BOOMER by Tim Engel (smallest ebook reader txt) 📕

in 15 hours with only 3 refueling stops. This was a big improvement over the Boeing staple. Of the over 16,000 built, more than 10,000 were the military C-47 version. These were built in Long Beach and Santa Monica, California and in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The C-47 played a critical role in operations in Burma, Guadalcanal, and New Guinea. Called the “Skytrain” it was singled out by General Dwight Eisenhower as one of the four most critical weapons to helping the allies win the war. The other three being the bazooka, the jeep, and the atomic bomb. The C-47 was also used up through the Vietnam conflict with one version called “spooky” a gun ship getting special notoriety. Many DC-3’s are still in service today.
The DC-4 was a four engined aircraft which also served during WWII and into the 60’s. it had a crew of 4, held up to 86 passengers, and had a whopping range of 4250 miles. The DC-5 was a 2 engined aircraft intended for smaller loads with shorter flights. It was not very popular and with the end of the war, many initial orders were cancelled and production was held to 12 units.
The DC- 6 is a 4 piston engine aircraft originally developed during WWII as a military aircraft. However, with the end of the war, it was redevleoped and modified to compete with the commercial market. 700 were built and many still fly today in cargo, military, and fire control roles. It was built between 1946 and 1958. Pan Am used the DC- 6 to inaugurate their trans Atlantic service. Many of these aircrafter were later replaced by the jet engined 707’s and DC-8’s.
The DC-7 was first delivered in 1953. The head engineer at TWA was pushing Donald Douglas for an airplane that could make it from coast to coast in 8 hours. This being because union rules stated that this was the limit to a pilot’s flying time. Douglas held out for a firm order totaling $40 million to ensure his development costs would be covered. This order coming from American Airlines President C. R. Smith. In 1959 Douglas began converting the DC-7’s into freighters – extending the viability of the example.
The DC-8 was Douglas’ first jet aircraft. It was built from 1958 until 1972. Even though Douglas was beat to the punch by Boeing’s 707, the DC-8 was still very successful and remained so until 1972 when larger designs like the DC-10 would take its place. Dozens of reengined DC-8s still fly today while the 707 left commercial service in 2000. Douglas was studying a 4 jet engine aircraft in 1952 – it would have a range of 3000 to 4000 miles and carry 80. By 1953 the development continued and the military was floating interest in a tanker project. Douglas was frustrated by the Military’s quick decision to give the contract to Boeing for 29 KC-135 jet engined tankers. He protested to Washington to no avail.
Douglas decided to push on with the DC-8 development. Without military money to aid development costs, he shelled out $450 million from his own pocket to help get the program developed. In 1955 Pan Am placed an order for 25. And also for 20 707’s. They were the trend setter and other airlines soon jumped on the bandwagon. First flight for the DC-8 took place in May of ’58. Britain’s Comet had been redesigned after fatal crashes found their windows cracked because of pressurization and depressurization. They returned to service this same year, but their fate was sealed by Boeing and Douglas. Putting 10 ships into flight test helped expedite their certification and the first commercial aircraft went into service on 18SEP1959.
They were now building DC-8’s at a rate of 8 per month. However, Douglas failed to offer the various size of aircraft as Boeing did with the 707. This limitation helped to lead to loss in market share. 556 were built between 1958 and 1972. On 21AUG61 a DC-3 broke the sound barrier of 660 mph to help in the development of a new leading edge for the wing. In ’65 Douglas finally offered a stretched fuselage. This helped to bring new life to the line with 262 of the Super Sixties being built. In the late 70’s McDonnell Douglas teamed with General Electric to provide quieter engines for the DC-8; this being the Super Seventies. This version was roughly 70% quieter than the Sixties series and was also 20% more fuel efficient. This 4 engined jet was now the quietest in the air.

I can remember Dad talking about working on the aircraft. One day he came home with a patch on his eye. “What happened?” I asked. “Well, Artie, I was drilling a hole, and a metal chip landed in my eye.” “What?”, I asked. “A chip?” “Yes, a metal chip that’s part of the material removed from the hole when you’re drilling”. Once he explained I squinted my eye as hard as I could as I imagined how horrible that must be. “I went to the Doctor and he set me in a chair, told me to hold my eye open, and not to move or blink.” “Then he took a pair of tweezers and pushed them right at my eye; it was all I could do to keep from moving!” “Three seconds later, the chip was out!” I was so relieved that Dad’s eye would be OK. “What’s with the patch?” “That’s to help the eye heal.” “ There’s some inflammation and it will take some time to heal up.” I knew about healing. Or at least I thought I did. Before seat belt litigation, we didn’t always buckle up in our ’59 Chevy. I remember Dad telling me that if we ever got in an accident, simply hold your hand up against the dash to prevent yourself from hitting your head. This might injure your hand, but it would be much less of a serious injury than one to the head.
