The Douglas DC-7 is an aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. 338 were produced: about 40 are still in service.

History

Pan American World Airways originally requested the "DC-7" in 1945, as a civilian version of the C-74 Globemaster military transport. It cancelled its order shortly afterward.

American Airlines revived the designation when it requested an extended-range DC-6 for its transcontinental services. At the time, the Lockheed Constellation was the only aircraft capable of making a nonstop coast-to-coast flight in both directions. Douglas was reluctant to build the aircraft until AA president C. R. Smith placed a firm order for twenty-five at a price of $40 million, covering Douglas's development costs.

The prototype flew in May of 1953, and American received its first DC-7 in November, inaugurating the first nonstop coast-to-coast service in the country (taking 8 hours) and forcing rival TWA to offer a similar service with its Super Constellations. The DC-7, however, suffered from unreliable engines, and many transcontinental flights had to be diverted because of in-flight engine failures.

The early DC-7's were only sold to U.S. carriers. European carriers could not take advantage of the small range increase in the early DC-7, so Douglas released an extended-range variant, the DC-7C (Seven Seas) in 1956. Pan Am used DC-7C aircraft to inaugurate the first nonstop New York-London service, forcing BOAC to buy the aircraft rather than wait on the delivery of the Bristol Britannia. The DC-7C found its way into several other overseas airlines' fleets, including SAS, which used them for cross-polar service to North America and Asia. However, the 7C's sales were cut short by the arrival of the 707 and DC-8 a few years later.

Starting in 1959, Douglas began converting DC-7A and DC-7C aircraft into DC-7F freighters, which extended the life of the aircraft past its viability as a passenger transport.

Airlines

Historical operators of the DC-7 include Alitalia, American Airlines, BOAC, Braniff Airways, Caledonian Airways, Delta Air Lines, Eastern Airlines, Emirates, Japan Airlines, National Airlines, Northwest Orient, Panair , Pan American World Airways, Sabena, SAS, THY, and United Airlines.

Today, many DC-7's are based in the western United States, and used for pouring water on wildfires ("water bombing"). A few others are used for air cargo. Due to its engine problems, the DC-7 has not had the same longevity as the DC-6, which is still used by a number of commercial operators. The U.S. military also passed on the DC-7, although a few foreign militaries purchased the aircraft as a transport.

External Links

• Airliners.net on the DC-7