Any DC-7C survivors?

[Hooligan2]

https://news.delta.com/one-final-homecoming-legacy-delta-dc-7b-culminates-atlanta-return

Nice video, shame about the inappropriate music... Why didn't they use Wright's Concerto for four R-3350s with Hamilton Standard providing the wind section?

Never saw a DC-7 in the UK (one in France) and I think the only one I've seen flying arrived at Miami on three while I was nosing round Cockroach Corner in 1984.

If I could go back in time, I'd love to have enjoyed the heyday of the big radials. Up until just a few years ago, I'd occasionally hear an Air Atlantique DC-6 heading out of Birmingham or Coventry to Europe with a load of car parts around 1am - the sound of those R-2800s fading slowly in the still of night was so so evocative, goose bump territory! These days it's an Antonov 12 or 26 and usually in daylight.

[Larry Kraus]

At least they used a camera that didn’t make the propellers look all wonky in the Delta video. There’s a filter to use with GoPro to stop that annoying strobe effect with the props, but very few people seem to use it. Sorry, just a pet peeve.

I’m pretty sure that the DC-7 is Woody Grantham’s former Tanker 33.

E647DE25-5FA4-40B5-82F7-7C907F827821 by tanker622001, on Flickr

[paddleblade]

So since the Delta DC-7 was brought up, I took some pictures when it was in the paint hanger and found something inside that I didn't know what it was for. What would you use a 5 gallon can with what looks like a small pump for. Sorry I dont have a close up of the words above the toggle switch and I no longer have access to it. Thanks for the help. https://www.flickr.com/photos/186490745 ... 368847578/

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[Archer]

Could be a number of things, but based on its use as a tanker, probably an addition that was pumped into the water tanks (foam, coloring agent, stuff like that).

[Larry Kraus]

I would guess that it was for replenishing hydraulic fluid. We used something similar in our DC-7s although ours used a hand pump and a 5 gallon can of hydraulic fluid. Skydrol for our ex-United Airlines DC-7s and 5606 for our ex-Eastern Airlines DC-7B.

The 5 gallon can in the foreground is Skydrol in Tanker 66.

2587C42B-35AE-4989-9CE3-408B55A4E845 by tanker622001, on Flickr

My initial thought was a foam injection tank, but we used a 30 gallon plastic drum for that. We only used foam as a short term retardant for a brief period in the 1980s or 90s. I forget which. The idea was to take off with a load of water in the retardant tank and when we were sure that a drop was needed we would inject the foam concentrate into each compartment of the retardant tank. It took about 10-15 minutes for the foam to mix properly in the water.

The reason for using foam was that long term fire retardant was getting ridiculously expensive and if were canceled because the drop was no longer required we could just jettison the water. Even if the foam was already mixed it was a fraction of the cost of retardant. A 3000 gallon load of long term retardant cost about $15,000. The foam concentrate was maybe a couple of hundred dollars at most.

The disadvantages of using foam were that it was next to useless in heavy fuels or for making retardant lines unless fire crews were immediately available to follow up on the drop. A more serious problem was that the foam scoured the inside of the retardant tank and caused serious corrosion issues and loosening seals. Also, if you dropped a load of foam and then tried to load long term retardant it was difficult to fill the retardant tank because the retardant tended to foam like a poorly poured glass of beer.

I only remember using foam a couple of times on grass fires before it was decided that it was not a good idea to use foam in large air tankers for the reasons mentioned above.

[paddleblade]

[quote="Larry Kraus"]I would guess that it was for replenishing hydraulic fluid. We used something similar in our DC-7s although ours used a hand pump and a 5 gallon can of hydraulic fluid. Skydrol for our ex-United Airlines DC-7s and 5606 for our ex-Eastern Airlines DC-7B.

The 5 gallon can in the foreground is Skydrol.

Hmm, hadn't thought about hydraulic fluid as Skydrol brings back bad memories and I tried to forget how much it stings your eyes. Thank God for mineral oil . Thanks for the reply.

[Larry Kraus]

I agree on Skydrol being very nasty stuff. If nothing else, it made a very efficient paint stripper. If you worked on the hydraulic system with Skydrol you would be well advised to wash your hands very thoroughly. If you used the restroom after any contact with Skydrol, you would decide a short time later that you probably should have washed your hands a bit more.

Also, it was the main reason that we carried operational smoke masks in the airplane. If there was a hydraulic leak that caused a mist of Skydrol to enter the cabin somebody needed to go back and open an over wing escape hatch quickly before the mist reached the cockpit. In the Army I was subjected to tear gas. Skydrol gas was much worse and could cause permanent damage. Very nasty stuff indeed.

[markboss]

https://www.deltamuseum.org/exhibits/ex ... b-ship-717

[steve dickey]

I was just doing a google search on Goodyear and had a look for the DC-7C (N777EA), but found nothing. In fact all airliners stored on the field are gone. As they were mostly modern planes that might mean they're back with their operators, but beckons the question, has the DC-7 become pots and pans? I see the 7 and all the other planes on the western side in street view, which supposedly is from a year ago.

Any WIX'ers who frequent the field and has knowledge of what has happened? Would be too bad if it has suddenly been cut up.

T J

Hi TJ, went over to see DOC this last weekend and thought I'd swing by Goodyear to see where they moved it this time. Its over by the ball fields off Bullard ave. Still looks surprisingly decent after all these years! Its a bit harder to get photos from the dirt road near the fence but you can get most of it through the bushes. They are doing a massive construction project where it used to sit. Enjoy!