United Air Lines
Boeing 720-022 N7206U
(c/n 17912)
Recognizing that Boeing had scooped Douglas
on putting jets into the air first, United had already
ordered
a fleet of medium range 720s even before the DC-8s were
delivered. These started coming
on line
in 1960. My shot was taken in the summer of that year at United's
maintenance area at LAX
(adjacent to
Western's hangar area). This aircraft had been named "Mainliner T. Claude Ryan" in
honor of
the pioneer airman who helped forge the company in the the 1920s.