There’s a new look in the main lobby of Flying Tigers’ Robert W. Prescott Building – commonly known as Hi-Tiger – at World Headquarters in Los Angeles.
Anyone who has ever been to the World Headquarters building at LAX will know exactly what the aircraft model “bubble” display is, a distinctive and historic display of Flying Tigers aircraft models. It was the centerpiece of the lobby, every employee and every visitor saw it upon entering the building. And it was a stunning piece of artistry.
Originally, the display was housed in the Lo-Tiger building before Hi-Tiger was built. And it stayed there for a good while, probably about 15 years. We don’t know exactly when the original display was built and installed, but we do know that it was moved to the Hi-Tiger lobby in October 1984, to the delight of employees.
The custom designed display consists of a large wooden case featuring circular cutouts with distinctive bubble windows, behind which are mounted models of Flying Tigers aircraft types flown throughout the airline’s history. The original display had models up through and including the DC-8 aircraft, but when it was moved for more prominent visibility, the local HDQ facilities, maintenance and carpentry area all had a hand in refurbishing the display, making a few modifications and adding the 747 and 727 aircraft models, which were not in the fleet at the time the unit was originally created. Additionally, they added the World War II “Flying Tigers” P-40 fighter plane flown by the men who later founded Flying Tigers – the airline.
Dan Tracy – Artist and creator of the display
Creator of the Tiger aircraft models on permanent display at Flying Tiger Lines World Headquarters.
Dan Tracy started making model airplanes when he was 5. By the time he was 12, his work was on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, and before he finished high school, he was recognized as one of the truly outstanding American experts in the art of model aircraft building.
Dan financed his education at the Catholic University of America by continuing sales of aircraft models to the Smithsonian. For his college thesis, he worked on the original design and construction of the model for a supersonic business jet capable of flying coast to coast in 135 minutes!
Upon graduating from college, Dan was engaged by Boeing Aircraft. There he is involved in the design and engineering of engine mountings and tail assemblies for Boeing’s new supersonic transport. Dan’s father, not too surprisingly, is a pilot and is also the aviation editor of the Cleveland Press. It is his early influence that directed Dan into the hobby that has become his profession. As to the future, we can all expect even greater things from this remarkable young man. You see, he’s only 21.
The models on display are produced to exact scale and reflect an exact detail from airframe to paint dress, the aircraft which have made-up Flying Tiger fleets.
The pictures below are clickable.
The photo on the left is the original display from Lo-Tiger. Unfortunately we don’t know what year this photo was taken, but presumably between 1968-1973. The photo is the display case where it currently sits on permanent display at the Flight Path Museum at LAX; shortly after the FTL/FDX merger, this unit ended up at the Santa Monica airport museum, and when they were unable to house it any longer, it got moved to the Flight Path Museum in the early 2000s. Also on display is the DC-8 cutaway model.