DC-6B - бестселлер в семействе "Six" На фотографии - самолет в демонстрационной заводской окраске, NX90809 - один из первых серийных бортов.

Будучи предшественником турбовинтовых и реактивных авиалайнеров, DC-6 пользовался популярностью как грузовой самолет, в 2010 года один самолет (на фотографии) числился в реестре "Atlantic Airlines" (ранее "Air Atlantique"), зарегистрированной в Великобритании. Бельгийская "Sabena" конвертировала два своих DC-6B в грузовой вариант с отклоняемой хвостовой частью фюзеляжа.

N90961, one of two DC-6s used by Air Micronesia until 1975 when all airfields on the Air Micronesia schedule were upgraded to handle the Boeing 727-100.

A glorious colour photograph of Wisconsin Central DC-3s N12978 (nearest) and N26214 on the busy ramp at Chicago’s Midway Airport in 1952. In the background, trunk carrier airliners are prepared for another flight, including a pair of American Airlines DC-6s, beyond which is a Capital Airlines DC-4. The local airlines were initially called feeders as their objective was to “feed” small-town traffic to the trunk airlines.

Cargo is unloaded from N95BL on the apron at Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston, Jamaica, at the conclusion of the flight from Miami described in this account.

The Douglas DC-6, mostly in its DC-6B variant, remains an important workhorse in the Caribbean, where it is still going strong more than 40 years after the maiden flight of the prototype.

Two of the last DC-6s off the production line, G-APSA and ’SIXC, can each carry payloads of 13.5 tonnes.

Douglas DC-6 был первым самолетом "Air Atlantique", на котором использовалось экономичное оборудование собственной разработки для борьбы с загрязнениями.

Balair acquired Air Ferry’s two DC-6As to bolster its Biafran airlift fleet. HB-IBS, the former G-APNO, sits ready for departure at Basle-Mulhouse airport in January 1969 wearing an all-white Red Cross paint scheme.

Late in the airlift, Bill Bird of Bird and Sons began operating again under his name, this time as Bird Air, incorporated in Singapore, with a trio of DC-6A/Bs; loading at Vientiane is N27CA.

Douglas DC-6A N3492F, seen at San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November 1979, was one of two examples operated by Challenge Air Transport Inc, forerunner of CAC, in the early days. After initial lease, this aircraft was transferred to Challenge on January 28, 1980 and operated until January 1983.

Highlighting EAL’s extremely attractive colour scheme incorporating the symbolic green, gold and red colours of the national flag, DC-6B ET-T-26 (c/n 45524) is seen here undergoing maintenance at Frankfurt in July 1959. Re-registered as ET-AAY in 1962, this aircraft was burnt out after running off the runway on landing at Asmara on March 12, 1970.

With the Lion of Judah emblem prominently displayed on the forward fuselage, DC-6B ET-AAY (formerly ET-T-26) is refuelled at Gatwick in September 1965 in company with a rampful of treasure in the background, including several other Douglas propliners (and a Canadair C-4 Argonaut), an Ilyushin Il-18 and a Bristol Britannia.

Для больших аэродромов DC-6 является более предпочтительным, так как может перевозить больше топлива. Большинство самолетов, используемых компанией "Everts", - бывшие военные C-118, переделанные в DC-6A, а затем доработанные для перевозки топлива и грузов.

One of the two Hunting-Clan DC-6As at Salisbury in 1959. Although the Yorks had provided sterling service on the Safari and Africargo routes, the pressurised DC-6 was a far more modern proposition and represented a major step forward for the airline.

Pictured at its London Heathrow operating base, G-APNO sports its handsome Hunting-Clan colours. Sistership ’NP is visible inside the company hangar located on the airport’s south side

The tail of one of Hunting-Clan’s pair of Douglas DC-6s spikes an (almost) gin-clear sky in Salisbury, Rhodesia, in the late 1950s.

One of the few that prospered; while most of the large irregular carriers - or “non-skeds” - relied on secondhand aircraft and failed to survive the Civil Aeronautics Board’s scrutiny, some fought back and thrived. Some even managed to acquire modern equipment in the 1950s, including Irving E. Herman’s Great Lakes Airlines, which operated Douglas DC-6A N6575C, seen here at Oakland, California.

In July 1958 UAT became involved in the establishment of Libyan airline Libiavia, operating services from Tripoli along the North African coast to Athens and the Turkish capital Ankara. Seen here at Paris with the Libiavia legend and Nord Africa Aviazione (NAA) titles, DC-6B F-BGSN (c/n 44871) was one of several serving the route.

‘Tanker 48’ began her career as CF-MCL of Maritime Central Airways but was destined to remain in their ownership for just eight days. In Conair service for 19 years, she is now for sale as the company reduces the size of its fleet. Sistership, CF-MCK, currently serves with Air Atlantique as G-APSA.

With the substantial expansion of its routes from 1944, National undertook a programme of modernisation, introducing the most up-to-date airliners on its services, including, from July 1947, the 58-passenger Douglas DC-6, redesignated with Baker’s characteristic hubris as the “Buccaneer 400”, as seen on the forward fuselage.

National DC-6B N8225H (c/n 43742) was lost under mysterious circumstances on January 6, 1960, when a bomb was allegedly detonated aboard Flight 2511, a 707 replacement service from New York to Miami. The wreckage was found in North Carolina. It is thought a suicide bomber was responsible, but the FBI case remains open to this day.

With the new colour scheme, National’s “Buccaneer 400s” became “DC-6 Stars”, and a pair are seen here at Miami in July 1959. The nearest, DC-6B N8222H (c/n 43739), was delivered to National in October 1952 and wears the post-1949 colour scheme, with the “Airline of the Stars” legend applied on both front and rear of the fuselage.

Douglas DC-6B N6587C (c/n 45223) was delivered brand-new to Northeast on August 23, 1957, and is seen here at Boston in October 1964. The airline’s colour scheme incorporated the company’s stylised Puritan motif emblazoned on the forward fuselage beneath the cockpit, emphasising Northeast’s “Route of the Pilgrims” theme.

The Douglas DC-6B was introduced into TAI service from the spring of 1953, initially serving on the Paris-Madagascar service. This example, F-BHEE (c/n 44696), joined the TAI fleet in April 1955, and after serving on the Pacific routes (it is seen here at Auckland in New Zealand) it was leased to TAI subsidiary Libiavia.

Based at Opa-Locka Airport, Trans-Air-Link, formed in 1979, currently operates a Douglas DC-7C and three Douglas DC-6s, including DC-6A N870TA seen here with the cowlings removed from its four Pratt & Whitney R-2800s. Note the 'Sky Truck' titling on the nose, which is the carrier’s ICAO call sign. This particular aircraft was originally allocated for Slick Airways but instead joined the Belgian Air Force on June 20, 1958, being sold to SF Air as F-BYCH in 1977. In June 1980 it joined Aero B as YV-293C before being bought by Trans-Air-Link on August 21, 1984. All of the aircraft are used for freight carriage, primarily to and from the Caribbean island chain.

DC-6B (данный самолет был построен для "North American Airlines" в 1955 году и el 957 году передан в "Trans American") мог оснащаться четырьмя 18-цилиндровыми моторами P&W Double Wasp R-2800-CB16 или -CB17 взлетной мощностью 2400 л. с. или 2500 л. с.

The two French independent airlines that merged in 1962 to become Union de Transports Aeriens (UTA) - TAI and UAT - had both established a wide-ranging network of services using fleets of rugged and dependable propliners, including DC-6B F-BGOB (c/n 43833), seen here at Gatwick in October 1964, which had served with UAT since April 1953.

Douglas DC-6A N45500 of World Airways at Oakland, California. Under the guidance of Edward J. Daly, who bought the airline aged 27 in 1950 for $50,000, World adjusted to the USA’s changing airline industry over the years and survived both the CAB’s reign and deregulation in 1978. Sadly, the airline ceased operations in 2014.

DC-6B

N91BL on short finals to land on Miami's 09L runway and'(above) N95BL on the apron at Jamaica.

Douglas DC-6B N501XP (c/n 45177, ex C-GKUG) is the latest acquisition of Everts Air Cargo. The vintage aircraft previously served with Conair and was delivered on June 6, 2014 from Abbotsford International Airport, British Columbia, to Fairbanks International Airport, Alaska, where Everts has its maintenance facility. The aircraft travelled via Snohomish County Airport/Paine Field, Washington, where it cleared US customs.

