18 hour sectors on DC7Cs
I've just read that Pan Am operated an 18 hour non stop service between San Francisco and London in the fifties using DC7Cs, presumably only eastbound owing to the prevailing winds. This would appear to be within the endurance of the aircraft according to an old planespotters book that I have and amazing to think that the duration of the flight is similar to EWR - SIN.
Can anyone remember what the flights were like? Quite a test of endurance I would imagine. Did they carry augmented crew (indeed, was the concept even thought of in those days)?
On another matter, can anyone tell me what the maintenance schedules were like for that generation of aircraft. How long could engines such as the Wright Turbo Compound go between overhaul? I know that Pan Am had a maintenance base at Heathrow but was this because hangar attention was required before a return transatlantic trip or to sevice change of gauge aircraft used on the round the world service? Modern long haul aircraft can achieve a utilisation of 5,000 hr / year these days. What sort of utilisation could a 50s four engine propeller liner acheive?