Douglas DC-2

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Douglas DC-2
DC-2 PH-AJU came second in the MacRobertson Air Race
Type Passenger & military transport
Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company, Fokker
Maiden flight May 11, 1934
Introduced May 18, 1934
Primary users United States
Australia
Germany
United Kingdom
Number built 156

The Douglas DC-2 was a 14 seat, twin-propeller airliner produced by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247. In 1935 Douglas produced a larger version called the DC-3, which became one of the most successful airplanes in history.

Contents

[edit] Design and development

In the early 1930s fears about the safety of wooden structured aircraft (implicated in the crash of a Fokker tri-motor which killed Knute Rockne) led the American aviation industry to look into implementing aircraft of all-metal construction. With United Airlines having a monopoly on the Boeing 247, the rival Transcontinental and Western Air issued a specification for an all-metal trimotor.

The response of the Douglas Aircraft Company was more radical. When it flew on July 1, 1933, the prototype DC-1 had a highly robust tapered wing, a retractable undercarriage, and only two 690 hp (515 kW) Wright radial engines driving variable-pitch propellors. It seated 12 passengers.

TWA accepted the basic design, and placed an order for 20 DC-2s, with more powerful engines and seating 14 passengers. The design impressed a number of American and European airlines and further orders followed. Those for European customers KLM, LOT, Swissair, CLS and LAPE were assembled by Fokker in the Netherlands. 156 DC-2s were built.

[edit] Operational history

Although overshadowed by its ubiquitous successor, it was the DC-2 which first showed that passenger air travel could be comfortable, safe and reliable. As a token of this, KLM entered their first DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (Stork) in the October 1934 MacRobertson Air Race between London and Melbourne. Out of the 20 entrants, it finished second behind only the purpose built de Havilland DH.88 racer Grosvenor House. During the total journey time of 90 h 13 min, it was in the air for 81 h 10 min, and won the handicap section of the race.

[edit] Variants

DC-2A
The designation of two civil DC-2 aircraft, powered by two Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial piston engines.
DC-2B
The designation given to two DC-2 aircraft, sold to the LOT Polish Airlines. The aircraft were powered by two Bristol Pegasus VI radial piston engines.
Modified DC-2s built for the Army Air Corps under several military designations
XC-32
16-seat transport aircraft, later a flying command post, 1 built.
C-32A
Redesignated 24 commercial DC-2s impressed at the start of World War II.
C-33
Cargo transport aircraft, with a hinged cargo door in the aft fuselage, 18 built.
YC-34
VIP transport, later designated C-34, 2 built.
C-38
Modified from the C-33 with DC-3 style tail section. Powered by two Wright R-1820-45 radial piston engines, of 930 hp (694 kW) each. It was originally designated C-33A, 1 built.
C-39
A composite of DC-2 & DC-3 components. Powered by two Wright R-1820-55 radial piston engines, of 975 hp (727 kW) each, 35 built.
C-41
VIP transport powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-21 radial piston engines, of 1200 hp (895 kW) each, 1 built.
C-42
VIP transport, Powered by two Wright R-1820-53 radial piston engines, of 1200 hp (895 kW) each. 1 built plus two similar converted C-39s.
R2D
One transport aircraft for the US Navy.
R2D-1
Four transport aircraft for the US Navy.
Foreign built variants
ANT-35
Soviet copy of the DC-2 slightly modified and powered by Gnome-Rhone M85 engines.[1]
AT-2 / Ki-34
Japanese license-built version

[edit] Operators

[edit] Civil operators

Image:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Republic of China
Image:Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg Czechoslovakia
Image:Flag of Finland.svg Finland
Image:Flag of Germany 1933.svg Germany
Image:Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Image:Flag of Manchukuo.svg Manchukuo
  • Manchurian Airlines
Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
  • KLM ordered 18 aircraft.
Image:Flag of Poland.svg Poland
Image:Flag of the Second Spanish Republic.svg Spanish Republic
  • Lineas Aereas Postales Espanolas received 5 aircraft.
Image:Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland
Image:US flag 48 stars.svg United States

[edit] Military operators

Image:Flag of Australia.svg Australia
Image:Flag of Finland.svg Finland
Image:Flag of Germany 1933.svg Germany
Image:Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Image:Flag of the Second Spanish Republic.svg Spanish Republic
Image:C-39-transport.jpg
Douglas C-39 transport, the military version of the DC-2
Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Image:US flag 48 stars.svg United States

[edit] Survivors

Image:Douglas DC-2 Uiver.jpg
DC-2 - c/n 1404

There are currently no DC-2s in commercial service. However, at least 4 aircraft made it into the 21st century:

  • c/n 1404: The Aviodrome in Lelystad, the Netherlands owns and operates one of the last flying DC-2. This former US Navy aircraft is painted in the Uiver's KLM colour scheme and is sometimes seen on airshows in Europe. It is registered as NC39165 since 1945, though is now also wearing PH-AJU as a fake registration to match that of the historic Uiver aircraft.
  • c/n 1288: Also located at the Aviodrome in the Netherlands though owned by the Dutch Dakota Association. It is far from airworthy and will not be restored to such a condition. Its first operator was Eastern Air Lines.
  • c/n 1368: A former Pan Am aircraft that was used by the Douglas historical foundation until the merger with Boeing in 1997. It is now housed at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. This aircraft (N1934D) was recently flown to Santa Maria, California for a new paint job.
  • One DC-2 is preserved at the Central Finland Aviation Museum. Another wingless fuselage (c/n 1562) is on display at the Finnish Aviation Museum. [2]
  • c/n 1292: There are three DC-2's surviving in Australia in 2006, this aircraft c/n 1292 is one of ten ex-Eastern Airlines DC-2's purchased and operated by the RAAF during WW2 as A30-9, it is under restoration by The Australian National Aviation Museum
  • c/n 1368 of 1932 was restored to flying condition in 2007, in its original TWA "The Lindbergh Line" livery and interior trim.[3]

[edit] Specifications (DC-2)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2-3
  • Capacity: 14 passengers
  • Length: 62 ft 6 in (19.1 m)
  • Wingspan: 85 ft 0 in (25.9 m)
  • Height: 15 ft 10 in (4.8 m)
  • Wing area: 940 ft² (87.3 m²)
  • Empty weight: 12,455 lb (5,650 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 18,560 lb (8,420 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2× Wright Cyclone GR-F53 9-cylinder radial engines, 730 hp (540 kW) each

Performance

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f DC-3/Dakota Historical Society, Inc.
  2. ^ Accident description 07 FEB 1951
  3. ^ search for "Douglas DC-2-118B" at airliners.net

[edit] External links

[edit] Related content

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Bomber: YB-7 · YB-11 · B-18 · XB-19 · XB-22 · B-23 · B-26 · XB-31 · XB-42 · XB-43 · B-66

Reconnaissance: O-2 · OD · O2D · O-31 · O-35 · YO-44 · YOA-5 · PD · P2D · P3D

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