Model by Project Opensky
Paint by Peter Liddel and Gaby Carlson of Virtual Eastern Airlines www.eastern-va.com

This paint is freeware from the fleet department of Virtual Eastern Airlines. Keep freeware free!

Description:
Like all airlines in the late 1960s, Eastern Airlines was swept by the jumbo-jet craze. As the largest domestic airline in the United States Eastern had representatives from all the major airframe manufacturers knocking on the door. By the end of the decade Eastern had signed on as the launch customer for the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, and also ordered 4 747s from Boeing. However, Eastern's management, in a financial bind, realized that the 747s were too expensive and did not fit Eastern's Atlantic coast trunk routes. Unfortunately as soon as the 747 order was cancelled and the airframes turned over to TWA, Eastern's order of L-1011s was delayed. The airline had already sold tickets based on the original delivery date, and frantically searched for aircraft to fit the bill. The company succeeded in convincing Pan Am to lease 3 of its brand new 747s to Eastern for a year and a half until the L-1011s were delivered. These jumbos were even painted in full Eastern colors for a period and flew between New York, Miami, San Juan, and Chicago (at the time Eastern's busiest cities).