1950 Northolt?

Mark12, Supurb photos, my main interest post war civil airliners, as they say, keep em coming !

Thank you. Keith.

A few more.

‘B.O.A.C. Stratocruiser (KLM -Dutch-Convair behind) London Airport , 1952’

‘B.O.A.C. Argonaut, London Airport, 1952.’

‘Pan American Stratocruiser (Boeing), London Airport, 1952’

‘ BEA Prototype Viscount-“Discovery” class – (Turbo-Jet) Northolt Airport, 1950’

Mark

Airliners have never really been my thing, but my aunt prepared a little photo album of aircraft at Northolt and London Airports, all captioned, for a Chrissie present for 1952. Perhaps time to scan it?
Mark

Here are a few for starters with her beautifully written captions.

‘B.E.A Viking at Notholt Airport 1949.’

‘B.O.A.C. York, London Airport, 1952’

‘B.E.A. Vikings at Le Var Airport, Nice, 1950’

‘Air France D.C.4 (Skymaster) at London Airport, 1952.’

Rather than rely on a modern recreation as a comparison, how about the real thing. This period shot shows it could well be Swiss Air Lines – the S of the script on the stairs looks similar. The Final S on the fuselage however is placed more directly over the window.

Tim
http://www.sr692.com/fleet/14_dc4/HB-ILA1.jpg

Swissair it is! Here is a link to a 1997 picture of a DC-4 that was briefly in Swiss Air Service and was repainted to celebrate a 50th anniversary. It is viewed from the opposite side from your photo but you can see that if “Swiss Air Lines” was painted on the port side of the aircraft, the bottom of the letters “NES” would be right where your photo shows them. Also note the “S” in the Swissair logo on the nose of the plane matches the “S” that can be seen on the air stair in your photo.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Swissair—Swiss/Douglas-DC-4-1009/1409696/L/&tbl=photo_info&photo_nr=1&sok=WHERE__%28airline_%3D_%27Swissair_-_Swiss_Air_Lines%27%29_&sort=_order_by_photo_id_DESC_&prev_id=&next_id=1345629

My initial image seems to have been corrupted for a while but is fixed now.

1950, Northolt, Swiss Airlines DC-4 with perhaps BEA doing groundwork, sounds pretty good to me.

Airliners have never really been my thing, but my aunt prepared a little photo album of aircraft at Northolt and London Airports, all captioned, for a Chrissie present for 1952. Perhaps time to scan it?

At that time my aviation library was limited to just the ‘Observers book of Aircraft’. 🙂

Mark

The first thing that strikes me is Swiss Air Lines DC 4

I can’t see the photograph, but don’t forget that Northolt became the Nations busiest airport for a short period from the late ’40s to C.’53 as Heathrow was being modernised and enlarged. In ’52 it had 50,000 aircraft moves. Being a fairly important transport and VIP base it already had a fairly modern ‘SECO’ hut terminal customs & imigration.
Commercial fuellers and ground equipment was used on this RAF airfield in that period.

Yes the wing root, window size and location, door shape and door handle location all match the DC-4/C-54. Judging by the seat backs inside the door I’d say it’s a DC-4. I think J Boyle is right about the letters above the windows, they look like the bottom of the letters “NES” to me. If it were an American Airlines DC-4 it would probably have a stripe under the windows so I think you can rule them out.

Regarding the location, there is an Esso sign under the belly of the plane which makes me think Heathrow is more likely than Northolt, but that is just a guess. Would Northolt have had commercial fuel signs like that in 1950? And what is the name or logo on the side of the stairway? That should be a pretty good clue to the airline or possibly the airfield.

Wing root fairing matches this DC-4/C-54.:)

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled-(Brooks-Fuel)/Douglas-C-54D..-Skymaster/1362689/L/&tbl=photo_info&photo_nr=29&sok=WHERE__%28aircraft_generic_%3D_%27Douglas_DC-4_%28C-54ESCSLASHR5DESCSLASHSkymaster%29%27%29_&sort=_order_by_photo_id_DESC_&prev_id=1365523&next_id=1362679

Quick guess…a DC-4 or even a military C-54 (R5D).
As for operator…how about
“U.S. MARINES”? The lack of paint would fit that. And the USN & USMC shared a sizeable transport fleet back then.

Or anyling else ending in “NES”
as in airliNES.