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Hindenburg at Baltimore by Ivan Berryman. (PC) Late in the afternoon of Saturday, 8th August 1936, the giant German airship Hindenburg appeared in the sky above Baltimore. Unable to land at nearby Lakehurst due to unfavourable weather conditions, her Captain Ernst A Lehmann made the decision to take his passengers on a sight-seeing tour until the weather conditions improved, taking the great ship over Atlantic City and Washington before heading north to the city of Baltimore where she circled twice at an altitude of just 1,000ft. After 15 minutes, the Hindenburg slid away to Philadelphia, finally landing at Lakehurst at 18.05 after a 5,060 mile flight from Germany which she achieved in 67 hours and 31 minutes. |
Spirit of the Mountain by Nicolas Trudgian The evening train from Durango has arrived via Lizard Head Pass, and now pulls out of Ophir, headed for Ridgway. Lit by a full moon, the evening quiet of the tiny mountain settlement is briefly interrupted by the C16 class locomotive, but soon, as it winds its way into the night, peace will again descend upon this idyllic and mystical scene. |
Flagship Over Manhattan by Robert Watts. An American Airlines DC-3, one of the 29 in service by 1936 with right hand doors, outbound from La Guardia Airport. |
Wings Over Waikiki by Stan Stokes. The Consolidated PBY Catalina, the sea going flying workhorse of the US Navy during WW II, is with no doubt the most successful flying boat ever produced. Produced for more than ten years, it was built in greater numbers (3,300) than any other flying boat in history. In the early days of aviation flying boats made a lot of sense because of the relatively limited number of prepared airfields. Any estuary, river, or lake could become an airfield for an aircraft designed as a flying boat. Consolidated Aircraft got into the flying boat business rather late in the game. In 1928 the company won a bid to produce a prototype of a new high-wing monoplane flying boat for the Navy which would utilize aluminum in its fabrication. The XPY prototype was successfully flown in early 1929, but the Glen L. Martin Co., one of the pioneers in flying boat production, won the production contract. Not deterred by this setback, Consolidated utilized the expertise it had developed on this project to introduce a commercial 28-passenger flying boat called the Commodore. This aircraft was utilized by a number of airlines including Pan Am. Concurrent with work on the Commodore the Consolidated design team set about developing an improved version of the XPY. This design (the P2Y-1) had an enclosed cockpit, and was designed to handle either two or three engines. A total of 47 P2Ys were put in service. As production commenced on the P2Y, Consolidated began work on another improved flying boat which would be considerably larger than the P2Y. The prototype of this new aircraft (the XPY-3) utilized retractable wing floats. In 1935 Consolidated won the initial production order for the first PBY-1s in 1935. In 1936 another fifty aircraft were ordered as the PBY-2 derivative. A PBY-2 based in Hawaii is depicted in its pre-war markings over Diamond Head, in Stan Stokes painting entitled Wings Over Waikiki. This version lacked the fuselage window blisters which would be used on later variants. The PBY-2 had a wing span of 104 feet, and was nearly 64 feet in length. Powered by two 850-HP Pratt and Whitney R-1830-64s, the PBY-2 had a maximum speed of 178-MPH, and a range of more than 2,000 miles. The British ordered more than 100 PBYs in 1939. They called the aircraft Catalina. Also in 1939 a number of Catalinas were modified into amphibians by adding a retractable tricycle undercarriage. This added more than 2,000 pounds to the weight of the aircraft, but also improved its versatility. In the first few days following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, many of the PBYs deployed throughout the Pacific were damaged or destroyed. The PBYs were vulnerable to enemy fighter attack when in the air. Despite these early setbacks, the Navy learned to make good use of the PBY as the war progressed. One of the most effective uses of the aircraft was in night search and attack missions, where the aircraft were generally painted all black. These Black Cats operated from island bases and seaplane tenders and effectively hampered night time movement of enemy supplies. The Catalina also flew many Dumbo missions during the war rescuing downed allied aviators. Many thousands of lives were saved during these missions. |
