Imagine it's the late 1950's. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Big Bopper are all top of the pops. The Korean war's over. The Cold War continues and Vietnam's not yet begun. Despite recent failure of Comet 1 it's been proven jet air transport is the future for world civil aviation. Boeing, Douglas, and Convair all vie against one another for a slice of the lucrative world market for first generation civil jetliners. Airports ready or not .... the B707/720, CV880 & 990, and DC8 are about to arrive. Air transport and the world's going to be transformed.
Over the past year FS master repainter Tony MADGE has applied his exceptional talent to transforming HJG B707/720, CV880, CV990, & DC8 models into some of histories most classic airline liveries .... reflections from yesterday preserved for your FS enjoyment today. Let's take a look at some of Tony's beautiful work to date and briefly review some of the development history behind aircraft he's represented :-
The B707-320 was the first interncontinental version of the classic 707 design featuring a lengthened fuselage, wing modifications, and P&W turbojet series engines. Tony has faithfully represented HJG B707-320 models in the liveries of Donaldson International, BMA, DAN Air, and SABENA.
The -138B was a very unique model of the B707 taylored specifically to QANTAS requirements. Its fuselage was 10 feet shorter than standard B707-120/B's promoting range at the expense of payload. Tony's superb repaints of the HJG B707-138B model represent aircraft operated by British Eagle, and Laker Airways.
BOAC's first B707's were RR Conway fanjet powered -420 models. B707-420 was the first of the 707 family to fly with fanjet engines and tall tailfin. HJG B707-420 models have been beautifully repainted by Tony in all main variations of British and Europeran liveries applied to the type .... featured are BOAC, British Eagle, British Airways, British Airtours, BEA, Cunard Eagle, and Lufthansa aircraft.
B707-320B/C models represented further refinement of the 707 design and were all powered by P&W series fanjet engines. These became the definitive B707 versions accounting for the majority of types production. Superbly replicated by Tony are HJG B707-320B's in Air france, BOAC, British Airways, Condor, TAP, and TEA livery liveries, along with -320C models featuring Aer lingus, BMA, British Airways Cargo, British Caledonian, British Eagle, Britannia, SABENA, Southern Air Transport, and World Airways liveries.
Boeing's answer to percieved threat by General Dynamics Convair CV880 was to redesign the B707. A lighter and shorter version of its original B707-120 was designed and marketed as the B720 with both P&W turbojet and fanjet series engines. Tony's superbly crafted liveries for HJG B720/B models include aircraft operated by Lufthansa, Maersk, MEA, Monarch, and TEA.
Without doubt the B707 is the best known and most succcessful of first generation civil jetliners. Originating from Boeing's USAF tanker design the 707 first flew in B367-80 prototype form on July 15th 1954. Extensively re-engineered for civil use it evolved through several models between 1958 and 1963 featuring both turbojet and fanjet powered aircraft of varying structural configurations and performance capabilities. Among these developments were lighter medium range B720's developed for a niche market and to offset early competition from the CV880. Some 1,010 B707's & B720's of all models had been produced for civil operators when the final airframe was delivered during March 1982. Boeing had also by this time delivered some 820 B707 derivatives to military customers as well. Though seldom observed on todays civil aviation scene a significant number of B707's remain active within air forces around the world fulfilling a variety of specialist roles.
Series 10-50 DC8's all shared the same short fuselage and were often referred to as "Baby Eights" in comparason to later stretched variants. DC8-50 series aircraft were the first truely efficient intercontinental version of the type competing against the B707-320B/C. Tony has beautifully transformed HJG DC8-50 series models into the liveries of AVIACO, Iberia, Surinam Airways, and Transmeridian Air Cargo.
The DC8 "Super 61" was the first of the stretched 8's series. These aircraft combined the standard wing and PW fanjet engines from the DC8-50 series with a massively lengthened fuselage. Tony has beautifully replacated both Spantax liveries for HJG's DC8-61 models.
DC8 "Super 62's" featured only a very modest fuselage stretch, increased wingspan, and revised pylons with more powerful P&W fanjet engines. This version of the classic DC8 had an almost global range. Tony's superb repaints of HJG DC8-62 models represent aircraft operated by Arrow Air, Pacific East Air, and Surinam Airways.
The ultimate stretched model of the DC8 was the "Super 63" which combinined the long fuselage of the "Super 61" with wing and engines from the "Super 62". This was the western worlds largest civil aircraft until advent of the B747. Tony's repaints of HJG DC8-63 models are resplendant in AVIACO, Arrow Air, and Surinam Airways liveries.
