Douglas DC-7

Aircraft

Douglas DC-7

Pilot & Markings

Eastern Airlines, Circa 1955
Model Builder: Terry Moore

Scale & Kit

1/122 Scale Revell Model

History

The Douglas DC-7 marked the end of an era. It was the last propeller-powered airliner made by Douglas Aircraft Company. The DC-7 was also one of the first airliners to be able to cross the Atlantic from London to New York nonstop. Its successor, the DC-8, was the first jet-powered Douglas airliner. The primary airlines to fly the DC-7 were American Airlines, United Airlines, Pan Am and Eastern Air Lines as this model depicts. Between 1953 and 1985, there were 343 manufactured.

This was a very interesting build. The kit was a Revell 1/122 American Airlines DC-7 (H-219:98). It was produced in 1955 so the plastic parts were literally more than 60 years old at the time of our build. We added in an aftermarket resin kit for the extended nose and more detailed engine cowlings from HaHen (#Resin_1172). Windows in the fuselage and cockpit were painstakingly ground and drilled out. Krystal Kleer was used to simulate the clear windows. Decals were from Vintage Flyer Decals (VFD122-014 – DC-7B Eastern). One of the biggest challenges was replicating the highly polished aluminum skin. We decided to go with Alclad and were very pleased with results. Alclad is a paint designed for airbrushing, and there are multiple types of metal finish, from dark and light aluminum to highly polished aluminum and they offer a chrome finish paint. Additionally, there are other metal finishes such as steel, copper, magnesium and many others that relate to metal finished model.The paint applies very well, does not rub off and can be masked without any issues.

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