World Cruisers by Stan Stokes. On April 6, 1924 the US Army Air Service began the first successful aerial circumnavigation of the World by heavier-than-air aircraft. Planning for this mission began in early 1923. Aware that a failure would bring negative publicity to the fledgling air service, the Army mustered a lot of resources to make this event succeed. The most suitable aircraft available for the mission was a Douglas DT-2, a Navy torpedo bomber. After modifying the aircraft for the epic journey the aircraft were designated Douglas World Cruisers. With only one engine, this two seat airplane, might at first appear to be an unusual selection, but the DT-2s were rugged, had an excellent reliability record, and could be quickly reconfigured from landing gear to floats. With the lack of suitable airfields for the trip, the use of floats would be mandatory for a good portion of the journey. The World Cruisers were fitted with huge fuel tanks (773 gallons vs the normal 96.) In addition, a modification to the radiator allowed for the size to be changed depending on the climate encountered during the circumnavigation. Two different types of propellers were also used, one with the landing gear configuration and another with the float configuration. Four aircraft set out on the journey, and were named Chicago, Boston, New Orleans, and Seattle. The four aircraft departed from Prince Rupert, Washington in April. They headed north making several stops in Alaska. The Seattle was lost during a crash in Alaska, but the crew survived. The three remaining aircraft followed the Aleutian Island chain, and had to make a refueling stop at sea off the coast of Siberia. The aircraft then proceeded southerly to Japan. Heading west to mainland Asia, they then headed on a southwest course to Hong Kong, Saigon, and Rangoon. Arriving in Calcutta, India the aircraft were then refitted with their normal landing gear. Stops at Karachi, Pakistan, Baghdad took place. Once in Europe the World Cruisers made stops in Paris and London. Refitted with their floats in Yorkshire, the three planes headed northwest, with Iceland being the next main landing area. The Boston was lost during this portion of the journey, but the crew was rescued by the USS Richmond. The two surviving aircraft, Chicago and New Orleans, which were piloted by Leslie Arnold and John Harding, now headed to Greenland then on to Canada. Arriving on September 8 in Boston, the two planes were once again refitted with their normal landing gear. Flying across the continent in short stages designed to maximize the publicity opportunities, the two remaining World Cruisers returned to Seattle on September 28, 1924. Their epic journey lasted 175 days, and covered almost 27,000 miles. A total of 73 separate flight legs, covering an average distance of 363 miles were flown. In Stan Stokes tribute to this epic journey, the World Cruisers land in Alaska in April, 1924 during the early stages of their journey. |
Concorde - The Golden Years by Stephen Brown The scheduled Concorde flights to and from New York were by far the most important for both British Airways and Air France. Taking full advantage of Concordes speed and the time difference between London and New York, some business people would arrive in New York on the early morning flight, do a days work and then take the evening flight back to London. |
Lone Ranger by John Young. Sorely missed on the air display circuit, this Vulcan is pictured flying high over Niagara Falls. Used as a heavy bomber and particularly in the Falklands War of 1982, just the sound of the engines and the vibrations of the ground announced its arrival. Rumour had it that this magnificent aircraft might make a return at some time to the air display scene but this seems to be increasingly unlikely as time passes. |
Christmas in New York by Stan Stokes. Depicts the return of the USS Arizona to Brooklyn in 1916, where it was commissioned in May of that year. The Arizona would be sunk twenty-five years later during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This painting is a tribute to the hundreds of USN officers and seamen still entombed on the ship. |
The Peacekeeper by Stan Stokes. The USAAC became interested in intercontinental bombing in 1941 due to the threat of England falling to the Nazis. The Army Air Corps issued a request for proposals requesting an aircraft with a range of 12,000 miles at an altitude of 25,000 feet and a top speed of 450-MPH. Later these specifications were downgraded, but the Air Corps still wanted an aircraft capable of carrying a 10,000 bomb load for a 4,000 mile combat radius. Boeing, Consolidated and Douglas submitted proposals. Consolidated Aircraft won the initial award for the development of two prototypes, and work on this project began in San Diego, but was later shifted to Ft. Worth, Texas. In mid-1943, with the Boeing B-29 project facing development problems, General Hap Arnold ordered into production 100 B-36s, with deliveries expected to commence in 1946. When the war ended in 1945 many military programs were cut severely, but Cold War concerns kept the B-36 program alive. In August of 1946 the first B-36 (Peacemaker) took to the air. It was the largest combat aircraft ever flown up to that point in time; with a wingspan of 230 feet, a length of 167 feet, and a height of nearly 47 feet. A year of intensive flight-testing was undertaken leading to a number of important modifications to the production aircraft. The addition of jet engines to supplement the Peacemakers piston engines took place in 1949. B-36s were produced in both bombing and reconnaissance versions. The former were typically manned by a crew of fifteen and the latter were manned with a crew of twenty-two. One interesting experiment with the B-36 in 1955-57 was the fighter/conveyor program. The concept was to marry a fighter aircraft to the