Douglas DC-6/7 by Stewart Wilson

One of the most important commercial transports, the Douglas DC-6 and DC-7 family represented the final era of the piston engined airliner, becoming a favourite with both domestic and international airlines the world over. Its battle for market supremacy with the Lockheed Constellation during the 1950s led to the development of constantly upgraded versions to meet new challenges.

The DC-6 was also built for the US military for general and VIP transport as the C-118 and formed a significant part of what has been described as the 'world's largest airline' - the Military Air Transport Service. But it is as airliners that the DC-6 and DC-7 are best remembered, plying the world's air routes in the 'golden years' of the piston engined era.