Spanex Douglas DC-6

This is a Douglas DC-6, a four-engined piston airliner that was a mainstay of long-haul travel from the late 1940s through the 1950s. The aircraft featured a long fuselage with triple-tailplane fin and four Pratt & Whitney radial engines. The built-in airstair at the cabin door was very typical of the era – there were no corridors or bridges, just a walk straight up to the plane along the tarmac.

The aircraft operator was Spantax, a Spanish airline whose name comes from “Spanish Air Taxis” and the registration EC-ATO confirms it’s Spanish. Spantax was especially active in charter and inclusive-tour flights in the 1950s and 60s, particularly bringing holidaymakers to and from Spain during the early jet age. I believe this photo was taken in the early 1960s.