Vintage photos

[JMA]

Every year becomes more rare DonV.  Still looking for the elusive original 980 desktop model!

[JMA]

Another good one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/301757766965?itmmeta=01HVVF4X315ZP0X5V7BBDPCM39&hash=item46422a1d35:g:fsQAAOSwsB9WEAUQ&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4Nav%2FRrDX3MKVpHJCrFi2mqt8%2Ftc0ikh%2BtxLx6ybxKiPCEvJtSFjufR710MbLBLpplXVgJICfchAe%2FPYWzYBKmNZfRGbWkpNebsi3hqVoKvMh%2Bx2f8oFZUnwktmFo3D9I1CX9sa6xxjGEnSbGJrMp8PbCvptlxt4XChqMrMj6UuZHjuCEZP6%2BSm2%2B0K%2F9FJMhj%2B2PiXOuTGIfuNNW7pSR%2BQ78Gg2UkMyWuGFnThBPrH7Z2eprv%2BEpEcnon5lLJ94OV%2BAmlgLnZYm%2F6rr%2BkOnmZw%2FwIm62684hoSnUrvGOYAf%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9LRk-_eYw

[JMA]

Medical transit.  Like they are actually carrying someone in the pic !

https://www.ebay.com/itm/290982005372?itmmeta=01HWWZN9KMFHHSGS1ECYJTNMGA&hash=item43bfe10a7c:g:UVoAAOxyTkJSPWmq&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4Kmo7PUVf8Dh%2FKKidI6LvzynLR6gL5BzYkBoM2EOpCY8a23cgKUrnJV5R6zTo%2Bu1Uoe30KvKo8CcMXaYdElN0dsRtbBJzDUek69zfousB3I82YoXuB1cc6iyWBBSC6frrKtWcuZH%2FHL4Yxy95OPCj5SbzADhH2KFw%2F9iEnHt8XQSQW6kWsS8zGKFkBtRNFRHBa%2B7OfH5IiRPFQ822OkCB4XAbANuAPGXLoEBh8I7tvgUxO9N0NlKPgzJgxoGxwcmZK6BI69ZzOp9GOrNL6fZOWHxo1YaLsMg9KDzV5KOAgC%2F%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_KZ1Z_nYw

[donv]

I suspect that was a staged shot.

They only made a few of those cargo door airplanes (900s, I think?)-- as I recall, Bruce was selling one a few years ago. I've only ever seen one in person, probably had to be 30 years ago or more.

[donv]

Full hangar... probably circa around 1970. I can tell the year because I don't see any Commanders with eyebrow windows.

This was long before Aero Air moved to the west side of the airport... this hangar is still in existence, although it's pretty rough now.

I posted a picture of a new Jet Commander (you can see it in this picture as well) in this hangar right after both were completed in the Jet Commander thread.

[JMA]

Totally staged, just funny looks more like a corpse than someone alive (put an IV or something on her!)
Great pic DonV.

[Bruce Byerly]

Have a look at that 680Fl or whatever it is with the cargo door!
Edit: and it appears to have a picture window!

[Adam Frisch]

The far right TC is either a 680V, or W with the original Hamilton Standards. To my eye it also looks like the smile and inlet look different than the -1 conversions. The whole nacelle looks a little rounder, rather than oval like the later ones, but it could just be the angle. Does anyone know if the -43 engines and -1's have the same inlet size?

[donv]

I think that picture was before there were Century conversions. I think it was probably before the 681 was introduced, so when the 680V and 680W were new, because I believe the 681 brought in eyebrow windows, and I don't see any eyebrow windows in that picture.

That cargo door caught my eye as well.

The Jet Commander in the picture was Rockwell's demonstrator, which was then sold to Riviera Motors around 1968 or so, right at the end of Jet Commander production and just after the sale of the 1121 line to IAI. They needed to get rid of the last inventory (the demonstrator), and I would guess made Riviera a heck of a deal.

Funny trivia: the demo pilot, a guy named Clark Hill, came with the airplane!

[JMA]

Ebay always has something neat to share;

https://www.ebay.com/str/oldadsandstuff?_trksid=p4429486.m145687.l149086