The Martin 4-0-4

[tbutler]

Another one from the Airline History Museum...



The 4-0-4 was one of those airplanes that never really got a chance. Developed around the end of WWII to replace the historic DC-3, at a time when people thought airliners would only last about 15 years... it lost its chance when the Air Force surplused out thousands of C-47's (the military version of the DC-3) for very cheap prices, leaving the airlines to buy them instead. A little more than 100 of the 4-0-4's were made before the production line was closed down.

Taken with a fisheye lens.

Comments

[yhlee]

That's a great shot--I love the person on the left and, although you probably didn't plan it, the way the American flag provides accent colors picked up by the red-orange (?) of the rails on the stairway thingy.

[tbutler]

I didn't really plan the person, either. ^^;;

And that's supposed to be a fairly bright red on the stairway, it's painted in the old TWA white-and-red colors; but the way the lighting is inside the hangar (lots of mercury vapor lamps), colors tend to come out a bit funny.

Oh, speaking of the flag... look just above it to see the Moonliner's nose. :)