Category: Boeing 707

The battle between the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 was yet another of the classic duels between competing manufacturers during the 1950s. In the end Boeing would be the winner but a portion of the responsibility for this must like with the mercurial Pan American that initially had ordered both types.

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Western to World: Seaboard's Golden Sixties

27/2/2018

By 1960 Seaboard and Western had seen both the highs and lows. It had grown from a charter airline to the USA's selected scheduled freight airline across the Atlantic, a market that it dominated. Unfortunately however it was also in a perilous financial state. Fortunately under new leadership the 1960s would prove to be a prosperous time for the carrier, which constantly led the field in all freight operations.

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The Last Pax 707s: Saha's Tanker Troopers

15/8/2017

The rather hilariously named "axis of evil" countries have certainly been a boon for the aviation enthusiast. If you can swallow your values you can travel to North Korea and sample some classic Russian types, or more plausibly you can visit the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran is hardly in the same stable as the DPRK and until relatively recently was a mecca for enthusiasts hoping to get a trip on the Boeing 707.

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All Around the World: Lan's Air Cruises

30/7/2017

Round the world flights were a feature of several major airlines route networks (Pan Am for example) and at times some airlines had also operated round the world charters to more obscure destinations (TWA did at least one using a 707), however nobody can match the impressive series of Cruceros del Aire (“Air Cruises”) run by Lan Chile between 1985 and 1989.

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Ecuatoriana Pt2: Rainbow Fleet

8/6/2016

Ecuatoriana dazzled the aviation world with its amazing special livery variations during the 1970s, as we saw in part 1. From 1979 however the airline began to standardise its colours though it did it with style and plenty of colour. Despite the outward appearance of beauty, as with many other latin american national airlines there was something rotten at the core of the airline, which would threaten its very survival into the 1990s.

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Ecuatoriana - Jungle Jet Masterpieces

7/6/2016

Special schemes are everywhere nowadays but back in the 70s Ecuatoriana produced a fleet of special schemes which have never been rivalled! Faced with competing against a myriad of colourful Braniff jets plus their colourful Calder 'Colours of South America' DC-8 the national airline of Ecuador produced a series of amazing schemes to emblazon their fleet of ex-Pan Am Boeing 720s and 707s with.

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Sunjet 707s: BWIA in the 1970s

6/5/2016

Trinidad and Tobago is a wonderful island group which for many years had the most important airline in the Caribbean - British West Indies Airways. BWIA entered the 1970s after a troubled decade in which it had gradually come under 100% government ownership. The 1970s would see a change in management that would lead to the airline's renaissance but profits and national airlines don't often mix in relation to smaller countries and it was to be a false dawn.

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Hispaniolan Highlight: Dominicana

17/12/2015

Many Latin American nations have long aviation histories thanks to pioneering immigrants and the not always benign influence of Pan Am. The Dominican Republic is one such country, which grew a modern and well run national airline only to see it collapse in on itself as corruption and competition took their toll. Compania Dominicana de Aviacion was founded as early as May 4, 1944, one of a string of airlines within Latin America that Pan Am helped found and held a stake in (40% in this case).

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Air Madagascar Pt1: The Traveller's Guide

2/11/2015

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and a biodiversity hotspot like no other. Since the end of WW2 aircraft operations from the island have gradually spread their wings, even as the nation has gone through its fair share of turbulence. In part 1 we take a look at the airline's development through to 1979. Incidentally the logo of Air Madagascar depicts the Traveler's Palm which got its name because of the reservoir of pure water at the bottom of each leaf stalk and its alleged ability to guide travellers by aligning itself east-west.

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Air Lanka: A Taste of Paradise?

30/9/2015

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Air Lanka tookover from its predecessor Air Ceylon as Sri Lanka itself entered a period of turmoil, which would last for over twenty years. Throughout that entire period the white Peacock of Air Lanka would continue to connect the nation to the world, focusing on service if not always punctuality (the airline's designator UL was cheekily expanded to 'Usually Late' by detractors). The workhorse of the fleet was Lockheed's trusty Tristar and I well remember seeing them at Gatwick as a child providing a splash of colour and "a taste of paradise".

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American 720 or 707-123B: An HF Aerial Puzzle

27/9/2015

I investigate the history of every of the over 1000 models in my 1:400 scale collection and regularly in doing so I learn new things about the airlines and aircraft the models depict. Way back in February 2014 I acquired an American Airlines model registered N7551A. In the model databases (and on its box) it is listed as a Boeing 720 whilst it is also missing its HF tail antenna (the spike at the tail top that the 707 is well known for) like some 720s did. But is it really a 720 at all?

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British Midland Pt1: The Friendly Independent

22/7/2015

The history of British Midland Airways dates all the way back to 1938. It grew gradually through the 1950s and 60s into a respectable independent airline. For many years during the 1970-90s the airline was a beacon of how to run an independent airline in the UK. It is a shame therefore that its recent passing seemed to go without a great deal of mourning, for its history was diverse, successful and interesting.

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Braniff Jellybean Pt3: Red

16/6/2015

In comparison to the greens and blues red is an easy Jellybean colour since there was only one version used. In fact red didn't even feature as a 'End of the Plain Plane' shade until the 1967 H&G refresh. All the earlier 7 shades were much more pastelly. Despite this late start red would go on to be one of the most popular of the colours used and I must say it does look superb.

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Braniff Jellybeans Pt2: The Blues

15/6/2015