Multimark to Motionmark: CP's DC-10s

[YesterAirlines]

Sometimes when I acquire a new model I can't resist looking at the history a bit more. I picked up a couple of CP Air hybrid DC-10s recently, which makes 6 CP lineage Tens in my collection. That seemed like a good reason to look at the DC-10 in the history of CP Air / Canadian Pacific / Canadian Airlines as it proved a stalwart long-haul widebody for the airline from 1979 until 2001:

Multimark to Motionmark: CP's DC-10s

CP Air had been solidly profitable throughout the 1960s and first half of the 1970s, but in 1975 it recorded its first annual loss in 13 years. The carrier cut costs and focused on efficiencies, which included a fleet overhaul and rationalisation. In the

www.yesterdaysairlines.com

here are the two recent additions:

 

[LeoMuse747]

Beautiful models and great story! CP Air had such an incredible and colorful livery. That orange was super striking. The Canadian livery, while less eyecatching, was also very pleasing to me. When reading about their story, I just wondered why they cancelled their B767-200 order and kept the DC-10 as a backbone widebody option in times when debts were high. The B762 was a very efficient choice back in the 1980s

 

[YesterAirlines]

Beautiful models and great story! CP Air had such an incredible and colorful livery. That orange was super striking. The Canadian livery, while less eyecatching, was also very pleasing to me. When reading about their story, I just wondered why they cancelled their B767-200 order and kept the DC-10 as a backbone widebody option in times when debts were high. The B762 was a very efficient choice back in the 1980s

It would have almost certainly have been a range issue. While the 767-200 could have just about managed transatlantic this was still before ETOPs was common. They needed aircraft that could fly the Pacific and at the time no twin could do that so in 1977 the DC-10 was still a good option. As the debt grew in the 80s DC-10s would have been a lot cheaper than new aircraft and even in the early 80s there weren't many other options in the DC-10 size.

 

[LeoMuse747]

It would have almost certainly have been a range issue. While the 767-200 could have just about managed transatlantic this was still before ETOPs was common. They needed aircraft that could fly the Pacific and at the time no twin could do that so in 1977 the DC-10 was still a good option. As the debt grew in the 80s DC-10s would have been a lot cheaper than new aircraft and even in the early 80s there weren't many other options in the DC-10 size.

Yeah, I forgot about the ETOPS and range issues. Would be very cool to see a B762 in the orange livery!

 

[Transnat]

An interesting background on an airline that was, like so many others of the 70's and 80's, fraught with issues. I was luck enough to fly on a CP Air DC8 and 747-200 but never the DC10. The orange and red livery was , to my eyes anyway, wonderful.