SESSION 4 AVIATION MYTHIC HISTORY THE DC3 Alain BATTISTI President & CEO CHALAIR
THE
DC3
THE GRAND OLD LADY OF THE SKIES
BIRTH OF A LEGEND
BIRTH OF A LEGEND LOS ANGELES, CA – December 17TH – 1935 THE MAIDEN FLIGHT 1936 - The first deliveries 1940 – 90 % of the airlines are using the DC3 The Douglas is the first “money maker” in the history of commercial aviation
3
BIRTH OF A LEGEND LOS ANGELES, CA – December 17TH – 1935 THE MAIDEN FLIGHT 1936 - The first deliveries 1940 – 90 % of the airlines are using the DC3 The Douglas is the first “money maker” in the history of commercial aviation
In the early 30 s, the commercial planes were: •
Small
4
BIRTH OF A LEGEND LOS ANGELES, CA – December 17TH – 1935 THE MAIDEN FLIGHT 1936 - The first deliveries 1940 – 90 % of the airlines are using the DC3 The Douglas is the first “money maker” in the history of commercial aviation
In the early 30 s, the commercial planes were: • •
Small Slow
5
BIRTH OF A LEGEND LOS ANGELES, CA – December 17TH – 1935 THE MAIDEN FLIGHT 1936 - The first deliveries 1940 – 90 % of the airlines are using the DC3 The Douglas is the first “money maker” in the history of commercial aviation
In the early 30 s, the commercial planes were: • • •
Small Slow Uncomfortable
6
BIRTH OF A LEGEND LOS ANGELES, CA – December 17TH – 1935 THE MAIDEN FLIGHT 1936 - The first deliveries 1940 – 90 % of the airlines are using the DC3 The Douglas is the first “money maker” in the history of commercial aviation
In the early 30 s, the commercial planes were: • • • •
Small Slow Uncomfortable Unsafe
7
BIRTH OF A LEGEND Early 1930’s planes:
FORD TRIMOTORS
USA
STINSON TRIMOTORS
FOKKER TRIMOTORS
USA
HOLLAND
8
BIRTH OF A LEGEND Because of the low efficiency of the existing models, airlines were claiming for new types. United Airlines made the choice in 1933 for a new type:
The Boeing 247 The characteristics: • • • • • • •
2 engines One fixed wing All metal (aluminum) aircraft Retractable gears Deicing boots Auto pilot 14 passengers
The Boeing 247 entered service by eastern airline in may 1933 and set a cross country record from San Francisco to New York in 19 ½ hours !
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BIRTH OF A LEGEND The Boeing 247, despite her small payload (14 pax. max) was a success, but: - Eastern was affiliated to Boeing and Boeing decided to sell the first 60 planes only to its subsidiary.
As a result, TWA President, Jack FRYE asked Donald DOUGLAS to design and built a commercial aircraft able to compete with those of EASTERN. The DC1, quickly replaced in 1934 by the DC2, became a success. Not enough, to American Airlines chairman, C.R. SMITH who asked and paid for the improvements of a larger fuselage, a wider span, more comfortable and more powerful engines.
The DC3 is born. A star is born
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BIRTH OF A LEGEND At the end of the year 1940, 75 BOEING 247 has been produced in comparison with more than 800 DC2/DC3
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BIRTH OF A LEGEND The main “unknown� American airlines using DC2/3 before the WW II: American airlines Braniff Airways Canadian Colonial Airways (later Eastern Air Lines in 1956) Eastern Northwest Airlines Pan American Airways TWA United Air Lines Transports Corp Western Airlines (later merged with Delta)
12
BIRTH OF A LEGEND The “strange” bargain of Fokker and Douglas concerning KLM purchase.
As you saw previously, Antony Fokker, was producing aircrafts since the WWI. His trimotors were intensively used by KLM and Lufthansa in the 20’S.
Visiting KLM, Fokker heard about the interest of Albert Plesman, president of KLM to buy DC2 for his fleet. To have Plesman buy the DC 2 would have seriously affected Fokker’s business. Antony Fokker decided to beat him to the punch, he took a boat to New York, cross the United States to Santa Monica, in order to negotiate with Douglas.
He
captured
the
European
market
by
negotiating
the
sales
and
manufacturing rights from Douglas for 100 000$, and few days after, he welcomed and monitored the KLM delegation visiting Douglas production site!
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BIRTH OF A LEGEND “We made the DC-3 without a computer to test it. There was plenty of data from the DC-1 and DC-2 to formulate the design. Often we got down on the floor and worked things out ourselves. There was personal ingenuity, and application, and we made things happen overnight.”
