TheDouglas DC-2 is a retired 14-passenger,twin-enginedairliner that was produced by the American companyDouglas Aircraft Company starting in 1934. It competed with theBoeing 247. In 1935, Douglas produced a larger version called theDC-3, which became one of the most successful aircraft in history.
In the early 1930s, fears about the safety of wooden aircraft structures drove the US aviation industry to develop all-metal airliners.United Airlines had exclusive right to the all metal twin-engineBoeing 247; rivalTWA issued a specification for an all-metal trimotor.
The Douglas response was more radical. When it flew on July 1, 1933, the prototypeDC-1 had a robust tapered wing, retractable landing gear, and two 690 hp (515 kW)Wright radial engines drivingvariable-pitch propellers. It seated 12 passengers. The DC-2 was longer than the DC-1, had more powerful engines, and carried 14 passengers in a 66-inch-wide cabin.
Douglas test pilotCarl Cover flew the first test flight of the DC-2 on May 11, 1934. TWA was the launch customer for the DC-2, ordering twenty. The design impressed American and European airlines, and further orders followed. Although Fokker had purchased a production licence from Douglas for $100,000 (about $2,224,000 in 2022), no manufacturing was done in the Netherlands. Those for European customers,KLM,LOT,Swissair, CLS, andLAPE purchased viaFokker in the Netherlands, were built and flown by Douglas in the US, sea-shipped to Europe with wings and propellers detached, then erected at airfields by Fokker near the seaport of arrival (e.g. Cherbourg or Rotterdam).[1]Airspeed Ltd. took a similar licence for DC-2s to be delivered in Britain and assigned the company designation Airspeed AS.23, but, although a registration for one aircraft was reserved, none were built.[2] Another licence was taken by theNakajima Aircraft Company in Japan; unlike Fokker and Airspeed, Nakajima built five aircraft as well as assembling at least one Douglas-built aircraft.[2] A total of 130 civil DC-2s were built with another 62 for the United States military. In 1935,Don Douglas stated in an article that the DC-2 cost about $80,000 (about $1,780,000 in 2022) per aircraft, if mass-produced.[3]
Although overshadowed by its ubiquitous successor, it was the DC-2 that first showed that passenger air travel could be comfortable, safe, and reliable. As a token of this, KLM entered its first DC-2 PH-AJUUiver (Stork) in the October 1934MacRobertson Air Race between London and Melbourne. It finished second of the twenty entrants, behind the purpose-builtde Havilland DH.88 racerGrosvenor House (race time 70 hours 54 minutes), and nearly three hours ahead of theBoeing 247D. During the total journey time of 90 hours 13 minutes, it was in the air for 81 hours 10 minutes. It won the handicap section of the race, as although the DH.88 had finished first in the handicap section, the regulations allowed the crew to claim only one victory. It flew KLM's regular 9,000-mile route (a thousand miles longer than the official race route), carrying mail, making every scheduled passenger stop, turning back once to pick up a stranded passenger, and became lost in a thunderstorm and briefly stuck in the mud after a diversionary landing at theAlbury race course on the last leg of the journey.[4]
(DC-2-153) One aircraft, powered by two 750 hp (560 kW)Wright R-1820-25 radial piston engines, for evaluation as a 14-seat VIP transport aircraft, one built,[6] later used byGeneral Andrews as a flying command post[7]
C-32A
Designation for 24 commercial DC-2s impressed at the start ofWorld War II[6]
Douglas C-33
C-33
(DC-2-145) Cargo transport variant of the C-32 powered by two 750 hp (560 kW)Wright R-1820-25 engines, with larger vertical tail surfaces, a reinforced cabin floor and a large cargo door in the aft fuselage, 18 built[6]
Douglas YC-34
YC-34
