Leaving aside the Viscount, which as a turbo-prop is a completely different generation of aircraft to the DC6 and DC7 and an excellent aircraft that I have actually travelled on several times, although every Viscount that I have flown on was not configured like the photo but in a normal 2 X 3 all Y class arrangement, there was a downside to flying in this so-called 'Golden Age' of the 1950's. Those piston engine aircraft (DC6, DC7, Stratocruiser) were very noisy inside. They vibrated. They were poorly pressurised causing ear -ache. They were slow. They flew at lower altitudes and therefore flew through rather than over bad weather. Those piston engines had a habit of catching fire in flight. It was little wonder that the airlines went to great lengths to ensure the comfort of passengers.
I always felt safer in planes with piston engines and propellers. They could safely fly into a flock of birds and it was extremely rare for an engine to just suddenly stop - “flame outs” are quite common with jet engines.
Leaving aside the Viscount, which as a turbo-prop is a completely different generation of aircraft to the DC6 and DC7 and an excellent aircraft that I have actually travelled on several times, although every Viscount that I have flown on was not configured like the photo but in a normal 2 X 3 all Y class arrangement, there was a downside to flying in this so-called 'Golden Age' of the 1950's.
Those piston engine aircraft (DC6, DC7, Stratocruiser) were very noisy inside. They vibrated. They were poorly pressurised causing ear -ache. They were slow. They flew at lower altitudes and therefore flew through rather than over bad weather. Those piston engines had a habit of catching fire in flight. It was little wonder that the airlines went to great lengths to ensure the comfort of passengers.
I flew from Washington DC to SAN Francisco in 1957. How long did that journey take? R
I always felt safer in planes with piston engines and propellers. They could safely fly into a flock of birds and it was extremely rare for an engine to just suddenly stop - “flame outs” are quite common with jet engines.