By far the majority of DC8 freighters remaining in service today are stretched models most of which were re-engined with quieter fuel efficient CFM turbofans during the early 1980's. Tony's DC8-71F repaints faithfully represent aircraft operated by Southern Air Transport.
The DC8 was Douglas Aircraft Company's first jetliner and challenge to the B707. First flying from Long Beach, California in 1958, the DC8 design evolved through several models featuring both turbojet and fanjet powered examples to the ultimate stretched "Super DC8" variants prior ceasation of production in 1972 after completion of the 556th airframe. Many stretched DC8's were during the early 1980's remanufactured and converted to turbofan power and air freighters. Always playing "catch-up" with the B707 throughout its production life DC8's have since become valuable assets of specialist air freight companies. Whilst the more successful B707 has now almost vanished from civil airways around the world a significant number of DC8's remain active. Essentially a first generation jetliner of yesterday but still hard at work within todays modern world of commerce in the business of global air freight.
Speed and luxury were the prime focus of General Dynamics with their 880 design. First flying from San Diego on January 27th 1959 the CV880-22 entered service much too late to pose any real challenge to established Boeing and Douglas competition. Tony's repaints of HJG's classic CV880-22 model represent less commonly known aftermarket operators in the liveries of LANICA, Bahamas World Airways.
The CV880-22M was a modified version of the original 880 with more powerful GE turbojet engines, leading edge Krueger Flaps and other enhancements. This version found very limited success among smaller foreign operators. Tony has crafted a selection of rare liveries for HJG's CV880-22M models featuring Japan Domestic Airways, KLM/VIASA Venezuela (jointly operated between both carriers with split VIASA and KLM identities port and starboard sides respectively), and Rainbow Air.
Powered by GE aft-fan fanjet engines the CV990 first flew on January 24th 1961. Intended as an improved and faster version of the 880 it failed to meet performance garuntees. In modified form it became the CV990-A which saw service with a small number of major airlines around the world. Tony has represented another superb selection of rare liveries for the FFX/HJG CV990-A model which include AREA Ecuador, Aerolineas Peruanas, Air France, Balair, Ciskei International, Galaxy Airlines, Iberia, Internord, MEA, Nomads Inc and Nordair aircraft.
The CV880 and CV990 were products of General Dynamics Corporation's failed attempt to break into the late 1950's/early 1960's world market for first generation civil jetliners. Conceived as a 4 engine narrow body high speed luxury jetliner (smaller than B707 & DC8) the project was jeapodized first by reduced capacity of the 880 then failure of the 990 to meet performance gauruntees. In the case of the 990 there followed a lengthy period of expensive modification to improve aircraft performance which cost Convair critical marketing time. Both CV880 and CV990 aircraft did eventually evolve to become the worlds fastest civil jetliners (excluding Concorde) and many speed records establised by these grayhounds of the skies remain to this day unbroken. Due to their late service entry the world market for civil jetliners was almost totally dominated by B707's & DC8's and consequently only 65 CV880's and 37 CV990's were ever produced. By 1962 General Dynamics was forced to cease production writing-off a $US450 million dollar loss on the entire project.
For most people FS is all about fun and enjoyment through virtual aviation.
And what better way is there to enjoy both FS and virtual aviation than addition of at least 1 or 2 "fictional aircraft subjects" ?
Whilst many of us tend to base our FS enjoyment around historical fact life can't always be serious.
The following image therefore represents one of Tony's latest repaint subjects .... a ficticious B707-320C splendidly reproduced in the livery of Hollwoods Trans Global Airways (N324C "the Golden Argosy") from the 1970's hit movie "AIRPORT" which starring Dean MARTIN, Jaqueline BISSET, and George KENNEDY. This particular repaint is also based on the brand new V6 B707-320C model by HJG's highly talented B707 specialist Gary CARLSON.
Tony's aviation interests and repaint expertise is by no means restricted to HJG models or classic jetliners. In fact searching the libraries of both AVSIM.COM and FLIGHTSIM.COM (type "MADGE" or "TONY MADGE") reveals a host of beautifully crafted repaints for FS9 over a wide variety of aircraft models and liveries. Repaints by "TONY MADGE" are without doubt a trademark for quality and excellence that will please even the most descerning of FS enthusiasts.
Thank you Tony for your continued commitment to the freeware concept and exceptional contribution to the international FS community.
Mark C
:drinkers:
so my typing will be slow and limited for a bit 