Since Dad lifted weights and was as close to a real life bodybuilder I had ever seen, I really thought of him as some kind of super hero. Able to leap tall buildings with a single bound. One time we had a little problem on the block. Tom somehow got into it with Desire’ Olsenz’ boyfriend, Jeff. He was about 4 or 5 years older than Tom and he had either hit him or roughed him up a bit. I wasn’t quite sure. But one thing I was sure of that Tom didn’t often complain to Dad. Well, when Dad got wind of this he was not happy. I think he instantly reacted. Perhaps hastily. Next thing I know, he had Jeff by the shirt and jacket and had lifted him up in the air and pinned him against the garage wall. And this is no exaggeration. Dad could do this. He got the boy’s attention. Quickly. He read him the riot act and told him in no uncertain terms that he had better never touch Tom again. Or he would ‘turn him every way but loose’. I think he got the picture. I talked with Desire’ about a year ago and she recently spoke with Jeff. They recalled this little altercation with a good laugh.
It was nice to have a Dad who was capable of this. I felt he was there to protect us. However I didn’t run to him with requests to beat up on my foes. Tom and I wrestled and fought. Often times I would take the worst of the battle. Tom was 3 years older than me so he usually had an advantage. But he only had that advantage as long as he had me within his grasp. I recall vivdly the time we were playing football in the street and I took a rough block from my big brother. Well, this just couldn’t happen! This made me very angry. “Artie’s angry!” “Artie’s gonna get some revenge!!” So I was at my little temper’s living end and wouldn’t stand for it, so I ran into the house at 4823 Hayter and found a piece of art work built by my big brother. Oh, yes – it was a piece of art. It was a house made of ice cream sticks. I didn’t think of the repercussions, the outcome, facing Mom and Dad, facing Tom, falling asleep in the bed next to Tom, sitting quietly in the front room while Tom has time to come up behind and get me in a full Nelson…no, I didn’t think of any of these.
So I ran out of the house, down the steps, across the walk, down the slope of the front yard to the street and up and within 15 feet of my brother and with all of the acumen of a Tom Dempsey, punted the fragile piece of artwork into the air. On the street. In front of 4823 Hayter Ave. What proceeded then was in slow motion. The beautifully crafted art work made of ice cream bar sticks shattered into hundreds of pieces. And at that moment, that release of rage and frustration; I realized my folly. I realized that Tom, Mom, And Dad would all be wanting a little ‘talk’ with Artie. I was in big trouble!
Tom and I liked to watch Lucha Libre and other wrestling shoes. The UHF channel picked up Mexican wrestling. We especially liked the advertisements. Yo tango mi amore’ y mucho gusto BURGIE!!!! We figured they were selling Burgie or Bergermeister beer. As we watched these shows we figured that we’d better see if those holds and moves were truly that effective. So it wasn’t uncommon for Steve and I to have each other in full or half Nelsons or the various other moves that Gorgeous George or The Destroyer meted out on their unfortunate opponents. And Bobo Brazil had good moves, too. As I recall we played pretty well together until I ended up being a baby or got hurt and started whining. I’m sure Tom got frustrated with my youth and innocence sometimes. I am today very grateful for a terrific brother whom I love very much.
Tom and I dabbled in weight lifting. Since Dad always had weights around we lifted too. I remember posing with my double biceps pose. My pudginess, white skin, and red hair overwhelming the camera! Dad worked out at Nista’s gym. I remember him opening one in Cerritos years later. Dad said that he held records at the gym for the most dips and pull ups. He would often practice doing dips with a 50 lb plate hanging from a waist belt. He also had a pull up bar in the garage where he could crank out the reps. As a youngster I couldn’t even do one of either. I was kinda pudgy and not athletic in those days. In fact, It’s only recently that I’ve been able to do any pull ups. Even in High School when I was ‘lean and mean’