This C-207C belongs to the Cuatro Vientos Aeronautical Museum`s collection. It was entered service with the 35th Wing in January 1968, then served in the 901st, 911th and 405th Squadrons. After retirement from the 405th Squadron in November 1980, it was sent to Sevilla’s Air Arsenal and finally was donated to the Museum in September 1981.For more than 35 years the aircraft wore its gray, blue and white livery, characteristic of this model during the last years of service within the Air Force. Unfortunately, exposed in the open, conservation is not appropriate and the passage of time is sadly noticeable in this aircraft. Fortunately, the previous aircraft has been recently restored and currently its appearance is excellent. Its livery is the same as when they entered service in 1966, quite similar to Iberia Airlines livery in those days.The markings of this aircraft indicates that it was the sixth of the 351st Squadron, belonging to the 35th Transport Wing based in Getafe, Madrid. The tail number shows the plane as “T7-6” although the model is of type “C-207C” and perhaps it should have been more correct to identify it as “T7B-6”, but this aspect was never modified, making it difficult to differentiate from the C-207 variant.The cargo variant of the Azor was named C-207C or T-7B and entered into service in 1966. Ten aircraft were manufactured along with a prototype that provided valuable services and allowed to modernize the transport aviation of the Spanish Air Force.The T-7B variant was externally the same as the T-7A, although they were better adapted for military missions. They could carry 36 paratroopers or up to 4,000 kg of cargo, but they never became real tactical transport aircrafts.Ten T-7Bs were assigned to the 35th Transport wing along with the ten units of the first batch, but many of them would serve in other transport squadrons. At the end of their career the C-207 Azor had flown more than 55,000 hours within the 35th Wing.Two prototypes were built by CASA and both were evaluated by the 406 Squadron, a special squadron belonging to the I.N.T.A. (National Institute of Aerospace Technology). This Institute is in charge of evaluating the new materials assigned to the Spanish Air Force as well as the development of technological research programs.Since March 1977, when the C-54 Skymasters were decommissioned, the tasks of the C-207C increased greatly, lasting this period until 1979, when the C-212 Aviocar began to replace them. However, the process was quite slow and the C-207C remained in service until 1987, carrying out target towing missions.
