Out West Sometime In 1969

​I’ve had a bit more time recently to muck about with my airport dioramas, one of which is the small unfinished ‘Dowse National II’ diorama inside the open MDF cube cabinet. This is supposed to represent a mid-60s to late-70s style US regional airport but only half has ever been properly finished, using components from my previous larger Dowse National diorama. 

The recent Frontier 727-200 release from Aeroclassics gave me the impetus to setup a small quick photo-shoot using that aircraft plus some others that would have served at around the same time. Frontier’s 727-200s were short-lived and only served with the airline for a few years from February 1968-March 1972 and I’ll be covering their service in more detail in an upcoming blogpost.

​Until then here are a few action shots from the ramp reminiscent of somewhere in the Western United States (a little Denver-esque perhaps) around 1969. 

​At the gates there are a trio of Frontier Airlines aircraft – the Aeroclassics 727-200 and Convair 340, plus a Seattle Models 737-200. They are joined by a Continental Airlines 727-200, wearing the then new Saul Bass Meatball, and a Braniff jellybean ‘End of the Plain Plane’ 727-100 both by Aeroclassics.

Joining this sextet is a Braniff Lockheed Electra. The Electras were in the twilight of their career with Braniff. Most were retired either in 1969 or 1970. I've seen photos of Electras of the era docked at airbridges sometimes using their rear door as I have recreated here.

​Hopefully the photos give you the feel of an airport of the period.