Shipbucket

Time for an Eswube-inspired airliner super-post!

Douglas DC-8

The popular DC-8 was Douglas' first jet powered airliner, and the USA's second successful jet powered transport behind the Boeing 707.

Despite its strong hold on the world airliner market in the early 1950s, and the appearance of the jet powered De Havilland Comet in 1949, Douglas moved cautiously into the field of jet powered transports, a decision which was to cost it dearly in lost potential sales over the following decades.

Douglas announced it was developing the jet powered DC-8 airliner in June 1955, a year after the first flight of the Boeing Model 367-80, the 707 predecessor. The first DC-8 flew on May 30 1958, five months before the 707 entered service with Pan Am. A concerted flight test program involving nine aircraft led to certification being awarded on August 31 1959. Entry into commercial service with launch customers United and Delta was on September 18 that year.

Unfortunately for Douglas, the earlier availability of the 707 meant that initial sales of the DC-8 were relatively slow. However, the emergence of Douglas' design had already forced Boeing to widen the fuselage width of the 707, and unlike the Boeing the DC-8 was offered in domestic and intercontinental versions from the start.

Text pinched from Airliners.net

DC-8-10 Series

Originally known as the DC-8A. Powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3C Turbojets and seating a maximum of 179 passengers in a high-density configuration. Douglas' answer to the Boeing 707.




DC-8-30 Series

JT4A engines, increased fuel capacity and aerodynamic changes to wing surfaces and flap configuration resulted in the -20 and -30 series aircraft. Many earlier -10 series were upgraded to this standard.




DC-8-40 Series

The Rolls Royce Conway turbofan was the major difference between -40 and -30 series aircraft. While not a big seller in the states, most were sold to European airlines. Later -40 series aircraft had further changes to the wing root and leading edge modifications, resulting in extended performance and range.




DC-8-50 Series

The JT3D was the new powerplant for the -50 series. All-cargo and mixed load versions were also developed.





DC-8-61

The -61 was essentaily a -51 with fuselage extended by over 11m to fit more passengers, but sacrificing range. Total of 259 seats in a high-density configuration,



DC-8-62

The -62 was a -50 series design with a fuselage extension of 2m, but with several modifications to both the wings and engine nacelles.





DC-8-63

The -63 had the extended fuselage of the -61, incorporating the modifications of the -62 models.




DC-8-72

The 'Super Seventies' were -60 series aircraft upgraded with CFM56-2 turbofans (in Grumman-designed fairings) and other modifications, including changes to the nose-mounted air inlets.



DC-8-73

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Jabba's Worklist

Nice work, Jabba! Great job on the aircraft and the liveries too.
And I've never seen a DC-8 with CFM-56's, so that's what I've learnt today.

Splendid entry Jabba!

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My Worklist
Sources and documentations are the most welcome.

-Koko Kyouwakoku (Republic of Koko)
-Koko's carrier-based aircrafts of WWII
-Koko Kaiun Yuso Kaisha - KoKaYu Line (Koko AU spinoff)
-Koko - Civil Aviation

I love those early nacelles. Great work!

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“Close” only counts with horseshoes, hand grenades, and tactical nuclear weapons.
That which does not kill me has made a grave tactical error

Worklist

Source Materiel is always welcome.

Fantastic set!
(and it's nice to be so inspiring )

A rescue Hercules serie, Combat Kings in fact

HC-130H, SAR version, Fulton recovery equipment, dorsal tracking radar


HC-130P, SAR / helicopter refuelling version


HC-130H(N), SAR / helicopter refuelling version, avionics upgrade


HC-130N, SAR / helicopter refuelling version, standard nose


And LC-130H, the fourth arctic version, for Air Force

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"knowledge is like jam, the less you have the more you spread it"

That, and Boeing beat them in economic construction design. That's why Boeing was able to widen the fuselage of their jet (it would've had the same cross-section of the KC-135 otherwise) and Douglas couldn't (when they had to widen the cross-section for the DC-9, they came out with pretty much a whole new jet).

@Caddaric79
Excellent work!

Small addition from me.

Great Britain, Avro 621 Tutor

I found this one while browsing through my hard disk files:

Italy Piaggio P.108

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Currently working on:

• Fiat G.50
  Breda Ba.64/65/75
  Dornier Do.17/Do.215
  Heinkel He.79
  Junkers Ju.52
  Junkers J.I

Repainting:

• Grumman F4F Wildcat/Grumman G-36
  Caproni Ca.135bis

So much good work on here during the last 24hrs!
The DC-8 family looks great and the special Herks, coloured P.108 and the Tutor are nice additions too.

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft