Color Scheme: Delivery Colors

Registration: N0008F

Composition: Douglas Factory Polished Aluminum Model

Dimensions: Length: 35.5" (91cm), Wingspan 34" (86cm)

Condition: Excellent

Model History: The model blank and decals were produced by Marketing Aids (subcontractor for Douglas) in the 1960s. I acquired them from two different private collectors in 2000. My friend Jim Powroznik (James Powroznik Custom Models, Clovis, CA) then used them to refinish the model and delivered it on July 1, 2001. Jim - Thanks For Another Beautiful Refinishing Job!

Capitol's DC-8 History: Capitol International Airways launched services in 1946 from Symrna, Tennessee using primarily ex-military surplus propeller aircraft converted for commercial use. Capitol specialized in group and military charters and in the 1950s grew quickly into the largest US Charter Airline - also known as a Non Scheduled (Nonsked) or Supplemental Airline. Capitol entered the Jet Age with the introduction of it's first Factory Delivered DC-8 Jet Trader (combination passenger/freighter model) in 1963. As more DC-8s were acquired further expansion occurred - especially from the USA to Europe. Most of Capitol's Charters to Europe were initially for the Military Airlift Command (MAC) but throughout the 1960s and 1970s the percentage of MAC Charters declined while passenger and cargo charters increased. The DC-8 was Capitol's "backbone" aircraft which allowed their continued aggressive growth. Although Capitol only took 7 Factory Deliveries of new DC-8s (which were all combination passenger/cargo models), they acquired a total of 39 additional used DC-8s in a large number of purchase and lease agreements. These agreements enabled Capitol to both acquire DC-8s as needed and also lease out or dispose of DC-8s as the market demand fluctuated. This is all outlined in Capitol's Fleet Count. Click Here to See Capitol's DC-8 Fleet Information. Another point of interest is that Capitol operated a large variety of DC-8 variants from the Series 31 on up and was one of the few airlines to operate all 3 of the Super DC-8 variants - the DC-8-61, 62 & 63. In addition, Capitol flew their DC-8s with a large variety of paint schemes - possibly the largest variety of paint schemes of any airline on the DC-8 throughout their history. Many of these paint schemes were necessitated by the nature of the lease (e.g. short term with a "blended scheme' of Capitol's and the Lessor's or Lessee's Scheme), but there were still many variations of the full Capitol International and/or Capitol Air paint schemes. The model above is in Capitol's Original Delivery Colors for the DC-8F-54. To see another Capitol Paint Scheme from the 1960s Click Here To See A Capitol DC-8-32. With the advent of US Airline Deregulation, Capitol was awarded it's first scheduled service from Newark to Brussels which began in May 1979 and also began scheduled transcontinental services from New York to Los Angeles offering low fares on each route. Both of these new scheduled services were popular with the public but not profitable and were a drain on Capitol's financial resources. In 1980, Batchelor Enterprises (owner of International Air Leases & Arrow Airways), purchased Capitol International with plans to aggressively expand scheduled services within the USA and to Europe and Puerto Rico. On December 12, 1981 the airline was renamed Capitol Air and introduced new "Skysaver" fares to Europe & within the USA using two recently acquired DC-10s for Europe and part of the DC-8 fleet for the USA routes. The DC-8s & DC-10s were repainted with large "Skysaver" titles and although the fares were again popular with the public the competition and a downturn in the economy left Capitol losing money each year in the early 1980s. In 1983, Capitol was bought out by yet another company which attempted to make Capitol profitable by further expansion into new markets in the Caribbean and Israel. However, these efforts were not successful and the losses worsened. Consequently, in 1984 Capitol was forced to massively cut routes and employees and to park aircraft. Unfortunately these actions were "too little - too late"and Capitol Air ceased flying and entered bankruptcy on November 25, 1984. Sadly, yet another one of the older, stable airlines (albeit a charter airline) with a great history was killed in the new era of deregulation.

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Photo Courtesy Of & Many Thanks To: AIRLINERS.NET and Photographer John F. Ciesla.