Boeing 707 vs DC-8: The Battle That Started the Jet Age
23K views · Aug 24, 2026 · Entertainment
Comments · 24
@STEN3326 · 1 month ago
The 707 has a slightly more modern look than the DC-8.
8
@Greatdome99 · 1 month ago
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX2OSmp0MUA&t=204">3:24</a>: For those interested: <br>Those two chin scoops were air conditioning inlets. Both the Douglas and Boeing used Freon A/C systems (same as autos) before air-compressed "Packs" became available in newer airplanes.<br> The two tiny upper windows were used for celestial navigation, to supplement normal flight deck instruments.
6
@StephenBuckingham-m4v · 1 month ago
The Air Force did NOT just order the KC-135. They held a competition, which Lockheed won. Then, because Curtis LeMay threw a hissy fit, because Boeing had a plane already flying while Lockheed only had a proposal and he needed a tanker NOW, they ordered 30 KC-135s from Boeing with the strict understanding that there would be no more orders for it, ever. But then Lockheed dropped the ball, and their tanker never materialized. So the Air Force tucked their tail between their legs and went crawling back to Boeing for the rest of the fleet.
9
@CHULAIa4-6667 · 1 month ago
Nothing can beat the air start of a DC8, there’s a video of Air Asia starting up and it’s an awesome sound. I had many flights on both but have to pick the DC 8 as the better plane. Wider seats and leg room with larger windows.
4
@ericolsen5798 · 1 month ago
My first plane ride was on a DC-8. United Airlines had had to cancel my family's first flight because of mechanical problems on the DC-7 were were supposed to take, so we had to go on another flight 7 hours later and United upgraded us to First Class so that was very cool.
@georgecantley7297 · 1 month ago
This was an excellent production. You actually covered a very thorough comparison in under 15 minutes. Great Work!
@ElectricUAM · 1 month ago
Wow, this is a top notch well-researched video on these mythical giants of commercial aviation. As I kid, I flew on both and liked them equally. As an adult, this also answers a lot of questions about the two companies and where Boeing right now. Excellent job!
3
@phillipbranch8291 · 1 month ago
The DC-8 was a very capable aircraft and could have sold more units if it weren't for Douglas's shortsightedness.
2
@michlo3393 · 1 month ago
IMO the better icon: 707, the better plane: DC8. Not that the 707 was bad or anything.
5
@TheLastFlightFiles · 1 month ago
❤❤
@NoSaltAdded-i2z · 1 month ago
Yeah, the sound barrier "test" was unintended.
1
@billlewandowski-e9y · 1 month ago
As is often the case, the superior airplane lost the sales battle. Just like the Lockheed L1011 vs. the MD DC-10,
Up next

Douglas DC8: The Jet That Forced Boeing to Redesign the 707 Had A Fatal Flaw
Vector 1945 · 41K views

Why The Last Constellation Died After Just 17 Days: L-1649 Starliner
Jet Deck · 69K views

How Boeing And A 1G Barrel Roll Defeated The DC-8. The $16 Million Gamble That Changed Aviation
DroneScapes · 393K views

VC10 Pilots Explain Why This Airliner Was So Unusual
This Earth's Manual · 21K views

Pilot Legends Explain How INSANE the de Havilland Comet Was
This Earth's Manual · 39K views

The Jet Age's DARKEST Airliner: 7 BRUTAL DC-8 Disasters, 1,058 LOST!
Terra Obscura · 11K views

What the Boeing 707 Had That Airlines Couldn't Ignore
Flight Zone · 1.5K views

8 Most DANGEROUS Planes From The 1960s
Skyline Engines · 27K views

The 747 Variant Nobody Else On Earth Bought
Plane Curious · 266K views

THE BOEING 747 BOEING MADE TOO SMALL
WingTheory · 56K views

Why the L-1011 TriStar Disappeared From Our Skies
Flight Zone · 31K views

Why the 757 Was Called a Rocket by Its Pilots?
Airframe Vault · 148 views

Why Airlines Trusted the Lockheed Electra Again
Flight Zone · 3.5K views

Pilot Legends Explain How TERRIFYING The Boeing Stratocruiser Was
This Earth's Manual · 129K views

Convair Promised a Speed It Could Not Deliver
Propliner Files · 483 views

Why Flying the DC 6 Was So Demanding
Flight Zone · 111K views

Why Old School Pilots Called the 727 the Most Fun Jet Ever Built
Flight Zone · 330K views

The DEADLY Secret That Ripped This Plane APART! | The Insane Story Of The 1977 Dan-Air Crash
Mentour Pilot · 667K views

Lockheed Built a Giant No Engine Could Lift
Propliner Files · 962 views

Why Pan Am's Luxury Flying Boat Was An Engineering Hell
Jet Deck · 110K views

The DC-10 Outsmarted Boeing - Then Something Changed
Plane Curious · 709K views

Why Did Lockheed Only Build 22 Of These Magnificent Airliners? L-649 Constellation
Jet Deck · 19K views

Why Landing the MD-11 Was So Difficult
Flight Zone · 148K views

Why Pilots Loved the Boeing 720B More Than the 707
Flight Heritage · 15K views

Pilot Legends Explain How TERRIFYING Concorde Was
This Earth's Manual · 245K views

The Rise and Fall of Convair: The $425 Million Jet That Beat Boeing And Died
Thrust Record · 259 views