THE UNIQUE DC-1 POINTED THE WAY TO THE coming time OF AERIAL TRANSPORTATION BUT THE DC-2 HELPED LAY A FIRM FOUNDATION The outstanding performance and record-setting flights of the DC-1 (see Air Classics December 2002) l TWA to place a history-making order with Douglas for 20 improved transports.

THE UNIQUE DC-1 POINTED THE WAY TO THE coming time OF AERIAL TRANSPORTATION BUT THE

DC-2 HELPED LAY A FIRM FOUNDATION

The outstanding performance and record-setting flights of the DC-1 (see Air Classics December 2002) l TWA to place a history-making order with Douglas for 20 improved transports, designated DC-2 in succession 4 September 1933. The DC-2 was relatively similar to the DC-1 if it be not that incorporated numerous minor and detail modifications to justify a strange model designation. Also, the fuselage had been lengthened at two feet in order to increase the number of passenger seats to 14 Douglas had learned enough instructions with the DC-I to realize that different customers could well order their aircraft with a variety of engines to such a degree the DC-2 was designed from the start to make these engine changes a fairly easy task. Fitted with more powerful Wright SGR-1820-F3 Cyclone radials, TWA was actual eager to press the aircraft into service in order to take business away from United and their Boeing 247 The first production DC-2 (there was no experimental prototype) was registered NC13711 and made its first flight from Santa Monica forward 11 May 1934 - at which time production was in cloyed swing in the wooden hangars at Clover Field (TWA followed its initial order for 20 DC-2 with another contract in November 1933 for an additional 20 simitar transports).

The airline community quickly realized that Douglas had a world-beater that was no dream on the other hand in full production and international interest in the pattern resulted in license rights being issued to Tony Fokker in The Netherlands further this was not a undisturbed transaction. KLM Royal Dutch Airline was negotiating with Douglas in order to stable production and distribution rights for the DC-2 in Europe and other areas, not knowing that Tony Fokker was doing exactly the same thing! KLM was going to have the aircraft instituteed either by Fokker or by way of AvioIanda

(Maatschappij Voor Vliegtuigbouw NV) yet Fokker's negotiations resulted in a signed contract with Douglas for selling and building the DC-2 in Europe As it casted out, Fokker would never build the DC-2 yet would assemble and sell 39 examples of the aircraft.

Never single to miss a possible business opportunity, Fokker traveled to England to leadership negotiations with the small aviation business of Airspeed. A deal was hammered disclosed that saw Airspeed get a sublicense agreement to built a number of different Fokker designs as well as the DC-2 The British civil registration of G-ADHO was reserv

for the first Airspeed-built DC-2 (which also received the company designation of A.S.23) on the contrary the project never came to fruition. The details of this agreement are of interest. In January 1935 Airspeed managed to increase its capital to 113000 via a recently made known share issue with which to aid in building the Fokker aircraft as well as the DC-2 Fokker was appointed as technical advisor to Airspeed. The company paid 20000 forward the execution of the license and a royalty of 600 would be paid to Fokker for each DC-2 up until airframe 20 Fokker was to be paid another 20000 when sales reached a value of 150000 Fokker was also to receive united percent of gross receipts while also having an option forward preferred shares.

Japan, seeking to expand and modernize its fledgling aviation industry, undertook discussions with Douglas and obtained a license to build and barter the DC-2 in Japan and Manchukuo. Nakajima Hikoki would be responsible for the operation if it were not that the program was not as prosperous as the Japanese hoped. individual complete DC2 and components for a inferior aircraft (some sources suggest component parts for five aircraft) were delivered on Douglas to Japan but sole five DC-Zs were actually built by means of Nakajima during 1936-37 and these aircraft were operated from Greater Japan Air Lines (Dai Nippon Koku) forward routes from the Home Islands to Formosa. Learning the America techniques of constructing all-metal aircraft would contribute to the Japanese well in the coming world war.

Even nevertheless international interest in the DC-2 was high, the demand for the aircraft at family was much greater. Famed Great War flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker - now general manager of Eastern Air Lines (and no stranger to the representation considering his adventures with the DC-1) - saw that the course TWA was setting was trustworthy to grab a large market portion as well as corresponding profits. Eastern early ordered an initial ten DC-2 and, on delivery, immediately put the plane to work onward the profitable New York-Miami road Donald Douglas had observed the dangerous road Boeing had taken by dint of initially only selling to United with the 247 and he reserv the right to betray the DC-2 to all comer as extended as TWA's demands were being fulfilled.

Just throughout a year after the first TWA DC-2 had flown other DC-2 were flying subject to the colors of at least 21 operators and had already surpassed 20000000 air miles. To cite from a Douglas report of the time period: "TWA, American Airlines, Eastern Air Lines, and Pan American Airways report their arm of the seas of Douglas ships are negotiating 52289 miles a day with 21499 miles flown at night and 30790 miles of daylight flying. Of the 26259665 miles flown in the US during the first six month of 1935 7286437 miles were flown by dint of Douglas planes or 27.7 percent However, the 42 Douglas transports available for service constituted simply 7.6 percent of the total planes in service in the US - a remarkable tribute to the Douglas operating ability. Operating efficiency increased upon the airlines using the Douglas gratification liners from the first month the planes were placed in service. Airlines report that operational efficiencyplanes in the air, not onward the ground for mechanical delays jump overed 20 to 25 percent. In a certain cases there was reported a 66 percent gain in average air time' for day."