B-36, giving it additional protection and potentially greater reconnaissance capabilities. Another oddity was the modification of one B-36 to carry an onboard nuclear reactor to test the feasibility of developing nuclear powered aircraft. The final variant of the Peacemaker was the J model. It entered service in 1953, and the final aircraft was delivered to the Air Force in 1954. By this time B-52 production was underway, and the operational life of the B-36 was numbered. The B-36s were operational with the Strategic Air Command from November 1948 until February 1959. Very few B-36s carried any interesting markings, as they were generally all aluminum hence earning one of their nicknames, the aluminum cloud. During this period in history they represented the backbone of Americas nuclear deterrent force. More than 400 of these huge aircraft were produced, and they served their country well. In Stan Stokes painting entitled Peacekeeper, a B-36 aluminum cloud flys over the Grand Canyon. |
Sparrowhawks of the Macon by Stan Stokes. In 1924 the US Navy took delivery of the Los Angeles, which was built by the Zeppelin Company in Germany. A partnership was formed between the Goodyear Company and the Zeppelin Company for developing rigid airships in the United States. Rear Admiral William A. Moffett was unquestioned booster of the rigid airship program in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. As chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics Moffet had considerable influence. In 1926 he was successful at getting Congress to allocate funds for the construction of two 758-foot long rigid airships (the USS Akron and the USS Macon) with a capacity of 6.5 million cubic feet of helium, more than twice the size of the Graf Zepplin which would circle the globe in 1929. The Goodyear company commenced construction of a huge hangar at Akron which would be used for construction of the first of the two massive airships. Utilizing three keels and thirty-six longitudinal girders, the Akron had a sturdy airframe. One of the most novel features of these two new airships would be their ability to launch and recover Curtis F9C-2 Sparrowhawks, making them the first flying aircraft carriers. The Akron was completed in September of 1931, but it would be nearly a year later before the Sparrowhawks were deployed. The Akron logged about 1,700 hours of flying time, but on the night of April 1, 1933 the Akron crashed in the icy Atlantic off the New Jersey shore with few survivors. Admiral Moffett was one of the fatalities. It was the worst aviation disaster in history - at that time. Construction of the Macon was completed only weeks after the loss of its sister ship. Some improvements had been made to her design. She was lighter and faster than the Akron, and could carry up to five Sparrowhawks vs. only three for the Akron. Following testing of the new airship in the New York- New Jersey area, the Macon was ordered to newly named Moffet field in Sunnyvale, California. On July 18, 1934 the Macon utilized its Sparrowhawks to intercept a pair of US Navy ships at considerable distance off the Pacific Coast. The cruiser USS Houston was carrying Franklin D. Roosevelt on a trip from Panama to Hawaii. Startled to encounter aircraft at such a considerable distance from land, they would be even more shocked when the Sparrowhawks would deliver newspapers and mail for the President. In the late summer and fall of 1934 the Macon was sent east for fleet training exercises in the Atlantic. Utilizing a simple radio homing beacon for the first time the Macon proved beyond a doubt that the concept of air launched scouting planes was feasible. However, in February of 1935 the USS Macon met the same fate as its sister ship. While cruising up the California coast near Point Sur, the great airship encountered turbulence and began to break-up. Fortunately, only two of the eighty-three man crew were lost. |
Arctic Hustler by Stan Stokes. No bomber made so definite a break with the past as the Convair B-58 Hustler. Reversing the trend towards ever-larger bombers, the worlds first supersonic bomber, the B-58, was ordered by the Air Force in 1954. This was also the final year of the production of the huge Convair B-36. From the beginning of its operational career, the Hustler set a string of performance records that may never be matched by another military bomber. Alone in its class, the B-58 could fly faster than twice the speed of sound, pinpoint targets from an altitude of 60,000 feet, and avoid radar detection in low level supersonic flight. Powered by four General Electric J79 engines delivering 15,600 pounds of thrust each, the Hustler was faster than any other bomber, and had a range of 4,500 miles without aerial refueling. The B-58s electronic bombing and navigational systems were ten times more precise than those on earlier bombers. To reduce drag the aircrafts designers utilized the area rule principle in the design, giving the Hustler its sleek shape. Very strong honeycomb skin material was utilized to further reduce weight and allow the bomber to withstand the high temperatures of supersonic flight. Utilizing its very strong, but extremely light weight design, a fully loaded B-58 (after in-flight refueling) would carry a gross weight equal to seven times the aircrafts dry weight. It first entered service in 1960. In September of 1962 a B-58 piloted by Fitzhugh Fulton carried an 11,000 payload to the incredible altitude of 85,000 feet, breaking the world record. With a length of 99 feet and a wing span of 57 feet, the Hustler was a small aircraft compared to the B-36. Hustlers were operated by three-man crews, including a pilot, navigator-bombardier, and defense systems operator. Each crewmen had his own cramped cockpit with its own ejection system. The B-58 was unique in that it lacked an internal bomb bay. Instead all weapons were carried in an externally mounted under-fuselage pod. The B-58 could carry a weapons load of up to 19,500 pounds. The pod could also be used to carry additional fuel. Some B-58s were equipped to carry a stand-off rocket propelled weapon (a precursor of todays modern cruise missiles) with a range of 160-miles. The Hustler utilized the delta wing configuration of Convairs fighters (F-102 & F-106.) Although the B-58 was conceived as a very high altitude long-range bomber capable of penetrating Soviet air space, it became apparent during the 1960s that Soviet ground-to-air missile technology had improved to the point that high altitude, high speed bombers would be very vulnerable to interception. This revelation led to both a re-focusing of the B-58s role to a lower altitude, radar-beating, mission, and a faster phase-out of this aircraft from service than was originally planned. This was somewhat influenced by the aircrafts price tag which was four times that of a B-52, and ten times that of a B-47. As depicted in Stan Stokes painting entitled Arctic Hustler, a B-58A flying out of Elmendorf AFB in Alaska is put through its radar-beating paces in the mid-1960s. |
The Lusitania by Robert Barbour. Cunard liner RMS Lusitania leaves New York outward bound for Liverpool just before the First World War. Sadly on 7th May 1915 she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-20 and sank within 20 minutes with the loss of 1,198 lives. |
Staggerwing and Gooney Bird by Stan Stokes. Although it has been more than sixty years since they first flew, the DC-3 and C-47 Gooney Birds are legendary, with more than 1,000 still utilized throughout the world. In the early 1930s Boeing was working on its all metal Model 247, and the first 60 aircraft were promised to United Air Lines. Douglas Aircraft made a bold proposal to TWA, and in combination they attempted to develop an all metal passenger airliner which would out perform Boeings 247. This new prototype airliner was the DC-1, and the first aircraft was delivered in less than nine months. TWA liked what it saw and ordered twenty DC-2s, the first production variant, and the first production model flew in May 1934. The DC-2 was a money maker for the airlines and nearly two hundred were produced. In 1934 American Airlines approached Douglas Aircraft about developing an aircraft with the performance and reliability of the DC-2, but with the passenger comforts of the Curtis Condor bi-plane. Douglas Aircraft moved slowly and reluctantly, fearing that American Airlines might fail during the depression. However, finally an agreement was reached for Douglas to produce ten new DC-3s for American at a price of $79,500 each. The DC-3, although similar in general appearance to the DC-2, was in fact largely an entirely new aircraft. Utilizing new 1,000 HP Wright radial engines, the DC-3 had a cabin more similar to Pullman railway cars. Passenger lavatories were installed and increased insulation was utilized to reduce cabin noise. American Airlines formally accepted delivery of its first DC-3 in April 1936, and by 1937 production of the DC-2 had ceased. Seating was 28 on the DC-3, twice that of the DC-2. Despite a recession induced reduction in the number of passenger aircraft in service in the United States during the second half of the decade, by 1940 more than half of the passenger aircraft in service in America were Douglas DC-3s. With the outbreak of WW II Douglas was flooded with orders for a military transport version of the DC-3, the C-47. Initially called the Skytrain, the C-47 was capable of carrying 28 troops or 6,000 pounds of cargo. With more than 10,000 aircraft produced between 1935 and 1947, the DC-3 and C-47 greatly exceeded any expectations Douglas ever had for the aircraft. With the end of the war many C-47s were converted back to DC-3s, and this aircraft became the backbone of the civilian airliner fleet in almost every nation in the world. During the 1950s the Gooney Birds were slowly shifted to secondary routes as newer high performance aircraft were introduced. In Stan Stokes marvelous painting entitled Staggerwing and Gooney Bird, a United Airlines DC-3 is depicted at Santa Barbara Airport in the early 1950s. Another classic aircraft, the Beech Staggerwing is parked near the Gooney Bird. |
Concorde over Manhattan by Ivan Berryman. No text for this item |
