Jets for United

At Douglas Aircraft's Santa Monica, Calif, plant one day last week, shoppers from eight airlines gathered to discuss plans and production schedules for the company's new DC-8 jet liner. In the midst of the discussions, a happy Douglas executive delivered a powerful nine-word sales talk: "Gentlemen, United Air Lines has just purchased 30 DC-8s." The huge, $175 million order was the first by any domestic airline, and its meaning was clear: with orders in hand for 25 planes from Pan American (TIME, Oct. 24) and 30 from United, Douglas was well ahead of rival Boeing Aircraft in the commercial-jet race.

With his order, United's President William A. Patterson sewed up first place in the delivery line over his domestic competitors. He is scheduled to get his first DC-8 in May, 1959, have it in service that November. Thus, United should have DC-8s in the air even before Pan American, which will have to wait until December 1959 for its first plane. The delay is caused by the engines. United's jet liners will have Pratt & Whitney J57 engines (more than 10,000 Ibs. thrust), already in military production. Pan American's planes, which need a bigger power plant for long transatlantic flights, must wait for Pratt & Whitney's new J75 (more than 15,000 Ibs. thrust), which is still under development. Said United's Patterson, with a grin: "I hope I made the right move, because if I didn't, I may be looking for a job."

Actually, Patterson had spent five solid years making sure that a jet order was the right move. United's engineers have been running "paper-jet" flights across the U.S., figuring speed, payload, turn-around time, maintenance costs, etc., to give Patterson the information he needed. He chose Douglas' DC-8 over Boeing's 707 because he feels that it has more room for improvement, the same big stretch that permitted Douglas to beef up its DC-4 into the DC-6 and DC-7. Even so, the first models will have plenty of speed for U.S. air travelers. Carrying 112 to 140 passengers United's swept-wing DC-8s will cross the U.S. nonstop at altitudes of 30,000 to 40,000 ft., speeds of 550 to 575 m.p.h. Los Angeles to New York will take only 4 hrs. 30 min., Chicago to New York . 1 hr. 30 min.

As for financing his new jet fleet, United's Patterson, like Pan American's President Juan Trippe, kept mum. He said only that he was "studying several alternatives and, quite frankly, we don't yet know which one we'll choose." The speculation around the industry is that insurance companies will help the airlines foot the bill. With United's operating revenues at an alltime record and other airlines doing equally well, commercial aviation is in a position to carry the heavy capital debt for new jets. In a pinch, U.S. airlines could even make a strong argument to the U.S. Government to stand behind their notes. By so doing, the Government could help build a 200-to 300-plane fleet of swift jet transports for use in an emergency, and do it without a penny's cost to itself.

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