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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 1078.PDF
224 0O-C7"0, the first production DC-6C, delivered to Sabena in November 1953. Only a small number of these half-freighter, half-passenger versions—the 0C-6C series—has been built. Sabena have another, OQ-CTP. "BIG SIX" DECADE ... with hundreds of ancillary suppliers and an equally large numberof small American firms who produce specialized equipment under sub-contract.On the subject of airframe hours, it is worthy of record that several of die original DC-6s delivered to United Airlines andAmerican Airlines early in 1947 have logged 30,000-plus hours per aircraft, whilst Douglas themselves estimated early in 1955the combined total of all DC-6 series was about 31 million hours (for about 400 of the type in commercial service alone). It is to some extent ironical diat although the DC-6 serieshas proved to be yet another great success story for Don Douglas and his brilliant team, is was not until the 300th DC-6 was soldthat die enormous development and other costs, amounting to $23 million-odd, were actually recovered: from then on, eachDC-6/7 series sold has made what may be assumed to be a fair margin of profit for its producer. And it is certainly worthrecalling that Douglas have built more transport types than any other manufacturer in 20 years of aircraft building, the actualnumber being over 13,000 (this includes the war-time C-47s and C-54s). And yet—many other builders of transport aircraft canindeed take wise counsel from a statement made by Ardiur E. Raymond (Douglas vice-president engineering) in a lecturedelivered in Stockholm in 1954; he said: — "I have been in the end of the business directly concerned with design,manufacturing, and field service for all these twenty years, during which time the Company I work for has turned out over 13,000 transports.If there is any one thing toe have learned from this experience that stands out above all others, it is that the job has only begun when a new aircraftcompletes its flight tests." EXECUTIVE AIRCRAFT —in Service: Two Attrac- tive Aero Commanders A RECENT addition to the execu-**• tive aircraft fleet of die Douglas Aircraft Company, an Aero Com-mander 56OA, is seen in the photo- graph below in company with theDC-7C. Mr. T. R. Smith, previously chief project engineer on the DouglasA20, is now with the Aero Design and Engineering Company, who manufacture the Commander, asvice-president in charge of research and development. Above is an air-to-air view of theModel 680 Super Commander, fitted with supercharged LycomingGSO-480 engines. The first was delivered to the Long ManufacturingCompany, makers of agricultural machinery, in March. The 680, widia top speed of 260 m.p.h., is claimed to be die fastest aircraft being pro-duced expressly for business today. It can carry a gross load of 7,000 1b atover 25,000ft, and can maintain 15,000ft on one engine while carry-ing up to seven passengers. A Flight handling report on a 520Commander appeared on December 24, 1954. That machine was beingtaken to the Yemen to join the per- sonal fleet of the king of that country.It had been flown across the Atlantic via Labrador, Iceland and Scotland.
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