The success story of the famous aerobatic team “Blue Angels” of the US Navy’s Marine Corps began in 1946 with impressive formation flights. With the group’s and fleet’s quickly rising popularity, a transportation airplane soon became necessary to bring the equipment as well as the crew itself to the air shows. In 1959, after initially operating a Douglas R4D-5 and a Curtiss Commando, the Blue Angels commissioned a Douglas R5D-3 – which was the US Navy’s name for the DC-4 – with the registration 50868. According to the fleet’s inventory, it received the plain name “8” and it was operated until March 1968. Herpa is now releasing this airplane in the 1/500 scale.