[Note: If interested in bits of background on the DC-8, please read the text below, or jump directly to the images of the DC-8-63/DC-8-73...]

This post is triggered by the recent sighting, here, in this Forum, of a (Delta) DC-8-53, which made me think of the Super (60/70) DC-8 Series, a JF version of which I thought I'd, but actually didn't see at the moment...(I've the "10-40" series), so, I acquired the (50-70) JF DC8 enhancement, plus the (associated) livery bundle...consisting of a bountiful pack of 60 classic (50-70 Series) liveries...! DC-8, sometimes called the "magnificent" DC-8, is indeed an iconic plane, that e.g., propelled Delta into the Jet Age (the DC-8 was the first Jet plane, for both Douglas and Delta, a significant milestone for both...Douglas was finally looking beyond its legendary trail of propliners...!). On March 8, 1962, a Delta DC-8 was the first airplane to fly between Los Angeles and Atlanta in less than three hours. And surely, the plane, is a favorite of many of us, here, including yours truly...Especially the thin and long (stretched) variants of DC-8 (see pictures, below) were among the most impressive and remarkable planes of the day, and, of course, no less impressive even in our virtual world...its aura and historical appeal more than compensating any perceived lack of system-fidelity in the simulation...(so, I thank JF for undertaking those (stretched) models, for the DC8 enthusiasts...)...!]

Douglas DC-8 had doggedly challenged (and pursued) the competition with its arch-rival (and legendary) Boeing 707, but always just a step behind...e.g., the DC8 took to the skies less than six months after the 707's first flight, and the DC8 would be introduced into service less than a year after the B707's introduction. In the finally tally, 556 DC8s would be built vs. 965 B707s. The DC-8 was produced in 7 different main variations, (Series 10 through 50, and Super Series, 60/70). It's worthy of note that the Super 70 Series variants (71/72/73) were straightforward conversions of respectively (61/62/63), primarily involving the replacement of the JT3D engines with more fuel-efficient CFM56 high-bypass turbofans (see shots, below). So, the "Super DC-8" Series 63 was actually the Final "new" variant DC8, built by Douglas / McDonnell Douglas Companies (the former merged with the latter in 1967). This also means that the DC-8-63 (and its conversion DC-8-73), both variants featured in my post, here, were the longest ever DC-8s to be built and to fly (for comparison, their length is ~35 ft longer than a 707-300, and almost same as that of a modern 787-8). 

In the SIM, if you have flown the Aerosoft DC-8-50, that comes equipped with one of the most realistic triple-INS units in the virtual cockpit (so commented by a Pro, I recall). However, this JF version does not have INS, so, instead of relying on GPS navigation, that would not befit the pedigree of this plane, I've custom added (minimally) one unit of CIVA INS as pop-up (see pictures below). This INS seemed to function perfectly well with this a/c, for my flight navigation, here. 

The INS Flight Plan consists of ~7 INS (LAT/LONG) co-ordinates, manually entered into the (INS) CDU, mimicking the waypoints of the SimBrief Flight Plan you see, in the MAP screenshot below, for a flight between CYVR/Vancouver, and KIGM/Kingman Airport, located in the (hot and dreary) Mohave deserts of Arizona. My reasoning for selecting these airports is because, this DHL DC-8-73 (note Reg. N801DH), seen below, actually started its life as a DC-8-63 (Reg. CF-TIK) for Air Canada, been later converted to a "-73(F)" with CFM engines. And most of the DHL DC-8-73s ended up in the Kingman Airport (TIGM), one of the nation's top reclamation sites for outdated military and civil aircraft. The site is apparently very active, these days, for temporary storage of COVID-forced surplus airplanes, in addition to serving as an aircraft graveyard.

So, please find, below, a set of symbolic pictures of an Air Canada DC-8-63 lifting off westward from CYVR Rwy 26L, and, on activation of my INS flightplan, banking, faithfully, to left (see shots) for an almost 180-degree backward turn, headed (southeast) towards Kingman airport...on its (symbolic) last ever flight to its permanent resting place, here, escorted (respectfully) by yours truly...🙂...Please also note the magical transformation...🙂...in mid-flight...from Air Canada (-63) to DHL (-73F). In particular, notice my close-up (B2B) shots of the engines, where you can appreciate the visual differences between the thin and long JT3D engines vs. the much wider and bigger CFM56 engines (Super 70 was the only DC8 to be equipped with these advanced turbofans).

Finally, if you wish to experience a short (3m:29s) RW video of a (Yellow) DHL "-73F", please search for "DHL Cargo McDonnell Douglas DC-8-73(F) [N803DH] Pushback and Takeoff". The impressive takeoff roll occurs in the last minute [2m:48s-3m:28s], and the characteristic ear-piercing sound of the CFM56-2 engines is clearly heard at ~3m:05s, just after lift-off.

Thanks for your interest and hope you enjoy this collection of images of the (so-called) Magnificent Eight...albeit from the virtual world...!! Good flying...!!

Edited August 18, 20223 yr by P_7878

Great shots! 😉 

Nice set of shots and thanks for the huge Information !

cheers 😉

Great info and nice pics, P_7878 !!

Thank you much, Bernd, Alaska, pmplayer and Andy...! Cheers...!!