Douglas DC-2
Encyclopedia : D : DO : DOU : Douglas DC-2
| Douglas DC-2 | ||
|---|---|---|
 DC-2 PH-AJU came second in the MacRobertson Air Race | ||
| Description | ||
| Role | Passenger & military transport | |
| Crew | 2-3 | |
| Passengers | 14 | |
| First flight | May 11, 1934 | |
| Entered service | May 18, 1934 | |
| Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company, Fokker | |
| Dimensions | ||
| 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 |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 12,455 lb | 5,650 kg |
| Loaded | 18,560 lb | 8,420 kg |
| Maximum takeoff | lb | kg |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engine | 2 × Wright Cyclone GR-F53
various others used | |
| Power (each) | 730 hp | 540 kW |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 210 mph @ 6,800ft | 338 km/h @ 2,070 m |
| Combat range | 1,085 miles | 1,750 km |
| Ferry range | km | miles |
| Service ceiling | 22,750 ft | 6,930 m |
| Rate of climb | 1,030 ft/min | 310 m/min |
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 1936 Douglas produced a larger version called the DC-3, which became one of the most successful airplanes in history.
In the early 1930s safety fears about wooden structured aircraft (implicated in the crash of a Fokker tri-motor which killed Knute Rockne) led the American aviation industry look to implement 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.
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.
156 DC-2s were built.
Modified DC-2s were built for the Army Air Corps under several military designations:
1 XC-32 16-seat transport aircraft, later a flying command post.
18 C-33 Cargo transport aircraft, with a hinged cargo door in the aft fuselage.
2 YC-34 VIP transport. Later designated C-34.
1 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.
35 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
1 C-41 VIP transport. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-21 radial piston engines, of 1200 hp (895 kW) each
1 C-42 VIP transport. Powered by two Wright R-1820-53 radial piston engines, of 1200 hp (895 kW) each, plus two similar converted C-39s.
- R2D - One transport aircraft for the US Navy.
- R2D-1 - Four transport aircraft for the US Navy.
- 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 Polish airline LOT. The aircraft were powered by two Bristol Pegasus VI radial piston engines.
Survivors
Currently, there are no more DC-2s in commercial service. However, at least 4 aircraft made it into the 21st century:
- c/n 1404: The [Aviodrome museum] in Lelystad, the Netherlands owns 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.
This aircraft (N39165) is now registered in the United States and based in Houston, TX. - 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. - c/n 1288: There is a second aircraft in the Netherlands, owned by the Dutch Dakota Association. It is far from airworthy and a lot of work needs to be done before it is. Its first operator was Eastern Air Lines.
- 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]. [link]
- 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]
Military operators
- Australia, Finland, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, United States (Army Air Corps, Army Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy).
External links
- [DC-2 Article]
- [Centennial of Flight Commission on DC-1 and -2]
- [DC-2 Article]
- [DC-2]
- [DC-2 Image]
- [Airliners.net DC-2 Images]
- [Dc-2 Images]
- [Dc-2 Text and Images]
Related content
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