(1x DC-2-173 & 1x DC-2-346) VIP transport for thesecretary of war, basically similar to XC-32, later designatedC-34, two built[8]
C-38
The first C-33 was modified with a DC-3-style tail section and twoWright R-1820-45 radial piston engines of 975 hp (727 kW) each. Originally designatedC-33A but redesignated as prototype for C-39 variant, one built.[9]
Douglas C-39 transport, a militarized DC-2
C-39
(DC-2-243) 16-seat passenger variant, a composite of DC-2 and DC-3 components, with C-33 fuselage and wings and DC-3-type tail, center-section and landing gear. Powered by two 975 hp (727 kW)Wright R-1820-45 radial piston engines; 35 built.[10]
C-41
The sole C-41 was a VIP aircraft for Air Corps Chief Oscar Westover (and his successorHap Arnold). Although supplied against a C-39 order it was not a DC-2 derivative but in fact a DC-3-253 fitted with two 1,200 hp (890 kW)Pratt & Whitney R-1830-21 engines. (The soleDouglas C-41A was also a VIP version of the DC-3A)[11]
Douglas C-42
C-42
(DC-2-267) VIP transport variant of the C-39, powered by two 1,000 hp (750 kW)Wright R-1820-53 radial piston engines, of 1,000 hp (746 kW) each, one built in 1939 for the commanding general, GHQ Air Force, plus two similarly-converted C-39s with their cargo doors bolted shut were converted in 1943.[11]
Douglas R2D-1 at Langley
R2D-1
(3x DC-2-125 & 2x DC-2-142) 710 hp (530 kW)Wright R-1820-12-powered transport similar to the XC-32, three built for the United States Navy and two for the United States Marine Corps
Mercer Airlines ♠ 1 airplane, sold to Colgate Darden in late 1960s, now in the Netherlands
Pan American Airways ♠ received 16 aircraft, distributing many to its foreign affiliates; some flew under its own name on Central American routes.[citation needed]
December 20, 1934: AKLM DC-2-115A (PH-AJU,Uiver) crashed atRutbah Wells in Iraq, killing all seven on board. The aircraft was operating a flight fromSchiphol toBatavia.[17][18] This was the first loss of a DC-2 and the first fatal accident involving the DC-2.[citation needed]
May 6, 1935:TWA Flight 6, a DC-2-115 (NC13785), hit terrain and crashed nearAtlanta, Missouri, while flying low in poor visibility to reach a landing field before running out of fuel. Five of thirteen on board were killed, including New Mexico SenatorBronson M. Cutting.[19]
July 20, 1935:1935 San Giacomo Douglas DC-2 crash: A KLM DC-2-115E (PH-AKG,Gaai) crashed on landing at Pian San Giacomo in bad weather, killing all 13 on board.[20]
October 6, 1935: A Standard Oil Company DC-2A-127 (NC14285) crashed into Great Salt Lake, Utah; the three crew survived the crash, but drowned while trying to swim to safety.[21]
April 7, 1936:TWA Flight 1, a DC-2-112 (NC13721), crashed into Chestnut Ridge nearUniontown, Pennsylvania, in fog due to pilot error, killing 12 of 14 on board.
October 10, 1936: APan American-Grace Airways DC-2-118B (NC14273) struck the side of a mountain near San Jose Pinula while being ferried from San Salvador to Guatemala City, killing the three crew.[22]
July 28, 1937: A KLM DC-2-115L (PH-ALF,Flamingo) crashed into a field near Belligen, Belgium, after takeoff due to an in-flight fire, killing all 15 on board.[24]
August 6, 1937: AnAeroflot DC-2-152 (URSS-M25) exploded in mid-air and crashed near Bistrita, Romania, killing all five on board.[25]
August 10, 1937:Eastern Air Lines Flight 7, a DC-2-112 (NC13739), crashed on takeoff at Daytona Beach Airport after striking a power pole, killing four of nine on board.[26]
August 23, 1937: A Pan American-Grace Airways DC-2-118A (NC14298) crashed and burned 20 mi north of San Luis, Argentina in dense fog, killing all three on board.[27]
November 23, 1937: ALOT DC-2-115D (SP-ASJ) crashed in thePirin mountains, killing all six occupants. The aircraft was operating a flight fromThessaloniki toBucharest.[28]
March 1, 1938: TWA Flight 8, a DC-2-112,crashed in Yosemite National Park due to severe weather, killing all nine on board; the wreckage was found three months later.