Lucky Lindy by Stan Stokes. Charles Augustus Lindbergh is generally acknowledged to be the most famous American aviator of all time. Lindbergh was one of a band of flying gypsies who discovered that following WW I there was little interest by the military in aviation and very few jobs available in the fledgling commercial aviation field. These pilots, who were hooked on flying, flew the mail, offered rides at county fairs, and barnstormed around the country in an attempt to eke out a small living and cover the cost of flying. In 1919 a wealthy New York hotel owner had established a prize of $25,000 for the first non-stop flight between New York and Paris. By the mid-1920s, the technology appeared to be on the verge of permitting a successful crossing. In 1926 the famous WW I French fighter ace, Rene Fonck crashed his Sikorsky S-35 while attempting to takeoff from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, killing two of his four man crew. In April of 1927 a similar crash killed Noel Davis and Stanton Wooster. On May 8, another WW I French fighter ace, Charles Nungesser, and his copilot were killed when their flight from Paris to New York disappeared over the Atlantic. Each of these tragedies further aroused public interest in what seemed to be an impossible task. Charles Lindbergh had lots of experience flying in difficult conditions and at night from his years as a US Mail pilot. Unlike the others, Lindbergh believed that he would need to fly alone, and he opted to go with a fuel efficient single-engine aircraft. Lindbergh was an excellent planner, and his second choice for a suitable aircraft for his journey was a Ryan M-1 produced in San Diego. With much of his backing coming from St. Louis businessmen, Lindbergh named his aircraft the Spirit of St. Louis. The M-1 needed many modifications including an enlarged fuel capacity, and was fitted with a 237-HP Wright J-5C engine. To maintain the aircrafts center of gravity one of the additional fuel tanks had to be fitted in the cockpit, blocking all visibility through the windscreen. A small telescope was fitted to provide some forward visibility. Bad weather delayed Lindberghs planned takeoff from Roosevelt Field, but on the morning of May 20, 1927 a small break in the weather allowed Lindbergh to attempt his takeoff. Barely missing power lines and trees at the end of the muddy airstrip Lindbergh got airborne. Less than 34 hours later he touched down at Le Bourget Field in Paris. Throngs of people were present to greet the new hero. Overcoming bad weather, disorientation, and fatigue, Lucky Lindy had overcome the odds, and become one of the greatest American heroes of this century. An interesting historical footnote to Lindberghs journey is the fact that only two weeks after his flight, two others (Chamberlin and Levine) flew non-stop from New York to Germany. |
Air Force One by Stan Stokes. The jet transport age got underway in earnest in 1954 when the Boeing 707 prototype (Dash 80) made its maiden flight from Renton Field in Seattle. This was the culmination of a multi-year $16 million project, and the maiden flight coincided with the 38th anniversary of the Boeing Company. Powered by four Pratt & Whitney turbojets the swept-winged aircraft was the first in more than 1,000 707 commercial transport aircraft that would be built by Boeing through May 1991. Pan American Airways inaugurated trans-Atlantic jet service, utilizing the Boeing 707, in October of 1958. Some variants of the 707 were introduced, including the 707-320 for long distance intercontinental service, and the 720 series that was lighter and faster and could operate in and out of shorter length runways. The KC/C-135 tanker and transport aircraft were based on the 707. More than 800 of these aircraft were built during a long production run. The 707 became the first jet aircraft utilized for Presidential transport and served in that capacity until 1990 when two 747-200s replaced the 707s. The history of Air Force One dates to 1944 when a C-54 was put into operational service for flying President Franklin Roosevelt. Nicknamed the Sacred Cow, this C-54 was the first Air Force One. Later, Harry Truman would fly in a DC-6 nicknamed Independence. Dwight Eisenhower utilized two prop driven aircraft nicknamed Columbine I and Columbine II. President Kennedy became the first jet age President when his VC-137 (Boeing 707) went into service. It was Kennedys aircraft that popularized the term Air Force One. In 1962, a C-137C, with the tail number 26000 went into service. It is perhaps the best-known and most historically significant presidential aircraft. It carried President Kennedy to Dallas on November 22, 1963, and while returning his body, following the assassination, was the site for the swearing in of Lyndon Johnson as President. This same aircraft flew LBJs body back to Texas for burial following his state funeral in January of 1973. In 1972 President Nixon made historically significant trips to the Soviet Union and the Peoples Republic of China in this aircraft. Tail number 26000 was relegated to a lesser role in the Air Mobility Command and was not fully retired from service until 1998. She is on display at the U.S. Air Force Museum in Ohio. In Stan Stokes dramatic painting Air Force One makes a low altitude pass over Mt. Rushmore. |
