DC-7 at IKEA in Hicksville!!

[JHNA57]

In the mid 70's, there was a DC-7 parked in the lot of what is now IKEA in Hicksville. It was used as a stereo store, and was only there for a few months before it was removed.
This was way before NEWS 12 and YOU TUBE, but I remember at the time there was an article in Newsday with a picture. I tried googling the information but nothing comes up about it.
If anyone has a picture of it I thnk it would make a great post. Somewhere in my Library I have a book that refers to the aircraft and gives its registration, I have to find it!!

[JHNA57]

Found it!!!
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=0116369

N839D
Built 2-18-58 Eastern Airlines
Sold 2-13-66 California Airmotive
Leased 67 Society of Sky Roamers
B/U 7-30-74 (LaGuardia)

Remarks: Seen in Hicksville, NY '75, "Fly Buy Nite Audio", Externally complete w no Engines

[T-Bird76]

Wow that is totally wild! I had no idea it was ever there. I wonder what ever happened to it?

[moose135]

I certainly remember that! I never heard what happened to it. I assume it was scrapped when the store closed or the mall expanded.

[kevin323]

I remember watching as she was broken up in the parking lot at the mall. My dad and I both worked for Eastern at the time. I think this was the 7 that sat at LGA without a rudder for quite a long time. I heard the rudder was removed to make her unairworthy due to unpaid bills. Sad end to a real beauty.

[FlyByNite]

I remember as a young child, coming home from summer vacation in 1975 and seeing the DC-7 Airplane in the Mid Island Shopping Plaza parking lot. My dad had mentioned that they brought the plane in by trucks while I was away. My brother and I were excited to go with my parents to walk through the plane; it was my first time being on a plane, even though it was not heading anywhere. I remember thinking how tight it was inside (even at such a young age) and especially with the audio displays inside. It was pretty cool to make it to the front and get to see in the cockpit. From there, you left the plane. It did not stay around for long and was dismantled pretty quickly; I remember seeing the parts in dumpsters. My dad had taken the picture of the plane (which was handwritten with Oct '75 on it, but that could have been when it was developed).


Here is the elusive photo of the plane in service as the store "Fly Buy Nite Audio":

[FlyByNite]

It should be noted that the parking lot that this view is taken from is now covered by the Ikea store (from the right up to about where the car in the foreground is, and the plane is sitting where the Ikea car loading docks are and where the parking garage is. This view is a SE direction. The yellow building was Nathan's Famous (now On The Border Mexican restaurant), the red building in the distance is Sears Automotive (before the re-facing in the late '80's/ early '90's) and the building at the plane's tail was U.S. General tools (now removed for the parking garage).

[mirrodie]

Glad you got the answers.

I think I recall reading about this plane maybe on a site called iloddities (thanks to Tom for that one. its an addictive site) lioddities.com

While we are talking about the area, I also recall reading somewhere about a mall or shopping center in Hicksville or Massapequa where an old car from the 20s to 40s was sort of buried inside. I know it was an article that touched off on urban archaeology and exploring but I have yet to track down where I read it. Might have been the LI Press.

But no one seems to have given me any leads. Interesting anyway!