Douglas DC-7

Douglas · USA · first flew 1953 · airliner

The DC-7 extended the DC-6 lineage with more powerful Wright turbo-compound engines and a longer fuselage, enabling the first non-stop US transcontinental and, in DC-7C form, transatlantic services.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• Four Wright R-3350 turbo-compound engines with exhaust stacks visible on nacelle sides — noisier and more complex than DC-6
• Fuselage noticeably longer than the DC-6; DC-7C 'Seven Seas' has increased wingspan with extended outer wing panels
• No passenger steps at nose like DC-6 retained; note longer nacelles housing the turbo-compound power section

Longer than the DC-6 with four turbo-compound exhausts visible on the upper nacelle; the DC-7C's extended outer wings give it a broader span than any other piston Douglas airliner.

Specifications

• The Douglas DC-7 has a length of 34.21 m (112 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 38.86 m (127 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 571 km/h (355 mph).
• Typical crew: 4.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Entering service with American Airlines in 1953, the DC-7 was the pinnacle of piston airliner development; the DC-7C Seven Seas of 1956 offered intercontinental range but was quickly overtaken by jets.

Variants

The DC-7B had additional fuel; the DC-7C had a 1 m fuselage stretch and 3 m additional wingspan for BOAC and Pan American transatlantic routes.

Where you'll see it

BOAC and several European carriers operated the DC-7C on Atlantic routes before retiring them within a few years of the Boeing 707's arrival.

Related aircraft

• Douglas C-117D Skytrooper
• A-4 Skyhawk
• Douglas A-3 Skywarrior
• Douglas B-66 Destroyer
• Ilyushin Il-14M
• Bristol Britannia
• Saunders-Roe Princess
• Convair CV-440 Metropolitan

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.