Еще одной компанией, занимающейся доставкой топлива, является "Woods Air Fuel", ей принадлежал один DC-6A, ныне хранящийся в Палмере. Этот самолет был поставлен авиакомпании "Pan Am" в далеком 1954 году.

Seldom illustrated, this Mexican AF Northrop F-5F (with an F-5E and line of DC-6s behind) was photographed by Mario Carrillo. Notice the antenna-carrying dorsal fins.

Douglas VC-118 46-0505 'Independence' superbly restored by staff at the museum.

North American T-39A Sabreliner 62-4478, on show next to the 'Independence'.

С середины 1930-х и до конца 1950-х годов фирма "Douglas" была самым известным производителем авиалайнеров в США. Своим успехом она обязана лайнерам, представленным на этом снимке: DC-3, -4, -6, -7 и -8. В конце 1950-х годов доминированию "Douglas" положила конец фирма "Boeing", создавшая лайнер Model 707, которая вот уже четыре десятилетия продолжает оставаться на вершине успеха.

DC-6 из французской службы Securite Civile в противопожарной конфигурации с баками и распылительными устройствами, установленными вне герметичного фюзеляжа. Такой подход упрощает доработку самолета в противопожарный.

В Северной Америке и Франции DC-6 использовались для тушения пожаров. Больше всего таких самолетов имелось в канадской "Conair", в 1999 году ее парк насчитывал семь машин.

Making more than just a splash, ‘PWF makes her public debut at the 1972 Abbotsford International Airshow.

Captain Al Mehlhaff performs a ‘downhill run’ in ‘Tanker 48’ during a fire control action on a grass fire near Vernon, British Columbia in 1992. The retardant falls to the ground, coating the unburned fuel to create a fire-containing barrier.

The DC-6’s 12-door tank provides the required flexibility to tackle a wide variety of fire types and behaviours. ‘Tanker 48’ delivers a two-door ‘string’ (two doors at a time in sequence) to contain a fire in medium timber and grass.

Conair ‘Tanker 47’ demonstrating its virtues at the 1980 Abbotsford International Airshow.

Conair’s last DC-6 acquisition, ‘Tanker 52’, displays the initial eight-door retardant tank.

‘Tanker 43’ interrupts the early morning calm over the City of Vancouver during the 1992 Gypsy Moth Eradication Program.

Conair leased C-118A, C-GKFF, from Kelowna Flightcraft for two summer seasons. She is seen demonstrating her ultra low volume spray system following her return from the 1985 spruce budworm programme in Newfoundland. She served as a ‘fish-feeder’ in British Columbia in 1987.

A Conair DC-6 applies dispersant from 50ft (15m) above the Gulf of Mexico during the ‘Ixtoc One’ operation. The area already cleared of oil can be seen to the left of the photograph.

‘Tanker 49’ thunders aloft from the gravel runway of the Loon River tanker base in Alberta. Bases in Alberta tend to be more spartan and remote than those in British Columbia.

‘Tanker 51’, alias C-GIBS, begins her fire-bombing display at the 1988 Abbotsford Airshow. Barely airborne, she is seen entering a tight turn within the airfield perimeter prior to making a 1,500ft (460m) long, multi-coloured drop in front of the crowd. The stunning display ends with a high speed downwind pass followed by a graceful pitch up and dumb-bell turn onto finals and lots of noisy reverse thrust on landing.

‘Tanker 43’ with its Cessna 337 ‘bird-dog’ and full operational crew, pictured at Almeria during the 1993 deployment to Spain for ICONA. Note the wide forward entrance door (a feature of some DC-6s) and the soot-black nacelles, the product of low-level operations on a rich mixture.

Flight crews compare notes from a completed fire control action as tankers ‘44’ and ‘51’ wait in the high summer heat for the next dispatch. Though each tanker is allocated to a particular base, they are routinely ‘base-changed’ to reflect the changing fire situation.

Conair’s first DC-6 fire-bomber, CF-PWF, under conversion at Aero Union’s facilities in Chico, California, during the summer of 1972; the tank has been attached and awaits fitting of the fore, aft and side fairings. The aircraft wears the green cheatline and horseshoe logo of Golden Voyagers of Toronto, a Canadian travel club that had originally intended to buy the aircraft.

An engineer working on one of Air Atlantique’s DC-6 Double Wasp engines.