Ivar Shogran – Chief Powerplant Engineer – Douglas Aircraft Company
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BIRTH OF A LEGEND “A few of our designs [DOUGLAS aircrafts] attained some degree of fame, and
one
of
them,
the
DC-3,
has
become
almost
legendary.
There is a warm and permanent place in my affectations and memories for this airplane, and an even warner sense of respect for the airline operators, the technicians, and all the commercial and military pilots who have worked and lived with these ships in all corners of the world. To these men must go the largest measure of credit for the multiple exploits, the almost incredible adventures, and, even more important, accomplishment
that
the solid years of dependable and workaday combine
to
perpetuate
the
DC-3
legend.�
Donald W. DOUGLAS, Sr. (1963)
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THE
DC3
THE GRAND OLD LADY OF THE SKIES
BIRTH OF A LEGEND
THE
DC3
THE GRAND OLD LADY OF THE SKIES
THE WARRIOR
THE WARRIOR PEARL HARBOR 1941, the attack on December 7th made the future different for the world and especially for the US aviation industry. The US ARMY made the choice between different programs to equip as quick as possible the US but also the allied forces fighting in Europe and Asia. The decision for a multi purpose cargo and passengers transport aircraft was initialy made in favor of the CURTISS C46. The C46 was a new type of aircraft bigger than the DC3/C47. At the beginning, the aircraft was designed to be pressurized with 1 desk for the passengers and 1 desk for the cargo ! The engines were very powerful with 2000 Hp on each side. The payload of the C46 was of 2,6 tons more than the DC3/C47.
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THE WARRIOR
Despite all the previous arguments, the C47 has been finally preferred after test flights by the US government because of: DOUGLAS was well-known and able to quickly grow up the production. The DC3/C47 was reliable, versatile and had proven capabilities. The Pratt & Whitney and Wright engines were easy to be massively produced. 19
THE WARRIOR The DC3 entered into the Army in 1940 and thus was widely produced from 1940 to 1945: • 10.000 in the USA, • 4.937 in RUSSIA under license (LISUNOV-2), • 487 in JAPAN (SHOWA L2D). The C47 SKYTRAIN (military code of the DC3) start to fly everywhere in the world, over Asia, over the Pacific Ocean, in North Africa as well as in Europe. The C47 entered in the French history the night before the D. Day in June 5th, 1944. • •
900 C47 were gathered in the South of England. 1.800 engines started the engines to liberate Normandy, it was the “beginning of the End”.
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THE WARRIOR
Normandy D-DAY OPERATIONS
21
THE WARRIOR The use of C47 did not ended with World War II. The aircraft type has been largely involved in the different allied armies during the cold war. The last C47 used by the US AIR FORCE were converted into gunship (AC47 SPOKY GUNSHIP) for the Vietnam, and intensively engaged up to the end of this war.
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THE WARRIOR C47 are still flown by armies at the time, in Mauritania as an example or in South America (Colombia).
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THE
DC3
THE GRAND OLD LADY OF THE SKIES
THE WARRIOR
THE
DC3
THE GRAND OLD LADY OF THE SKIES
From 1945 to 22nd CENTURY
From 1945 to 22nd CENTURY DC3/C47 were numerous and available at the end of World War II. The production ceased at the end of 1945, because it was difficult to stop the production and to cancel the orders to the industry. New and used aircrafts were stored in the desert at Kingman, AZ (along the road 66) or at Chino, CA. These aircrafts were full of gas, ready to go at the cost of 25 000 $. And it became a success to sell C47, and to convert C47 into DC3 (cabin refurbishing, door modifications, and so‌).
From 1945 to 22nd CENTURY AIR FRANCE: Air France bought just after the war, more than 70 aircrafts from the US surplus and began in 1946, domestic flights in France as well as in Algeria, and Morocco. The affiliates, as well as competitors also used intensively the DC3 in the former African colonies and in Asia for cargo and passengers operations.
From 1945 to 22nd CENTURY AIGLE AZUR Created in 1946, Aigle Azur flown a lot of DC 3 particularly in Indochina (North and South Vietnam) just after the war.
From 1945 to 22nd CENTURY The last commercial flight in the United States, 3 years ago. Cargo DC 3 were used to fly spare parts for the car industry in North of the country. Canada is probably the last of the developed countries to still going on flying DC 3 for commercial missions.
From 1945 to 22nd CENTURY Today in Europe, because of the EASA equipment improvements, the DC3 is no longer a commercial plane but, a marvelous manner to burn gas, make noise and enjoy spending money in the sky. This is particularly my case, and despite the efforts of the doctors, no one succeed in making me stop. At the opposite , I am quiet successful in converting them to come with me and enjoy spent time on Saturday and Sunday with the hands in the old good grease and breathe the smell of avgas.