The Venerable DC-7

mjg407

Well-Known Member
Some shots from our ramp today

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They lacked the ability to count?

The DC-4 was the first of the Douglas 4 engine airplanes. It used the PW-2000 engine which was for its time fairly reliable. Douglas followed the -4 with the DC-6 which used the reliable R-2800 engine and it had a 3 blade prop. Thus it was referred to as the best 4 engine airplane with 3 blades. The -7 used the -3350 which was an engine that gave operators more than a few problems and it had a 4 blade prop. Putting out about 1hp per inch, the -3350 was used on the B-29 and the B-32 and for a while, more B-29s were being lost to engine fires and engine problems than enemy action.

Anyway, following the comment on the -6 being the best 4 engine airplane with 3 blades, the -7 was called the best 3 engine airplane with 4 blades.

Because of the problems with the -3350 the -4 and the -6 are still used in some places but there are very very few DC-7s running around.

As a kid growing up around the ATL airport, I was there when Delta got their first "Golden Crown" DC-7B . The -7B had a bit more fuel... anyway, Delta was offering rides to acquaint the public with this plush new ride and I got to tour the skyline of ATL in one. Pretty machine.

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Probably more than you wanted to know...
 
Great pics! btw great read by Orange Anchor!:rawk: I like learning something new everyday, especially if it has to do with aviation!
 
The -7 was THE competition for the Connie and what some don't know is the designs for the DC-4 and the Connie were in the competition that was won by the Boeing B-29. Douglas and Lockheed dropped out and Boeing won. Consolidated Vultee was chosen by default to produce a 'back-up' much like the Germans built the FW-190 as a back-up for the Me-109. But the Convair backup, the B-32 never gained any fame and only a few were produced.

Although the -32 flew about the same time as the -29, it didn't reach any production numbers until the -29 had been used and thus many innovations such as the computer controlled gun turrets and the pressurization system were deleted on the -32. FWIW, the last combat sortie in the Pacific was a B-32.

But back to the -7 and the Connie.. the Connie also used the -3350 and although the -7 was slightly faster, the Connie had longer range.

The beauties were the Super G flown by TWA and the 1649 which was the one with the long thin wing. And then there was the "Elation" which was used in the USAF and the USN. The 'Elation' was the military Connie that had turboprops instead of big recips.
Images follow:
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I think it's interesting that there does not seem to be a similar aircraft to the DC-7 today. Specifically, something that carries around 100 passengers 4,000 nm.

That's probably more indicative of the change in cash flow than anything. The closest thing today is a 757, that has twice as many seats and half as many flight deck crew.

On the other hand, airfare from New York to Paris in 1950 was $326, or $2,780 in 2007 dollars. Today, it's possible to buy a roundtrip for $750 ... which might as well be a totally different business. :)
 
The -7 was THE competition for the Connie and what some don't know is the designs for the DC-4 and the Connie were in the competition that was won by the Boeing B-29. Douglas and Lockheed dropped out and Boeing won. Consolidated Vultee was chosen by default to produce a 'back-up' much like the Germans built the FW-190 as a back-up for the Me-109. But the Convair backup, the B-32 never gained any fame and only a few were produced.

Although the -32 flew about the same time as the -29, it didn't reach any production numbers until the -29 had been used and thus many innovations such as the computer controlled gun turrets and the pressurization system were deleted on the -32. FWIW, the last combat sortie in the Pacific was a B-32.

But back to the -7 and the Connie.. the Connie also used the -3350 and although the -7 was slightly faster, the Connie had longer range.

The beauties were the Super G flown by TWA and the 1649 which was the one with the long thin wing. And then there was the "Elation" which was used in the USAF and the USN. The 'Elation' was the military Connie that had turboprops instead of big recips.
Images follow:
Whoa..... Nice information.
 
Seeing the Connie pictures is getting me aroused. . .

Especially the beautiful refurbished TWA Constellation
 
You can tell the connie was a real man's plane. It had engineer throttles on the engineer's panel.

Purdue ran a DC-6, or varient, as a flying TV transponder back some years ago. I think it went by the MATS moniker
 
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