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Object Details

Manufacturer
Douglas Aircraft Company
Concrete Description
Twin-engined monoplane in Eastern Airlines livery.
Summary
Douglas DC-iii
First flown in 1935, the Douglas DC-3 became the almost successful airliner in the formative years of air transportation, and was the offset to fly profitably without regime subsidy. More than than 13,000 DC-3s, both civil and war machine versions, U.S. and foreign built, were produced. Many are all the same flying.
An enlarged variant of the popular 14-seat DC-2, the 21-seat DC-three was comfortable by the standards of its time and very prophylactic, because of its stiff, multiple-spar wing and all-metal construction. The airlines liked information technology because it was reliable, cheap to operate, and therefore profitable. Pilots liked its stability, ease of handling, and excellent unmarried-engine functioning.
The airplane on display in a higher place flew more 56,700 hours with Eastern Air Lines. Its final commercial flight was on October 12, 1952, when it flew from San Salvador to Miami. It was subsequently presented to the Museum by Eastern's president, Edward Five. Rickenbacker.
Souvenir of Eastern Air Lines
Wingspan: 29 m (95 ft)
Length: 19.7 one thousand (64 ft 6 in)
Elevation: 5 g (16 ft 11 in)
Weight, gross: eleven,430 kg (25,200 lb)
Weight, empty: 7,650 kg (16,865)
Acme speed: 370 km/h (230 mph)
Engine: 2 Wright SGR 1820-71, 1,200 hp
Manufacturer: Douglas Shipping Co., Santa Monica, Calif., 1936
Long Clarification
The evolution of the Douglas DC-3 was brought near past the commercial airlines demand for an economic passenger-carrying airplane. Upwards to 1934, airline passenger craft were too slow and carried too few passengers to exist really profitable. United Air Lines had ordered threescore of the new Boeing 247s, the first truly modern airliners and had finer tied up production. The 247 carried ten passengers at 160 mph and made all other transports obsolete. The other carriers were thus forced to detect another plane if they wished to be competitive in the passenger-carrying business.
In 1933 the Douglas Aircraft Company designed a new passenger plane, as ordered by Transcontinental and Western airlines, to compete with the Boeing 247. The first model, the DC-1, was before long succeeded past the DC-2 and the start of quantity production. American Airlines, at the time, was using the slow Curtiss Condor, which was fitted with sleeper berths. American needed a new aeroplane able to compete with the DC-2 and the Boeing 247, but one with sleeping accommodations.
In 1935 C. R. Smith, president of American Airlines, fabricated a direct request of Douglas to build a larger, more comfortable plane which could lure the luxury trade." On Dec 17, 1935, the Douglas Sleeper Transport (DST) made its offset flight
.
The original plane was designed as a luxury sleeper with seven upper and seven lower berths and a private forward cabin. The 24-hour interval plane version, known as the DC-three, had xx-one seats instead of 14 berths. The blueprint included cantilever wings, all-metal construction, ii cowled Wright SGR-1820 ane,000 hp radial engines, retractable landing gear, and trailing edge flaps. The controls included an automatic pilot and two sets of instruments. The original design was and then satisfactory that the basic specifications were never changed.
American Airlines initiated DST nonstop New York-to-Chicago service on June 25, 1936. and in September started service with the DC-iii. A year later on, with the DC-3 in service, Smith stated, "It was the first aeroplane in the globe that could make money simply by hauling passengers" This was the beginning of an immortal airplane known the earth over. As the success of the DC-three, with its larger capacity for passengers, its speed, and its economical performance, was realized, airlines throughout the globe began placing orders with Douglas.
In the United States the big three transcontinental lines were very competitive. With the advent of DST coast-to-coast service by American Airlines, Trans World Airlines obtained DSTs and DC-3s for such flights also. When United Airlines, with its Boeing 247s, saw that the Douglas aeroplane was outclassing its ain service, the company purchased x DSTs and five DC-3s, and began flights on Jan 1, 1937. In July of that same twelvemonth United introduced sleeper service between New York and California.
By 1938, 95 percent of all U.South. commercial airline traffic was on DC-3s. Ii hundred lx DC-3s, 80 per centum of the number of airliners, were in service in 1942 on domestic carriers. Every bit of December 31, 1969, 30 DC-3s were still beingness used by U.Southward airlines.
Foreign companies also began to club the economic Douglas-built airplane. KLM was the beginning European airline to own and operate DC-3s, in 1936, followed past companies in Sweden, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and elsewhere. By 1938 DC-3s were flown by thirty foreign airlines, and past 1939, 90 percent of the world'south airline traffic was being carried past these aircraft.
The impact of the DC-3 was felt the earth over. In July 1936 President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented Donald W. Douglas, head of Douglas Aircraft, with the Collier Trophy. Recognizing the DC-3 as the outstanding twin-engined commercial plane,' the citation read, 'This aeroplane, past reason of its high speed, economy, and placidity passenger comfort, has been generally adopted past ship lines throughout the U.s.a.. Its merit has been farther recognized by its adoption abroad, and its influence on foreign design is already credible."
In 1939 the DC-3 was called on to aid the military fleets of the world. Many commercial carriers in Europe put their DC-3s to use equally military transports. The United States ordered new versions of the DC-3 modified for troop transport and cargo carrying. These were designated as C-47s and C-53s. Every bit military versions were built, they were put into operation in European and Pacific theaters during Earth War 2. C-47s initiated the Berlin Airlift in 1948. In military service since 1941, the C-47 proved about useful in many endeavors.
Many names and numbers were assigned to the DC-three. England labeled it the "Dakota" or "Dak." American pilots, during Earth State of war II, called it the 'Skytrain," "Skytrooper," "Doug," or "Gooney Bird." The U.S. military'due south official titles were C-47, C-53, C-117, and R4D. The airlines called information technology "The Three." Of all the names the affectionate title "Gooney Bird" lingers on.
The normal gross weight for the aircraft was 25,200 pounds, with twenty-one passengers. Many times these weights were exceeded as atmospheric condition required. The normal range was 1,500 miles, but this could be extended by adding fuel tanks. The cruising speed varied from 155 mph to 190 mph depending on the load carried and the power used. The DC-3'south prophylactic record was better than that of most airplanes, primarily because of its great structural strength and efficient single-engine operation.
Since 1935, 803 commercial transports and ten,123 military versions have been built. In addition, about 3,000 have been synthetic under license in Russia (Li-ii) and almost 500 in Japan. In service since 1936, the DC-three is all the same in employ today throughout the world.
Credit Line
Gift of Eastern Air Lines Inc.
Inventory Number
A19530075000
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Blazon
Arts and crafts-Aircraft
Materials
Steel, aluminum blend, textile, paint, insulation, rubber, plastic, glass, ceramic, internal components
Dimensions
3-D: 1971 × 414 × 515.6cm, 7649.9kg, 29.007m (64 ft. 8 in. × 13 ft. 7 in. × 16 ft. 11 in., 16865lb., 95.2 ft.)
Width represented is of the main fuselage.
Dimensions taken by Move Contractor on behalf of CSC at the fourth dimension of deinstall. Record Updated 12/15/2020. Encounter As-Built in Media section for additional data.
Land of Origin
U.s. of America
See more items in
National Air and Infinite Museum Collection
National Air and Space Museum
Record ID
nasm_A19530075000
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.cyberspace/ark:/65665/nv9fbd81657-308f-4658-aa45-0b5f983062a4

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Twin-engined Douglas DC-3 aircraft hanging in museum

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