower rear of the fuselage, and it starts to become the classic 1950s scheme…
