Color Scheme: Delivery Colors

Registration: N801U

Composition: A Refinished Douglas Factory Polished Aluminum Model

Dimensions: Length: 31" (79cm), Wingspan 23.5" (60cm)

Condition: Mint

Model History: I Acquired this as an Unfinished Douglas Factory Model Blank on November 26, 2002 in a trade with another collector. The blank was Beautifully Polished & I had considered keeping it that way - as an art-deco type piece. However, I'm not an avid art-deco collector so I decided to put one of the DC-8 Original Customer Liveries on it and ultimately chose Universal. I've always liked the black and white livery of Universal and it seems to go well with the polished aluminum. I then sent it to my friend Don Stevens at Airborne Replicas for refinishing in the Philippines. I received it back on December 2, 2003 and Once Again They Did a Terrific Job On It!

Universal's DC-8 History: Universal Airlines came into existence in September 1966. The airline was created from Zantop Air Transport ( a CAB Certified Supplemental Carrier) when Zantop's owners "The Zantop Brothers" decided to sell their interest in the company and leave the airline business (at least temporarily). Once the new ownership & management took over the airline name was changed to Universal Airlines, Inc. The new airline inherited much of Zantop's prop fleet and continued to service Zantop's customers. In April 1968 Universal entered the jet age with the Factory Delivery of two DC-8-61CF (Convertible Freighters). In the next 3 years Universal leased two DC-8F-55 Jet Traders & two more DC-8-61CFs. Click Here to See Universal's DC-8 Fleet Information. Also, Universal had planned to acquire four Douglas DC-9-33F (Freighter) aircraft and one Boeing 747-127 aircraft but unfortunately delivery was never taken on these due to financial difficulties. On May 27, 1971 American Flyers Airline (AFA), a competitor of Universal's, was merged into Universal Airlines, though AFA's DC-8-63CF aircraft were sold off at merger time. Click Here to See an American Flyers Airline DC-8-63CF Model. Sadly, despite Universal possessing a lucrative Military Airlift Command (MAC) Contract, the airline couldn't survive and went bankrupt in May 1972. Competitor Saturn Airways quickly acquired some of Universal's assets, including some Lockheed L-188 Electra's, and took over the MAC Contract. Click Here To See a Saturn DC-8-61CF Model. However, Saturn didn't opt for Universal's two DC-8-61CFs and these were sold to Overseas National Airways. Saturn Airways lasted four more years until being bought out by Trans International Airlines in December, 1976. Click Here to See a Trans International Airlines DC-8-61CF Model. The Universal Airlines 'Story' shows once again just how "cutthroat" the supplemental airline business was during the 1960s and 70s and this all took place prior to airline deregulation in the USA in 1978! Also, each one of these supplemental airlines, Universal, American Flyers, Saturn, Overseas National, Trans International, Capitol International & World Airways, was a Factory Delivery Customer of the DC-8 so you can check out each of their individual histories by 'clicking' on a model of their aircraft and/or selecting that airline from the 'Original Factory Delivery Customer' list. <Please Note: If anyone out there has more information on Universal Airlines or sees errors in my information then please contact me as I would like this to be as accurate as possible.>

Click Here to View a Photo of the Actual Aircraft
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Photo Courtesy Of & Many Thanks To: AIRLINERS.NET and Photographer Bob Garrard.