History of Aircraft 1961s

JAL purchased nine Convair 880 midsize jet aircraft, for use on Southeast Asian routes and southerly routes to Europe, which had shorter interval distances and were not expected to have a high volume of passengers. The aircraft was also introduced on domestic routes to counter turboprop aircraft competing on domestic routes.

The DC-8-50 series used turbofan engines to achieve a marked improvement in cruising performance over the -30 series. Soon after the first -50 series aircraft (JA8007) arrived, it entered service on the northerly route to Europe (polar route).

The YS-11 was the first passenger aircraft developed in Japan in the postwar period. JAL leased two YS-11 aircraft, using one for postal services and the other for passenger services. Both were leased for one year.

A second generation jet selected expressively for domestic routes. Three-engines below the T-tail. Short takeoff and landing distances. Main aircraft on domestic routes in the late '60s.

JAL introduced this long-range aircraft in order to achieve the "international laser line concept" of connecting Tokyo with major overseas cities with non-stop direct flights. In addition to a variety of aerodynamic improvements over the DC-8-50 series, the DC-8-62 also boasted superior cruising performance.

This was the DC-8 cargo aircraft. Large containers could be loaded onto the aircraft. The DC-8-62AF entered service on the Tokyo - San Francisco - New York route and could carry from 35 to 40 tons.

The DC-8-61 was actively used on domestic routes and routes in Southeast Asia. With a long body that prioritized seating capacity, compared to other DC-8 aircraft which seated around 150 passengers, the DC-8-61 could seat a maximum of 234 passengers.

Commonly known as a "jumbo jet," basic Boeing 747 aircraft are still in active use, primarily on international routes. JAL's first Boeing 747-100 (JA8101) entered service on the Honolulu and Los Angeles routes. One of these aircraft was later refitted to serve as a cargo plane (Boeing 747-100F).