Color Scheme:
First Colors (Post Merger of TAI & UAT)
Registration:
F-BJLB
Composition:
An Original Douglas Factory Style
Polished Aluminum Model - Made by Pan Publi, France in the 1960s.
Dimensions:
Length: 35.5" (91cm), Wingspan 34" (86cm)
Condition:
Excellent
Model History:
This Model has a Great History! During the Early 1960s this blank
was produced in Paris, France using the same exact pattern as
the Original Douglas Factory Models and then finished in UTA Colors.
It was then shipped to Harare, Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe) where
it was displayed in UTA's Sales Office. Later UTA decided to eliminate
the model from their inventory a UTA employee named Don Delport
purchased it and took it with him when he moved to Australia.
In March 2001 Don decided to sell the model to me for my collection
which I am very grateful for - Thank You
Don!
Update - April 2002: Due
to the erosion of the white paint on the top and sides of the
model my partner Bob Sanford has done some restoration work it
for me. All of the original paint scheme and decals were saved
in the restoration - even the cockpit windows which aren't technically
correct but are the way the original artist did them. Thank
You Once Again Bob!
UTA's
DC-8 History: Union de Transports Aeriens, also known as
UTA French Airlines, was an Original Delivery Customer of the
DC-8 and took delivery of their first DC-8 (DC-8F-55 F-BNLD) in
November 1965. UTA was created on October 1, 1963 by the merger
of the independent French Airlines - Transports Aeriens Intercontinentaux
(TAI) (Click Here to See a TAI DC-8-33
Model) and Union Aeromaratime de Transport (UAT) (Click
Here to See a UAT DC-8-32 Model) who were also Original Factory
Delivery Customers of the DC-8. Both of these airlines had excellent
route systems to the Orient & South Pacific (TAI) and to Central
& Southern Africa (UAT) and both owned DC-8s which made the
merger an ideal one. UTA continued to expand their operations
with the DC-8s acquired in the merger plus additional DC-8s purchased
from Douglas. They retired the last of their DC-8s in 1984. Click
Here To See UTA's DC-8 Fleet Information. Sadly, due to financial
pressures and the global consolidation of the airline industry,
UTA was acquired in 1992 by Air France and no longer exists today.
Click
Here to View a Photo of the Actual Aircraft
[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 Ralf Manteufel.
