Stretch Stopgaps: National's Super Sixties

The stretch DC-8 super 61/63s were the first 'Jumbo Jets', indeed Flying Tigers even had that title painted on theirs, and provided not only a second life for the DC-8 itself, but a useful stopgap for airlines looking to increase capacity before widebodies were available. The 1960s saw massive passenger growth across the US system and the super 61 and 63 were ideal since they could seat over 250 passengers, compared to less than 190 in a DC-8-50. Of the major US trunk airlines United, Eastern, Delta and National would all take advantage of the stretch Eight. 

National Airlines famously stole a march on all the other trunk airlines by becoming the first to fly a jet airliner domestically in the USA, by leasing a Pan Am 707 (N710PA) and beginning a Miami-New York route in early October 1958 thus beating American Airlines by a month.  Despite this, it was firmly a Douglas customer and would fly 19 different DC-8s and no other 707s.

Below: A National DC-8-21 in the original Airline of the Stars scheme

Jon Proctor (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2 ), via Wikimedia Commons

At the end of 1968 National retired its last Lockheed Electras and became an all pure-jet airline. In January 1968 the fleet stood at 13 727-35s, 3 727-235s, 3 DC-8-21s, 4 DC-8-32s and 6 DC-8-51s. Boeing 727-235 deliveries would continue apace that year with 22 more arriving during 1968, plus 3 more leased from TWA soon after. 

Above: National's April 1967 route map shows the heavily North-South East coast and Florida-California structure

National had a pair of Boeing 747s on order, more for prestige reasons than due to need, but it was the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 that would become the widebody workhorse on National's transcontinental routes to California from Florida and East Coast trunk routes to Miami. The first DC-10s wouldn't be delivered until November 1971, but to cater for traffic growth National put in an order for a pair of new Douglas DC-8-61s.

Below: N45090 early in her career wearing the Purposeful N scheme

Jon Proctor (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2 ), via Wikimedia Commons

These two aircraft would be registered N45090 and N45091 and arrive 8 months apart from August 1967-April 1968. During that time National would radically change its image as it introduced the Instant Florida livery, commonly referred to as the Sun King or Sunburst scheme.

The new livery replaced National's traditional red and blue colours with orange and grapefruit yellow, plus of course introduced the sun god tail logo. The scheme was introduced on the first 727-200s, which arrived at the end of 1967, and this meant that N45090, National's first DC-8-61, was delivered wearing the previous 'Purposeful N' scheme. 

Below: N45090 repainted into the Instant Florida at LAX in 1968 - note the absence of a 'Fly Me' name

Jon Proctor (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2 ), via Wikimedia Commons

The second DC-8-61 was delivered in bare metal and repainted into the Sun King prior to entering service. At this point none of the aircraft wore names as the infamous 'Fly Me' campaign didn't begin until October 1971. Once it did N45091 would be named 'Christine' and N45090 would become 'Catherine'.

By that time National, despite taking a couple of DC-8s on lease from Airlift International in 1969 for its new Heathrow route, the short DC-8 fleet was on its way out as the DC-10s joined the fleet. The first left the fleet in September 1972 and all had gone by mid-1974. 

By that point the DC-10 fleet stood at 9 DC-10-10s and 2 DC-10-30s and National sensibly decided to standardise around the big trijet. This meant the pair of young Super 61s were sold in May 1975 and the pair of 747s the next year, as four further DC-10s arrived on the scene.

Below: DC-10s were the future of National's long-haul system

clipperarctic, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The DC-8-61 was still in strong demand during the 1970s, especially with US supplemental carriers that appreciated its capacity for their passenger and freight charters. Both of National's would join Capitol International and see very varied and long careers, lasting until the year 2000.