USS Iowa leaving New York by Anthony Saunders. BB61 Iowa, was commissioned in February 1943 at the New York Navy yard. her first mission was to the North Atlantic in August 1943 to neutralise the threat of the German Battleship Tirpitz. By early 1944 she joined the Pacific fleet taking part in many of the major battles including Saipan, Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. She was re-commissioned in 1951 for the Korean war and again in April 1984. |
The Raid on Pearl Harbor, 7th December 1941 by Ivan Berryman The view across Battleship Row, viewed from above Ford Island as the USS Nevada gallantly makes her break for the open sea, coming under heavy attack from Japanese A6M2s from the carrier Hiryu. The Nevada was eventually too badly damaged to continue and was beached to avoid blocking the harbour entrance. In the immediate foreground, the lightly damaged USS Tennessee is trapped inboard of USS West Virginia which has sunk at her moorings, leaking burning oil and hampering the daring operations to pluck trapped crew members from her decks, while just visible to the right is the stern of the USS Maryland and the capsized Oklahoma. |
Chicago Homecoming by Stan Stokes. The Douglas DC-6 and its successors would become the most popular and successful family of long-range civilian transport propeller driven aircraft in history. Although Lockheeds Constellation was technically superior to the Douglas DC-4, the former companys agreement with TWA prevented Lockheed from marketing the Connie to major airlines that competed with TWA. This created a window of opportunity for Douglas, and many airlines were anxious to purchase an improved version of the Douglas DC-4. During WW II Douglas built a lot of C-54 Skymaster aircraft, which was the military version of the DC-4. During the War, Douglas engineers interested the military in the concept of an improved version of the C-54 that would include a longer, and for the first time, pressurized fuselage, de-icing, and other enhancements. This improved Skymaster design evolved into the DC-6. Test flights on the first DC-6 prototype (c/n 36326) began in early 1946. This aircraft was bought by the USAAF, and later sold to a non-scheduled U.S. airline. This particular aircraft flew many millions of miles before being lost in an accident in 1978. DC-6s entered commercial service with the airlines in 1947. American and United Air Lines both introduced the DC-6 at the same time. American had orders or options on fifty planes, while United had the same on another forty. Pan Am was also an early customer as was Sabena. Early DC-6 operations had some problems. A United DC-6 caught fire and crashed in Utah with the loss of all on board while another American DC-6 caught fire and had to crash land in New Mexico. The problem resulted in a temporary grounding of the plane, and the cause of these fires was discovered and rectified. The DC-6 was widely purchased by non-U.S. airlines, and the 29th aircraft produced was named Independence, and was purchased by the USAF for use by President Truman. The first variant of the DC-6 to appear was the DC-6A, a freight version of the aircraft, which had a lengthened fuselage and greater load capacity and range. The DC-6B, which is depicted in Stan Stokes painting, was the passenger version of the DC-6A. It was one of the most successful airliners of all time. It could be configured to carry as many as 105 passengers, but was more typically operated with between 60-70 seats. A total of 288 DC-6B aircraft were produced, more than any other DC-6 or DC-7 variant. Many of these aircraft were still in service as late as 1978-79, more than twenty years after their development. The DC-6B had excellent economics. The operating cost per seat mile to fly this aircraft coupled with very good maintenance experience with both the airframe and the P&W engines, made this aircraft a money maker for most of the airlines which flew it. United and American were both big buyers of the DC-6B, and no less than ten long haul European airlines flew this great Douglas aircraft. The DC-6B had a maximum speed of 360-MPH, a typical cruising speed of 315-MPH, and a maximum payload of nearly 25,000 pounds. The maximum range of this aircraft was about 4,300 miles. |
The Grandeur of the Queens by Gordon Bauwens. On 13 January 2008, a unique event in maritime history took place when Cunard's three magnificent Queens met in New York Harbor for the first and last time. The legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 led the regal procession under the Verrazano Bridge during her final world cruise. QE2 had also just enjoyed a combined transatlantic crossing with her brand new fleetmate, Queen Victoria, on the first leg of her own maiden world cruise. As the pair approached the entrance to the Hudson, they were joined by the mighty Cunard flagship, Queen Mary 2, to make a grand entrance the likes of which Lady Liberty will never see again. In life, the majestic trio arrived and left in darkness. Artist Gordon Bauwens, whose work hangs aboard all three Cunard Queens, was commissioned to portray the event as many would have preferred, with the liners dramatically bathed in early morning sun. |
The Queen Elizabeth 2 Leaving New York by Robert Barbour. No text for this item |
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