Cargo Canoe (Dec, 1947)
Cargo Canoe can be detached from the bottom of the fuselage in less than two minutes and towed to the terminal by tractor. Used on Eastern Air Lines’ 60-passenger Constellations, it accommodates 8,000 pounds of baggage and greatly facilitates handling. This photo shows “skycaps” removing bags from the detachable compartment at Newark, N. J., airport after the “Connie’s” four-hour, non-stop flight from Miami, Florida.
I guess the idea is similar to “drop tanks”, only you don’t want to drop this one in flight.