[Note: This is one of my ambitious posts...In a previous post (and a story) about the ("Old" Frontier Airlines) Douglas DC-3/C-47, I'd made the reference to a "Memorial Repaint Collection" compiled by the "CalClassic" website. It is a tribute to Mr. Frank Gonzalez, who was a prolific repainter of numerous classic aircraft. There, I'd also indicated that I'd got to inspect almost all of those (Frank's) images/repaints, in that collection....a wonderful collection, indeed, of vintage airlines and airliners. For this post here, I've selected, entirely at my discretion, 20 highlights, from there, that especially drew my attention. So, please find, below, pictures of these Classic planes, and, also, as optional reading, tidbits of historical notes, some of which, you may find interesting, if you are so inclined...]

[The airplanes, in the order (hopefully correct) shown are: TWA L049, Air France L049, KLM DC7C, ANSETT DC6B, Swissair DC6A, Pan Am DC6B, Alaska C46, Canadian Pacific C46, AA DC6, Monkees DC6, Lufthansa L1049G, TAP L1049G, Irish L1049G, British eagle DC6A, SAS DC4, Air India L749, Delta C&S DC7, Hawaiian DC6A, BOAC L049, Braniff DC6A.]

Notes (in random order) - Optional reading...🙂...:

1. The "stocky" Curtiss C-46 Commando, a pivotal WWII plane, was somewhat overshadowed by the "other" (better-known) Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota (please find, below, two rare repaints in Alaska and Canadian-Pacific colors).
2. Douglas DC-4 (SAS shown) was an iconic plane, succeeding in the legendary footsteps of the DC-3. Though popular and reliable, it was used for intercontinental traffic for only a short period. Its lack of pressurized cabin, made it relegated to shorter flights as soon as the DC-6s were available. Several DC4s still remain in service. One prominent operator of the type is Buffalo Airways of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, CA (if interested, please see the (separate) recent and excellent post, here, by "Aharon", on Buffalo Airways).
3. Douglas DC-6 (Note the AA 1962 paint scheme, and the one of Monkees Tour 1967 DC-6...hmm...Monkees...like the Beatles...🙂...Oh well...An imprint of a Guitar (shaped from the letters "Monkees") is seen above the (front) Exit Door. BTW, that was the DC-6, that had taken The Monkees, in their whirlwind musical tour. The color of that plane (N90739) resembles that of the AA DC-6, I mentioned above, and that's no coincidence, because, the (Monkees) DC-6 was actually originally delivered to American Airlines, note, though, the letters "AMERICAN" are omitted from the nose-paint, because it was then the plane of the "Monkees"...
4. DC-6A/B (British Eagle, Hawaiian, Swissair, Ansett ANA, Pan Am, Braniff etc. seem nostalgic...). The DC-6B was then generally considered to possess the best operating economics of any piston airliner built. Passengers appreciated their smooth, quiet ride. Pan American had 45 DC-6B's, and used them throughout their system.
5. DC-7 Seven seas (How about that (rare) Delta C&S, Chicago and Southern, dark-blue/white livery? And, also the KLM (1959) 40th Anniversary -7C, you may be able to notice "40" under the front/2nd window), and, 60 years later, in 2019, KLM has has now already turned 100...! The Delta C&S inaugurated Delta DC7 service on April 1, 1954, from Chicago to Miami, supposedly the first ever commercial aircraft able to fly non-stop westbound across the United States against the jet stream....(now we do it routinely with our NEOs/MAXs...)...! The Captain of that inaugural flight was C.H. "Charlie" Dolson. Dolson, hired as a Delta pilot in 1934, later became Delta's president in 1965, and the airline's second CEO in 1966.
6. British Eagle International Airlines was a major British independent airline that operated from 1948 until 1968. In 1957, Eagle formed an overseas subsidiary, named Eagle Airways (Bermuda), in preparation for the launch of transatlantic scheduled services, using Viscount 800 turboprop aircraft. It then launched commercial operations in May 1958 between Bermuda and New York, competing head-on with three of the world's most powerful airlines – BOAC, Pan Am and Eastern Air Lines (an underdog  fighter, it must have been), pioneering some of the very first low-fare scheduled services in the western hemisphere.
7. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) (similar to Swissair) was one of the most loyal customers of Douglas and its successor McDonnell Douglas, operating all their major models. A (little-known, but interesting) part of SAS and DC history has to do with pioneering polar route flights. Only weeks after being established on 1 August 1946, SAS inaugurated its first long-haul services across the Atlantic with Douglas DC-4s from Stockholm to New York. Since, no airline had yet operated in the polar regions, and, magnetic compasses didn't work in the regions around the North Pole, SAS worked closely with US avionics manufacturers (e.g. Bendix) to create the very first models of precision gyro compass to replace the traditional magnetic compass. Then consider this ground-breaking (SAS) flight: On 15 November 1954, after meticulous preparations, including a series of trial runs, and, specially provisioned with Arctic survival equipment, the SAS DC-6B "Helge Viking" departed Copenhagen for Los Angeles. Taking off, on the same day, from Los Angeles and headed in the opposite direction, was another DC-6B "Leif Viking". As the two DC6 planes met each other (i.e. Helge met Leif) over the North Pole, the historic event was broadcast via radio (note "radio"...!) to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. SAS (proudly and promptly) celebrated the feat by painting “First over the Pole” on all its DC-6 planes...", and, now a days, we take Polar flights, for granted, with B777s/A350s.
8. Here is a pointer to a set of curious images of SAS (Douglas) cabins from the 1940s to the 1960s showing the airline’s great passenger experience, during the Golden Age of Flight. You may search for "SAS: the Douglas years", and the (2020) article titled "SAS: the Douglas years - Aircraft Interiors International". Noted a few items of interest, and things "gone forever", with or without the Pandemic: (a) The abundant food (and drinks) being served and the manner it's served (b) The number of cigarettes and cigars, being enjoyed on board, even the steward offering the lighter...🙂...(c) Flowers, fruits and especially grapes...🙂...aplenty...(d) Passengers with facing seats, playing cards (or chess), for (it says) a convivial flight experience, and, notice the Globe nearby...since no (in-front-seat) moving-map... (e) Large screen in-flight movie show...was it a Western, maybe...? (f) SAS Crew, personally, greeting the children, on board...(g) And, of course, children being children...it says "fun times on board"...(imagine that happening in today's planes, without the Parents being escorted out...)...etc.
9. Next, take a look at the (beautiful) Lockheed Constellation repaints, below, most of those for Manfred Jahn's classic and diverse range of Connie models. Constellation (the L-049 followed by the L-749, L-1049 and L-1649) became Air France's flagship brand on its main long-haul routes. No fewer than 62 models were used in the fleet between 1946 and 1967.
10. TWA Star of Paris, on 5–6 February 1946, flew its first revenue international passengers on a scheduled transatlantic flight from New York (LGA) to Paris-Orly (ORY). The airplane was a Lockheed L-049 Constellation. Some confusion exists over which TWA Constellation made the first scheduled flight from LGA to ORY. This is probably because two days earlier, 3 February, another L-049, Paris Sky Chief, NC86505, s/n 2026, shown below, also flew from Washington National Airport (DCA) to Paris Orly as a trial. Both flights were commanded by Hal Blackburn (a native of Urbana (IL), I'm reminded, Urbana is a University town, I frequently used to visit, while living in Chicago, years ago...). Captain Blackburn would also later fly TWA's first Boeing 707 from New York to Paris in 1961. Per the records, "...In his 25 years with TWA, his air time equals three years spent above the earth’s surface during which he has logged more than six and a half million miles...In 26,800 hours of flying, Capt. Blackburn never injured a passenger, nor damaged an aircraft, and was never late for a flight..."...puts our simming pursuits, here, in the right perspective...I guess...now where is that Pause key...so I can get a beverage...🙂...
11. BOAC L-049 Speedbird G-AHEN "Baltimore" (shown) was operated for nearly 20 years (1946-1965). It was one of BOAC's first Constellations and operated the company's first trans-atlantic Constellation flight on the 16th of April 1947, after, in 1946, BOAC was permitted to buy an initial fleet of 5 L-049's for the prestigious North Atlantic route. BOAC's love of American aircraft eventually gave it the nickname "Boeing Only Aircraft Corporation"...hmm...I thought "BOAC" stood for something else...
12. Before the era of Qantas and Virgin Australia, there was another major carrier in the game too, the great Ansett Australia, once, one of the most significant carriers in Australia and the Pacific region. Now bygone, they remain as a memory of Australia aviation’s past (and survive/fly only in our virtual skies).

