Douglas DC-6B, PAA "Clipper Panama"

Douglas DC-6B, N5026K, Pan American World Airways “Clipper Panama”, c. June 1959
(Minicraft Pan Am DC-6B meatball scheme in 1/144 scale, kit #14442 © 1997

Build represents PAA “Clipper Panama” as she might have looked just before her untimely loss on June 22, 1959.

Clipper Panama was set to depart Shannon Airport for New York when, immediately after applying takeoff power, the crew heard a loud noise and aborted the takeoff. A visual check revealed that the no. 4 engine had separated from the wing. A fire erupted. The aircraft was successfully evacuated, but the fire spread and destroyed the aircraft. All passengers and crew survived but six dogs in the cargo hold died in the accident. The aircraft was a hull loss.

Investigation revealed that the no. 4 propeller had failed and that the unbalanced loads on the engine mounts caused separation of the entire engine:

“PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was caused by fatigue failure of No.1 blade of No.4 propeller. Laboratory findings showed that the failure was caused by previous blade bending resulting in the disruption of the compressive stresses in the shot peened area of the propeller blade."

The crew deserves praise for their excellent handling of the emergency. I’m sure the loss of the live cargo caused pain to their families, but thankfully no peeps were lost.

The Minicraft kit was disappointing, considering the excellent quality of their DC-4/C-54 molding that followed just a couple of years later. Bur she does look the part (after considerable filling, hacking, filing, sanding, and general beautifying).

Paints were rattlecan grey primer and gloss white with Tamiya metallics. Kit decals were used for another project (DC-7) and a scan of the Roden DC-7 (Pan Am markings) kit were used instead as a starting point, after considerable cleaning up and re-naming using MS Paint. Decals were printed on my Epson ink jet on generic clear decal film.