Erik's Paint Thread- 2023

[Erik Ingram - HJG]

Welcome to 2023, and as always, hopefully it's off to a pleasant start!

Currently it's 25 degrees and snowing where I am (-4 for those of us not in the US), so here are a few Alaska 737s to start off the year reminding us of warmer, sunnier places!

N791AS, 2007. This Tinkerbell scheme was introduced to commemorate Disneyland's 50th anniversary in 2005. Later the tail was revised with titles reading "The Happiest Place on Earth," Disneyland's longtime slogan. It kept these colors until it was retired in 2017.


N784AS, 2008. As part of Alaska's long-standing partnership with Disney, this one was given a related scheme with Disney's best-known characters in 2002.

[alex94]

Happy new year Erik, and your weather sounds nice (to me anyway). Very hot and muggy where i am in Australia, lots of storms too!

Wonderful liveries, always liked alaskas special ones

[Erik Ingram - HJG]

Thank you!

Here's another project I started quite a while ago before other things got in the way; a series of Caledonian/BCal 707-320Cs to complement the existing ones.

Caledonian Airways G-AVKA, 1969


G-AXRS, 1970, with updated titles:


G-AVTW, 1971, with Caledonian-BUA merger titles:


British Caledonian G-AWWD, 1974, with the airline's new name:


Finally, G-BDEA with British Caledonian Cargo titles, 1982:

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Glad you did those periodic CAL's and B-CAL's Erik.

What you've presented nicely fills the void among what we currently offer in regard to CAL/B-CAL and the B707 .... and for the 1970's decade.

"GOOD" choice .... and "GREAT" reproduction/s too

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[Erik Ingram - HJG]

Thanks Mark!

Here are a few more first-generation jets from varying stages of their careers:

TWA 707-131 N740TW, 1968. Unlike American, TWA did not modify its original 707s to the B standard, and as such they didn't last especially long in service, all things considered. By the late '60s they mostly wore a basic version of the "Star Stream" livery then in use, and were out of the fleet by 1972.


TWA 707-131B N752TW, 1974. This one had a similar variation, albeit for different reasons; the later twin-stripe livery was being introduced by the early '70s, so in anticipation of eventually being repainted, the remaining 120Bs generally looked like this until that happened. This one also represents TWA's domestic configuration, sans HF antenna on the tail.


Then we have a couple of Northwest DC-8-32s from the beginning of their careers, intended as updates to the existing ones we currently host!

N802US, 1960. This variation was only applied to the first two DC-8s, back when unique liveries for different aircraft types were reasonably common.


N804US, 1961. Updated livery that was generally used in this form until about 1970 when the 747s introduced the silver-top design.


These also didn't last long; the 707 proved to be better-suited to Northwest's transpacific routes, and the DC-8s were all sold by 1964.

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

"TERRIFIC" TWA's .... and .... "NICE" NORTHWEST's

So folks are aware .... the 2 TWA's are an extension to what we currently offer if not also improvements and in accordance with a recent request

The 2 NORTHWEST's will replace our much older (20 years old) original texture for this operators DC-8-32.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

In support of Erik's previews a little concerning NORTHWEST's short-lived DC-8 operations ....

From 1960 DC-8C's (-32's) operated the NORTHWEST's domestic "Luxury Imperial" and "Thrifty Coronation" coach services to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Mineapolis-St.Paul, New York, Portland, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Spokane .... and trans-Pacific "Polar Imperial" Services to Hong Kong, Manila, Okinawa, Seoul, Taipei, and Tokyo from Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle (operated via Anchorage) and which were marketed as "The Shortest And Fastest Flights To The Orient". Operating longer trans-Pacific routes, NORTHWEST soured on the DC-8 due to the types initial range/performance short-comings .... despite having previously been a DOUGLAS loyalist. From 1961 the airline began replacing its 5 DC-8-30's with B707-320B's (the only 4 B707-320B SCD's ever produced by BOEING) and B720-B's .... then B707-320C's from 1964 .... NORTHWEST having operated some 52 B707 type aircraft by the time it began progressively retiring these from service between 1971 and 1978. The airline would not again invest in the DOUGLAS/McDONNELL-DOUGLAS flight line until the early 1970's when it began to re-equip with wide-body DC-10-40's.

In regard to NORTHWEST's initial "DC-8C" marketing ....

As competition intensified between airlines some DC-8 operators began voicing objections to the US CAB in regard to EASTERN, NATIONAL, and NORTHWEST AIRLINES using what essentially amounted to non-official aircraft type nomenclature within their service marketing and promotion campaigns .... protesting that "DC-8B" and "-C" models did not exist, and therefore reference to such designations was not only false advertising, but, could also be "perceived to be" promoting unfair advantages in the public mind (whom subjected to the intensity of such period advertising were often easily influenced by whatever appeared marketed as being the biggest, best, fastest, and newest jetliners). In response to these accusations the offending operators lobbied DOUGLAS to try and formalize this alpha-numeric aircraft type nomenclature, but, the company declined doing so despite having publicly referred to "DC-8A" and "-B models" (based on engine type) during pre-delivery development and flight testing. This resulted in the CAB later ruling that none but DOUGLAS's official DC-8-11, -12, -21, -31, -32, and -33 nomenclature could be used in conjunction with future DC-8 service marketing.