July 19, 1938: A Pan American-Grace Airways DC-2-118A (NC14272,Santa Lucia) crashed into Mount Mercedario, killing all four on board; the wreckage was found in early 1941.[29]
August 24, 1938:Kweilin Incident in China. The first commercial airplane in history to be shot down.[30]
October 25, 1938: AnAustralian National Airways DC-2-210 (VH-UYC,Kyeema)crashed into Mount Dandenong due to weather and navigation errors, killing all 18 on board.
December 8, 1938: AnImperial Japanese Airways Nakajima/Douglas DC-2 (J-BBOH,Fuji) crashed in the East China Sea off the Kerama Islands due to engine failure, killing 10 of 12 on board; the survivors were rescued by a steamship.[31]
January 7, 1939: ASwissair DC-2-115B (HB-ITA) crashed into a hill nearSenlis, Oise killing five of 17 passengers and crew. The aircraft was operating a flight fromZurich toParis.[32]
March 26, 1939:Braniff Airways Flight 1, a DC-2-112 (NC13237), lost control and crashed on takeoff at Oklahoma City after an engine cylinder blew, killing eight of 12 on board.[33]
May 10, 1940: Five KLM DC-2-115s (PH-ALD, PH-AKN, PH-AKO, PH-AKP, PH-AKK) were destroyed on the ground at Schiphol Airport by aircraft from Luftwaffe'sKG 4 during theBattle of the Netherlands.
August 9, 1940: ADeutsche Luft Hansa DC-2-115E (D-AIAV) crashed near Lämershagen, Germany, due to pilot error, killing two of 13 on board.[34]
January 4, 1941: US Navy R2D-19622 struck Mother Grundy Peak, 27 mi E of North Island NAS, killing all 11 on board.[36]
February 12, 1941: AChina National Aviation Corporation DC-2-190 (40,Kangting) struck a mountain near Taohsien, Hunan in a thunderstorm, killing the three crew.[37]
August 2, 1941: A US Treasury DC-2-120 (NC14729) was being delivered to the RAF when it crashed at Bathurst (now Banjul), Gambia, killing the three crew.[39]
December 8, 1941: RAF DC-2-120DG475 was shot down by three Luftwaffe Bf 110s and crashed 10 mi northeast of RAF LG-138 (Landing Ground 138) near Habata, Egypt, killing one.[40]
March 5, 1942:USAAF C-3938-525 crashed in the St. Lucie River off Port Sewall, Florida, due to wing separation after flying into a storm, killing all seven on board.[41]
March 14, 1942: A China National Aviation Corporation DC-2-221 (31,Chungshan) crashed nearKunming, killing 13 of 17 on board.[42]
May 25, 1942: USAAF C-3938-505 crashed on takeoff from Alice Springs Airport in Australia due to overloading, killing all 10 on board.[43]
September 14, 1942: RAAF DC-2-112A30-5, of RAAF 36 Squadron, crashed while on approach to Seven Mile Strip, killing the five crew.[44]
October 1, 1942: USAAF C-3938-524 struck a hill at high speed 15 mi northwest of Coamo, Puerto Rico, due to an unexplained malfunction and low visibility, killing all 22 on board in the worst-ever accident involving the DC-2.[45]
January 31, 1944: USAAF C-3938-501 crashed near Sioux City AAB due to a possible engine fire, killing the three crew.[46]
August 11, 1945: AMexicana DC-2-243 (XA-DOT) struck Iztaccihuatl Volcano in bad weather, killing all 15 on board.[47]
Several DC-2s have survived and been preserved in the 21st century in the following museums in the following places:
c/n 1286 - Ex-Eastern Airlines and RAAF, preserved (dressed as the historic "Uiver", PH-AJU) atAlbury, New South Wales as centerpiece ofUiver Memorial atAlbury Airport. This is the oldest DC-2 left in the world. It was removed from its prominent position on poles in front of the Albury Airport terminal building in late 2002, but unfortunately kept out in the open air without preservation. In 2014 after much debate and delays, Albury City Council transferred ownership of the plane to the Uiver Memorial Community Trust (UMCT). In January 2016 UMCT began work on removing the major assemblies of the aircraft, and on 12 May 2016 the airframe was transferred to a restoration hangar. Restoration of this aircraft to static display standard is now under way.[49]
c/n 1288 - An Ex-Eastern Airlines and RAAF DC-2, it was exported and located for many years at the Aviodrome in the Netherlands though owned by theDutch Dakota Association.[50] It was transferred to the Netherlands Transport Museum in 2018 and has been externally restored for static display as KNILM DC-2 PK-AFK.[51]
c/n 1292 - There are three DC-2s surviving in Australia as of 2006; this aircraft, c/n 1292, is one of ten ex-Eastern Airlines DC-2s purchased and operated by the RAAF during World War II as A30-9. It is under restoration by theAustralian National Aviation Museum.[52] atMoorabbin Airport inVictoria,Australia
c/n 1354 - One DC-2-115E (reg. DO-1 (Hanssin-Jukka), ex. PH-AKH (KLMHaan), SE-AKE) is preserved by theAviation Museum of Central Finland (Finnish Air Force Museum) and is on display in a hangar in Tuulos, Finland.[53] The plane was restored to display condition in 2011, in war-time colors. It performed one bombing raid in February 1940. Another wingless fuselage (c/n 1562, reg. DO-3, ex. OH-LDB "Sisu") was on display at theFinnish Aviation Museum in Vantaa.[54][55] The fuselage was transported to the Aviation Museum of Central Finland in 2011, where it was used in the DO-1 restoration project.
