Color Scheme: Alexander
Calder Scheme
Registration: N1805
Composition: A
Refinished Douglas Factory Aluminum Model
Dimensions: Length:
26" (66cm), Wingspan 24.75" (63cm)
Condition: Mint
Model History: I
believe this was produced in the early to mid 1960s by the Douglas
Aircraft Model Shop. I Acquired it on May 25, 2005 from a fellow
collector. It was finished in a "hybrid" Douglas livery
of the DC-8-62. This hybrid livery
had an all white fuselage, wings & engines with "Douglas
DC-8-62" Titles on the fuselage & tail. It looked very
much like the Original DC-8 "Ship One" Livery but the
actual DC-8-62 never flew in this livery. It may have
been finished this way as an early proposal model for the Super
62. After much thought I decided to have the model refinished
in the Braniff Calder Scheme. I had hoped to find a large scale
model of the Calder DC-8 but have never found one available for
purchase. Thus, on May 22, 2006 I sent this model, numerous pictures,
drawings & very detailed instructions on how the
Calder DC-8 should be painted to Airborne Replicas to be repainted
in the Philippines. This model was the last metal model I had
to send to the folks at Airborne and by far required
the most detailed work to make it correctly and they certainly
came through for me! When I received it back on February 22, 2007
I was amazed at how well they did this model! Adding a Large Scale
Braniff Calder DC-8-62 Definitely Was a Dream Come True!
My
Heart Felt Thanks Goes To Don Stephens & The Airborne Replicas
Team For Doing Such Beautiful Hand Painted Refinishing of My Models
Over The Last 10 Years. They have always met or exceeded my requirements
for refinishing models in my collection and also have continuously
improved their work over time. Many Times These Philippine Hand
Painted Refinished Models (By Airborne Replicas) Have Turned Out
Even Better Than Those Which I've Had Refinished Here with Sets
of Decals I Had! You Can't Ask For More Than That!
Braniff's
DC-8 History: Braniff Airways was created in 1930 by brothers
Paul & Tom Braniff. Based in Dallas, the airline served mainly
the American Southwest and prospered with the approval of US Air
Mail contracts of that era. During 1945-1948 Braniff inaugurated
it's first international service with flights to Mexico and Houston-Havana-Lima
service. Along with these new international services came a new
name - Braniff International Airways. During the 1950s and 60s
Braniff International continued to expand - both within the United
States and to more destinations in Latin and South America. Upon
entering the Jet Age in the early 1960s Braniff had chosen the
Boeing 707 and 720 to provide it's medium & long haul jet
service. However, after Braniff merged with Pan American-Grace
Airways on February 1, 1967 & acquired Panagra's DC-8 fleet
& South American Routes, the airline decided that the DC-8
better met it's operational needs. Click
Here to See a Panagra DC-8-31 Model. During the late 1960s
Braniff took delivery of 7 Factory Delivered DC-8-62s and also
acquired used DC-8-51s and DC-8-62s to further expand it's medium
and long haul fleet. Most of Braniff's DC-8s flew for the airline
right up to May 12, 1982 when they ceased operations and filed
for bankruptcy. Throughout most of Braniff's history the airline
looked and operated like any of the other 11 "Trunk"
Airlines but this was radically changed in 1965 with the introduction
of the "End
of the
Plain Plane"
Aircraft Paint Schemes which sported bright pastel fuselages,
white wings & tail and a black nose. This new and "wild"
look for Braniff was a "first" in the airline industry,
received a lot attention from the general public and exposed this
relatively small airline to the rest of the world! However, Braniff
didn't stop with that and in 1971 introduced Four New Two-Tone
Color Combinations for it's fleet and named it's newest look Braniff's
"Flying Colors."
In 1973, Braniff commissioned Alexander Calder, World Famous for
his Modern Art, to paint one of their DC-8-62 Aircraft (N1805)
and named the project "The Flying
Colors of
South America"
- to bring more attention to Braniff's South American Route System.
Mr. Calder did not personally paint the entire DC-8-62 but he
painted several large models of the aircraft and then the Braniff
engineers enlarged and transferred his work to the actual aircraft.
However, Mr. Calder did personally paint some "finishing
touches" to the aircraft before it was introduced into service
on November 3, 1973. The Above Model Represents
The Beautiful "Alexander
Calder"
Scheme.
This paint scheme was quite radical for it's time & consequently
brought Braniff a lot of attention & publicity - and the name
"Braniff" was nowhere to be found on the aircraft! Later,
in 1975, Alexander Calder did another stunning livery for Braniff
in celebration of the 1976 U.S.A. Bicentennial. The Boeing 727-200
(N408BN), the backbone of Braniff's domestic fleet, was introduced
that year as "The Flying Colors of The United States"
and was painted in "wild" stripes of red, white &
blue. Finally, in 1977 just before the beginning of deregulation
of the US Airline Industry, Braniff introduced it's final livery
change - the "Ultra"
schemes which went back to a basically solid color fuselage but
using deeper tones, and adding lighter colored striping to highlight
the lines of the plane and engines. To top it off, the Braniff
name was changed from block print to a more elegant script print.
Click Here to See Braniff's
DC-8 Fleet Information. Sadly, though Braniff was brilliant
in their marketing with these colorful paint schemes, after deregulation
they made the fatal mistake of expanding way too fast and then
collapsing due to over-capacity in most of their markets during
a time of recession in the world economy. Thus, Braniff International
became the first US "trunk" airline fatality in the
new era of deregulation & ceased flying on May 12, 1982. Such
a sad ending to such a daring and colorful airline! One final
note, there have been 3 attempts to resurrect Braniff but all
have been unsuccessful. There just couldn't be another Braniff
like the Original.
Click
Here If You Would Like To See Which DC-8's Flew In Which of the
Above Paint Schemes.
Click
Here to View a Photo of the Actual Aircraft From The LEFT
Side
[When Finished - Please Press
The Back Button On Your Browser to Return to this Page]
Photo Courtesy Of & Many Thanks To: AIRLINERS.NET
and Photographer Frank C. Duarte Jr.
Click
Here to View a Photo of the Actual Aircraft From The RIGHT
Side
[When Finished - Please Press The Back
Button On Your Browser to Return to this Page]
Photo Courtesy Of & Many Thanks To: AIRLINERS.NET
and Photographer Don Boyd
Links
To Other Braniff International Models On This Web Site:
Delivery
Colors - The End
of the
Plain Plane
Scheme
DC-8-62
1/50 Scale Metal Model in Red Delivery Colors
- A Douglas Factory Model
Second Colors
- The Flying Colors
Scheme
4
DC-8-51 1/500 Scale Models in the Small Scale DC-8 Models Section
