Airliners.net

In the 1960s when Delta got their Douglas DC-9s they had the widget logo sideways,while on their Douglas Dc-8s
was straight up,Delta's Convair 880s had a different paint scheme.I always wondered why Delta did not paint all their
planes the same? Later on Delta did put the widget straight up on their DC-9s and the Convair 880s were repainted
like the rest.

DL management initially thought that the tail of the DC-9 was too small for an upright widget, and that it looked cramped. They also thought the sideways widget looked like a rocket.

Interesting info in this thread:

Delta's Sideways Widget On The Early DC-9-14 & -32 (by CitationJet Nov 23 2011 in Civil Aviation)

We need some "heritage" Widget schemes out there besides the Spirit of Delta sitting in Atlanta. How about a widget on a 744, or an A330...  

The 717 would be a natural in the original 1965 DC-9 scheme!!

Quoting KFLLCFII (Reply 2): We need some "heritage" Widget schemes out there besides the Spirit of Delta sitting in Atlanta. How about a widget on a 744, or an A330...

It seems like a shame to put that scheme on a plane that wasn't with DL at the time. So I'd go for a 767, 757 or 737 (though I do think it would look great on a 777 as well).

-Mir

Quoting Mir (Reply 4): It seems like a shame to put that scheme on a plane that wasn't with DL at the time. So I'd go for a 767, 757 or 737 (though I do think it would look great on a 777 as well).

I guess I see it as... "We've already seen the Widget on a ____. Let's see what the Widget would look like on a ____ if Delta had stuck with that livery".  

Quoting KFLLCFII (Reply 2): We need some "heritage" Widget schemes out there besides the Spirit of Delta sitting in Atlanta. How about a widget on a 744, or an A330...

If they're gonna put a heritage livery on an ex-NWA aircraft, it better darn well be an NWA livery.

Widget on a 757, 767, or maybe even a 717 as a nod to the early DC-9s would be cool, though.

Quoting Mir (Reply 4): It seems like a shame to put that scheme on a plane that wasn't with DL at the time. So I'd go for a 767, 757 or 737

DL had 747's at one time.


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Photo © R.A.Scholefield


I think a widget livery would gook great on a 744.

DL 747 flying was short lived and it was never a plane often identified with DL. The 744 was launched by NW of which was only one of two US carriers to successfully operate them for a good length of time.

Quoting flyDTW1992 (Reply 6): Quoting KFLLCFII: We need some "heritage" Widget schemes out there besides the Spirit of Delta sitting in Atlanta. How about a widget on a 744, or an A330... If they're gonna put a heritage livery on an ex-NWA aircraft, it better darn well be an NWA livery.

Fine. Put Northwest on a 777, and a Widget on a 744. Deal? 

I vote for a "Golden Crown" 757.

Quoting burnsie28 (Reply 8): DL 747 flying was short lived and it was never a plane often identified with DL.

I respectfully disagree. DL operated the 747-100 from 1970 until 1977. In the early 70s, if you connected via DTW or ORD on the way to/from Florida, or traveled ATL to DAL/DFW, LAX, or SFO, chances were good that you might be on the 747.

The upper deck was divided into two compartments. One was a First Class Lounge. The other was a private compartment marketed as "The Penthouse" which could be reserved for exclusive occupancy by groups of 2 to 6 passengers.

While the L-1011 Tristar long outlived the 747s at DL and went on to become DL's official flagship, the 747s were still very prominent in marketing and drew passengers who often specifically asked to be booked on 747 flights.

Quoting doulasc (Thread starter):

Also, the prop planes had different liveries. DC-7/7 and CV440. Some rare photos are around with all the variations.

Quoting burnsie28 (Reply 8): DL 747 flying was short lived and it was never a plane often identified with DL.

7 years service isn't exactly "short lived" in my mind.


As far as being identified with DL, it probably depends on where you lived or flew from on DL......quite a few cities had 747 service on DL..........ATL, MIA, DTW, ORD, DAL, LAX, SFO

As you pointed out, most planes in the DL fleet had a different paint jobs. You mentioned the widget DC-8s but do not forget the original DC-8-10 livery they had. So I wouldn't view the DC-9 sideways widget as an outlier... it certainly looks that way if you take all the widget liveries and put it next to a sideways widget, but at the time, it was just as unique as the up and down widget we came to know and love

Quoting bigbird (Reply 10): I vote for a "Golden Crown" 757.

  

Quoting Bohica: DL had 747's at one time.

They still do 
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Photo © Peter.Guo

With widget straight up, no less


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Photo © Yan David
  

[Edited 2015-06-07 09:14:03]

[Edited 2015-06-07 09:16:28]

Quoting DIJKKIJK (Reply 16):

I think, for the most part, the discussion is about the Widget on the tail, not on the fuselage.

Quoting KFLLCFII (Reply 2): How about a widget on a 744, or an A330

  

Delta policy is very strict--Widget must always be capitalized.

DL also flew the original 747-100's to LAS as well as on an IAD-LHR interchange with PA. I flew it myself from DAL-ATL and DFW-LAS.

Frankly, IMHO the "heritage" paint scheme thing has been overdone. Time to let history be history. There is more than enough printed material out there to remind people of what the pleased looked like.

Personally, I might make one exception--the original Delta DC-8 delivery scheme.

Quoting DTWPurserBoy (Reply 19): DL also flew the original 747-100's to LAS as well as on an IAD-LHR interchange with PA. I flew it myself from DAL-ATL and DFW-LAS.

There was also a DL interchange with PA to FRA


Almost forgot that the 747 also served JFK, I believe.

Quoting burnsie28 (Reply 8): DL 747 flying was short lived

Three of the 5 DL 741s delivered 1970, and two in 1971. One disposed of in 1974, one in 1975 and three in 1977.

Like several other early 747 customers DL then had no routes where the 747 made any sense.

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 21):

So many domestic carriers ordered the Boeing 747 only to find out later it was too much plane to operate within the
USA and more suited for overseas routes, A lot of US carriers that had no overseas routes retired them.The only exception
was United Airlines which was a airline that operated in the US only at the time.They kept their Boeing 747-122s.

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 21): Like several other early 747 customers DL then had no routes where the 747 made any sense.

If they only knew about the ATL-LGW route coming down the road in a couple of years, they might have made good use of them.