c/n 1368 - A formerPan Am aircraft that was used by the Douglas historical foundation until the merger with Boeing in 1997. It is now housed at theMuseum of Flight inSeattle, Washington. This aircraft (N1934D) was restored to flying condition in 2007 and flown to Santa Maria, California, for a new paint job. It received aTWA "The Lindbergh Line" livery and interior trim.[56]
c/n 1376 - Owned by Steve Ferris inSydney,Australia, and has been under restoration to flying status for many years.[citation needed] It was originally delivered toKNILM in 1935. At the outbreak ofWorld War II it was flown to Australia and was conscripted into use with the Allied Directorate of Air Transport. In 1944 it joinedAustralian National Airways and finished its flying career in the 1950s with Marshall Airways. It is registered asVH-CDZ. It is the most complete of all the Australian DC-2s as of 2008.
c/n 1404 - TheAviodrome inLelystad, theNetherlands, owns and operates one of the last flying DC-2s. This formerUnited States Navy aircraft is painted in the Uiver'sKLM color scheme and is sometimes seen in European airshows. It is registered as NC39165 since 1945, though it now also wears PH-AJU as a fictional registration to match that of the historic Uiver aircraft.[50] The aircraft was operated by Mercer Airlines of Burbank, California, and sold in the late 1960s to Colgate Darden, who restored it inGeneral Air Lines colors and moved it to his private airport in South Carolina.
A DC-2 appears in the 1937 filmLost Horizon; the footage includes taxiing, takeoff, and landing as well as views in flight.[60]
In the 1956 filmBack from Eternity, the action centers on the passengers and crew of a DC-2, registry number N39165, which makes an emergency landing in headhunter territory in the remote South American jungle.[61] The plane, Construction Number (C/N) 1404, survives today (see#Surviving aircraft) in the color scheme of the one operated byKLM when it came second in theMacRobertson Air Race in 1934, flying a DC-2 registered in theNetherlands as PH-AJUUiver.[62] The real PH-AJU was lost in a crash a few months after the MacRobertson Air Race.
AuthorErnest K. Gann recounts his early days as a commercial pilot flying DC-2s in his memoirFate Is the Hunter. This includes a particularly harrowing account of flying a DC-2 with heavy ice.
^"11-III-1935."Archived 2013-12-19 at theWayback MachineLlega a Barajas el primer Douglas DC-2 para las Líneas Aéreas Postales Españolas (LAPE). Retrieved: February 11, 2014.
Francillon, René J.Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam, 1970.ISBN0-370-00033-1.
Francillon, René J.McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920. London: Putnam, 1979.ISBN0-370-00050-1.
Parmentier, K.D. (2024) [First published in Dutch asIn Drie Dagen naar Australie in 1935].To Australia in Three Days. Albury, NSW: Uiver Memorial Community Trust.ISBN9780646895123.
Serrano, José Luis González (March–April 1999). "Fifty Years of DC Service: Douglas Transports Used by the Spanish Air Force".Air Enthusiast (80):61–71.ISSN0143-5450.
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