United DC-8s Pt4: Long On Comfort

By 1962 it was clear that on some routes the standard DC-8s and 707s were not going to keep up with traffic growth. Thanks to the DC-8's high ground clearance Douglas found itself in a good position to exploit this new niche. Boeing was for the first time hamstrung as the 707's low ground clearance ruled out easily stretching the aircraft due to the risk of tail strike on rotation. Initially Douglas could just trade fuel for payload by keeping the basic airframe, engines and wings and merely stretching the fuselage. So was born the Super 61.

United Air Lines Douglas DC-8-61 N8073U Gemini Jets 1:400 Scale Model Airliner

The fuselage was stretched both forward (200 inch) and aft (240 inch) of the wings to create the world's longest passenger aircraft at the time. To resist the bending forces of such a long thin fuselage structural strengthening was required, but the impact was lessened by a weight saving programme that shaved 2,000 Ibs from the original design. The new type was christened the DC-8-61.

The creation of the super 60 series (including the more advanced series 62 and 63) helped Douglas to a bumper year in 1965 and in fact it was the DC-8s best year for sales to that date. The first orders came in on April 4 from SAS, for DC-8-62s, but United quickly signed up for 5 DC-8-61s (plus 7 shorter DC-8s) a few days later. By the end of the year 38 Series 60s had been sold alongside healthy sales of 36 Series 50s.

Below: The prototype DC-8-61 on the ramp with a DC-8-50 and DC-9-10

Despite the success of the DC-8 Super 60s, and the DC-9 programme, Douglas was finding itself in serious financial difficulties. The Vietnam War caused a major supply shortage of parts and aero-engines due to the prioritisation of military production. Douglas struggled to complete aircraft and hire scarce skilled labour, whilst the proliferation of different sub-models of the DC-8s and DC-9s added complexity and cost. In many ways Douglas was a victim of its own success and some bad timing, but regardless it went from a healthy profit in the 1st quarter of 1966 to major losses by year end. With bankruptcy threatening, and unable to find alternative funding, a merger was the company's only hope and on January 13, 1967 this was agreed with McDonnell.

The first DC-8-61 was rolled out on January 24, 1966 and flew for the first time on March 14. She was one of United's aircraft and was registered N8070U. The second aircraft actually wore United colours when she joined the programme in July, with a third added to the test flights in September. The first two aircraft had stripped interiors but the third was fitted out for passenger duties. The series 61 certification was delay free and the FAA granted certification on September 1, 1966 after 124 test flights adding up to over 175 hours of flying. The Series 61 demonstrated quicker take-off, faster climb, shorter landing distance and better stability than earlier DC-8s.

Douglases internal problems delayed delivery of United's first DC-8-61. This was finally scheduled for early January, but on December 31, 1961 disaster struck when N8072U caught fire during cabin cleaning. The aircraft was quickly towed away from two other completed machines and the damage was limited to the fuselage above the floor line. Nonetheless delivery to United was delayed and it took over a year to rebuild the aircraft, which wasn't delivered until February 17, 1968.

With the first two United aircraft full of test gear the first actual delivery to United had to be delayed until January 26 when the 4th frame, N8073U named 'Eric A. Johnston', arrived. The DC-8-61 entered service with its launch customer, United Airlines, on February 24, 1967. Initial routes were between California and Hawaii followed by transcontinental services. The United 61s were originally configured with 198 seats - 28 First Class and 170 Coach. United bulked its original order up to 25 aircraft and eventually 30 new frames were delivered registered from N8070U-N8099U.

Concerns about handling such a large aircraft on the ground proved unfounded with extra staff on hand and the Super 61 led to enhanced mechanised baggage handling at airports. Initially, at least, airports usually handled the 61s by parking them parallel to the concourse and loading through both the front and rear doors. This did however take up two gate positions. In many ways the DC-8-61s provided excellent practice for the coming advent of widebody jets. The new widebodies caused DC-8 orders to tail off dramatically during 1968 and the final aircraft was delivered in May 1972. The Super 60 proved a major success for Douglas with 262 aircraft built.

United found its DC-8-61s to be superb aircraft - so much in fact that along with Delta it would re-engine the type so it could continue to serve into the 1980s.