I leave you, below, with the final image of a DC6 of Braniff Airways International, the Airline that broke the livery "norm" with their unconventional jellybean colors, the End of the Plain Plane, it was called....

This exercise, personally, was a fascinating and enjoyable dip into the bygone memories of a most significant period of commercial aviation (the so-called "Golden Age of Flight"). Hope you enjoy too...!

Thanks for your interest...!! Good flying...!

[All aircraft (Freeware), All repaints (Mr. Frank Gonzalez), Orbx (NZ), REX]

Great !! Thanks for showing .

cheers 😉

***Brilliant*** 

Thanks for taking the time to compile this history & for the reference to CalClassics, which I was unaware of.

BTW, since you are FSX-SE I think you would be able to fly some of the aircraft out of the HJG stable, (Historic Jetliners Group) They like the good old noisy smoky tin cans.😀

Here's a link

Unfortunately, flying in P3D & MSFS prevents me from utilizing their aircraft & livery library.

T45

Edited April 17, 20215 yr by Treetops45
Additions

Excellent set of shots! 😉

pmplayer, Patrick, T45, Alaska738, folks: Many thanks...!!

[T45: Looks like HJG has got exciting new content...good to know....! I've been a big fan of HJG as far back as I can remember in FSX. HJG and CalClassic are both great resources in our SIM. If I recall, last time, I'd visited HJG, was for the "Elvis Lisa Marie Private Jet Convair 880"...🙂...for a post of mine...And, yes, you may not be able to use them all, but, you've got (nice) things in your SIM(s) too, that I don't have (yet)...🙂...no complaints, though...(have fun with what you've, at hand)...!]