We are going to know the history of a Douglas DC-8, which apart from being the eternal rival of the Boeing 707, stood out for having a very particular livery.
At the request of Braniff International, artist Alexander Calder designed a multicolor scheme that he called “Flying Colors of South America”.
Origin: Long Beach, California
The DC-8 Series 60 (-61, -62 and -63) were the elongated versions of this aircraft, with the length of the -62 being 47.98 meters (9.14 meters shorter than the other two).
The first flight of the DC-8-62 was recorded on 08/29/1966 and had a longer range, 11,500 km (6,210 NM).
Our protagonist was a 152-seat DC-8-62 powered by 4 JT3D-3B turbines, construction number 45899 and line number 304, delivered to Braniff International on 09/29/1967, which used it until 10/31/1983.
In 1973, Braniff approached artist Alexander Calder to paint an aircraft from his fleet to honor his art and celebrate the 25th anniversary of Braniff’s operations in Central and South America.
DC-8-62 N1805 was chosen, which was repainted with the “Calder livery” in 36 days, under the supervision of the artist, in the de Braniff workshops in Dallas (TX).
It first flew with the multicolor scheme on 11/02/1973.
This paint represented the climate and joy of the South American people.
The artist personally painted “The Beast” (seven-legged cow) on the nacelle of engine 1.
This DC-8 flew in these particular colors until 1979 and is considered a reference in terms of special paint schemes.
It was then operated by Rich International Airways, which was primarily a charter and cargo airline based in Miami, Florida (USA), until 06/10/1990.
Leased to Air Florida on 11/05/1983, it operated with the airline until 03/1984.
It was then rented to Pegasus International Travel Club from 04/01/1989 to 06/10/1990 and was eventually acquired on 05/20/1998 by Universal Aerogat Corporation.
Who was Alexander Calder?
Alexander Calder was born on 07/22/1898 in Lawnton (Pennsylvania).
He was an American sculptor, a precursor of hanging kinetic sculpture (a movement of art in which the works have movement perceptible to the viewer or that depends on movement for its effect).
He created paintings, engravings, stage designs, posters, tapestries, etc.
His most important work is the “Floating Clouds”, hanging structures found at the City of Caracas University Aula Magna (Venezuela), made of metal and wood of various colors, whose function is to improve the acoustics of said classroom.
He also became interested in the shadows cast by his works, which led him to take care of the lighting where his works were exhibited.
In 1973, he designed the colorful scheme of the DC-8 N1805 for Braniff International.
He died in New York on 11/11/1976 and posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.
Variants
- DC-8-62 (1961).
Identities
- N1805 (1961-1998).
Owners and Operators
- Braniff International (09/29/1967).
- Rich International Airways (10/31/1983).
- Air Florida (11/05/1983).
- Pegasus (04/01/1989).
- Universal Aerogat Corporation, Lake Zurich, Illinois (05/20/1998).
Fate
Scrapped in Miami, Florida, in 1998, registration cancelled on 07/31/2001.
Special thanks to Alain and Michel Anciaux for their contributions to this article. Internet sources: YouTube, RZ Net, Wikipedia, Aerial Visuals, Agencia Federal de Aviación (EE.UU.), Roll Out (blog) y Aviation Rainbows (blog).
Thank you for your interesting piece on this remarkable aircraft. I flew on this airplane in 1984, London Gatwick to JFK, in Rich International colors. At the time, I recognized the cabin as being from Braniff International but was unaware of the plane’s special history. Unfortunately, as the cabin was but a shadow of its former glory and the service was less than stellar, I didn’t appreciate how special the airplane I was flying actually was. I always liked Calder’s work, especially the mobile in the old International Arrivals Building at Kennedy. At least I can still enjoy looking at my 1:200-scale model!