One of NORTHWEST's DC-8-32's went to UAT during 1962 whilst the remaining 4 aircraft each went NATIONAL AIRLINES from 1963.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[Eduardo JT8D - HJG]

Love those Alaska Disney 737s

[CORLL ONE]

Erik,

Thank you for accepting my request for the TWA 707-131B with the grey radome! Very well done. I'm a TWA brat (father was a Ramper for 40 years) and my first flight will be nostalgic, one I took many times as kid...FLT 99, PHL-IAD-LAX.

Thank you again!

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Seizing a moment or two whilst I can ....

Here's the first official portraits of Erik's latest works .... these being in relation to both the B737-400 and DC-10-40 (-20) ....


ALASKA AIRLINES B737-490 N791AS - "Tinkerbell" (2007)


ALASKA AIRLINES B737-4Q8 N784AS - "Disneyland" (2008)



McDONNELL-DOUGLAS DC-10-20 N141uS - DC-10-40 Demonstrator - (1972)



"THANKS" Erik

Still "a lot" more to present folks .... as and when currently ongoing private circumstances permit my being able to attend to it all

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[Erik Ingram - HJG]

Thanks Eduardo! And of course, I'm always happy to take on requests

Now for a trio of Vietnam veteran 727s...well, they're all the same airframe, but they represent an interesting chapter of Southeast Asian aviation history. Air Viet Nam was established in 1951 by head of state Bảo Đại to serve as the national carrier of Vietnam (at that point still one entity, and then the airline of South Vietnam from 1955). Although the Vietnamese had successfully fought off the French, the airline still received quite a bit of technical support and aircraft from Air France; these included DC-3s, DC-4s, Vickers Viscounts, a Caravelle, and others. By the early '60s at the outset of the Vietnam War, the airline's association with the West continued in the form of two 727s that had been recently built for Pan Am, but were turned over before entering service. As such, XV-NJB initially wore the basic Pan Am scheme, with the requisite titles and logos applied, circa 1968:


By 1971, the aircraft had been updated with the traditional green stripe that had been used since the '50s, though the scheme was mostly unchanged otherwise:


Finally by 1974, NJB had this flag-inspired livery which it wore until the final days of the war.


In all cases, the aircraft had titles reading Hang Khong Viet Nam on the right-hand side, which was the native translation of the company name. Sister ship XV-NJC was hijacked by a defector in September 1974 and crashed while attempting to land in Hanoi. NJB made out a little better; it got stuck in Taiwan after North Vietnam overran the South in April 1975, and was eventually requisitioned by the Taiwanese Air Force, for whom it flew as a general transport until the late '90s.

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Another historic void nicely filled Erik .... fitting in well with our already established AIR VIET NAM B707-320 and CARAVELLE III's.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Still trying to seize moments as I can.

More official portraits of some of Erik's latest works .... these one's each relating to the BAC ONE-ELEVEN -200, E3C SENTRY (in USAF E-3B and E-3G form), E-3D SENTRY (including a recently requested ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE CFM-56 powered aircraft E-3A form .... and the recently delivered FUERZA AEREA DE CHILE aircraft), along with a French ARMEE DE L'AIR operated KC-135R of the early 1990's .... all as follows ....


BAC ONE-ELEVEN 200 BRITISH UNITED AIRLINES (delivery scheme) G-ASJE (1966)


E-3A (E-3D base pack) ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE 1803 (2014)


E-3D FUERZA AEREA DE CHILE 905 (2022)


E-3B (E-3C base pack) USAF 75-0560 (2019)


E-3G (E-3C base pack) USAF 82-0007 (2022)


KC-135R ARMEE D'LAIR 57-1439 (1993)



"THANKS AGAIN" Erik .... still a bit to present yet. Progress is somewhat glacial at the moment, but, I'm getting there

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[alex94]

Love those military ones. Something about the British united livery I’ve always found pleasing to the eye

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Still seizing moments as and when I can.

More official portraits .... these ones relating to Erik's latest B707's in the form of a TWA -120 from 1968, a TWA -120B from 1974 (featuring different radome treatments along with other details and as were recently requested), along with a selection of CALEDONIAN .... through CALEDONIAN AIRWAYS/BUA .... to BRITISH CALEDONIAN AIRWAYS B707-320C's each colourfully capturing the evolution of this particular carrier throughout just over a decade of operations between the very late 1960's and early 1980's. All as follows ....


TWA (double globe scheme) B707-131 N740TW (1968) .... featuring modified later 1960's radome


TWA) (double globe scheme) B707-131B N752TW (1974) .... a US domestic aircraft without the VHF tail antennae and featuring a further modified/unpainted nose radome as became evident by the 1970's


CALEDONAN AIRWAYS B707-399C G-AVKA "County Of Ayr" (1969) .... late 1960's italicized font with white trailing edge tail trim


CALEDONIAN AIRWAYS B707-355C G-AXRS "County Of Caithness"(1970) .... early 1960's squared font with white trailing edge tail trim


CALEDONIAN AIRWAYS/BUA B707-399C G-AVTW "County Of Ayr" (1971) .... early 1970's transitional "CALEDONIAN/BUA" font with white leading/trailing edge tail trim


BRITISH CALEDONIAN AIRWAYS B707-349C G-AWWD "Loch Calder" (1974) .... mid 1970's squared "BRITISH CALDONIAN" font


BRITISH CALEDONIAN AIRWAYS CARGO B707-338C G-BDEA "Loch Thom" (1974) .... early 1980's final scheme/revised "BRITISH CALEDONIAN" font



"NICE" selection Erik

Still more to present .... once again as when I can get to it all

Mark C
AKL/NZ