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The DC-7 was Douglas Aircraft’s last design evolution of the piston-powered, four-engine, low-wing airliner layout that began with the DC-4. In 1953, American Airlines introduced the DC-7 as its first nonstop, transcontinental airliner. The DC-7 was designed to fly fast enough to travel from coast-to-coast in under eight hours, the U.S. safety limit for pilots. In actual operation, however, this was often not attained. The slightly larger DC-7C (Seven Seas) variant, preceded by the DC-7B, was designed with enough range to fly transatlantic routes. It included upgraded engines, increased fuel capacity, and greater wingspan, all of which gave it slightly better range and speed compared to TWA’s Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation. In 1956, Pan American World Airways introduced the airliner and European carriers such as BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) and SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System) followed with their own orders. In 1957, Braniff International Airways launched DC-7C service to South America that it dubbed “El Dorado” service. Sales of the DC-7 rapidly declined by the end of the decade, with the arrival of long-range jets such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8.
This image was posted on June 02, 2021.