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"Just the Other Year"

                                 Douglas A4D (A-4) Skyhawk
                                                                                        (April 2010)

By the early 1950’s, the El Segundo Douglas plant had achieved a solid reputation as a supplier of combat aircraft to the U.S. Navy.  The F3D Skynight (Link) and the F4D Skyray (Link) were among the first carrier-based jet fighters, and the jet-powered A3D Skywarrior (Link) was entering service.  A jet successor to the AD Skyraider (Link), the workhorse piston-powered attack and nuclear bomber, was needed for the Navy to move entirely into the jet age with its combat assets.

 In 1952, Ed Heinemann (Link), the El Segundo chief engineer, put together a surprising preliminary design – an airplane exceeding the mission requirements specified by the Bureau of Aeronautics (Link), but with an operating weight of less than half the limit listed in the Navy’s requirements.  Despite some skepticism by BuAer, further design work was requested, thus setting in motion the development of the A4D Skyhawk.

 Although Skyhawk was its formal name, to those Naval aviators who flew it and those who maintained it, the A4D held a special charm. In the fleet, it was “Heinemann’s Hot Rod”, “Scooter”, and the “Bantam Bomber”, and it service faithfully for four decades.

 In the beginning, in June 1952, Douglas was awarded a contract for one XA4D-1 and one static airframe.  A further batch of nineteen pre-production A4D-1 Skyhawks were ordered prior to first flight on June 22, 1954 when Bob Rahn took the XA4D-1 off from the runway at Edwards AFB (Link).

 The A4D design was based on simplicity.  Heinemann’s layout man, R.G. Smith, and project engineer Ben Collins, stressed a lightweight, yet strong airframe. The wing configuration called for a delta shape with a span of only 27 ft. 6 in., which permitted the elimination of wing folding mechanisms.  High lift devices were leading edge slats and trailing edge split flaps.  Armament consisted of two 20mm cannons mounted in the wing roots.  Three external racks were provided which could carry weapons or drop tanks.

 Early A4Ds were powered by a single Wright J65-W4 or –W4B (non-afterburning) engine rated at 7,700 lbs static thrust.  Performance of the Skyhawk proved it was worthy of the nickname, “Heinemann’s Hot Rod”, when in October, 1955, the second preproduction airplane flew to a record speed of more than 695 mph over a 500 km course.

 In 1956, the A4D-2 was introduced.  This improved model featured an in-flight refueling probe and an up-graded J65 powerplant.  The A4D-2N appeared in 1959.  This version was given terrain clearance radar and an improved autopilot, affording the airplane all weather and night operating capability.  A LABS (Low Altitude Bombing System) was added, and the J65’s thrust was eventually increased to 8,500 lbs.

 In 1962, after a total of 638 A4D-2Ns were built at El Segundo, the production line was moved to the Long Beach plant.  That same year, the DoD standardized the designations of aircraft across the services, giving the Skyhawk a new type name:  The A-4.

 What would have been the A4D-5, now the A-4E, was fitted with the Pratt & Whitney J52 engine with 8,200 lbs thrust and 27% lower fuel consumption.  The 499 A-4Es had two additional wing store pylons.  This was in recognition of the changed role of the airplane, from its nuclear strike capability to the mission of air support and conventional ordnance delivery.  The airframe was modified to permit a second pilot seat and became prototypes for the trainer version of the Skyhawk.  In 1966, the first of 238 production models, TA-4F, was delivered to the Navy.  The TA-4 featured the newly Douglas-developed Escapac ejection seat for both crew members.  This seat, with zero-zero capability (zero airspeed and zero altitude), was adopted for subsequent Skyhawks, and eventually became a standard seat for both Navy and Air Force aircraft.

 Also in 1966, the last attack version, the A-4F, with its 9,300 lb thrust J52-P-8A engine, improved maneuverability, and a new avionics suite housed in a hump atop the fuselage.  147 of the model were built.

 By 1970, the Marines started flying the new A-4M variant.  This model was adapted for electronic warfare, and featured a high-capacity electrical system, larger ammunition capacity, and engine thrust uprated to 11,200 lbs.  The list of variations in the production and in-service modifications of the A-4 line is a long one.  It was common to give an identifying model number to A-4 aircraft sold abroad, and many countries adopted the Skyhawk:  Australia (A-4G), Israel (A-4H), New Zealand (A-4K), Kuwait (A-4KU), Argentina (A-4P), and Singapore (A-4S).

 Skyhawks were widely used in combat.  U.S. Navy and Marine Corps raids into North Viet Nam from carriers at Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin, and close air support missions flown from Dixie Station and into targets south of the DMZ, were commonly performed by Navy and Marine A-4s.

 With its agile maneuverability, Skyhawks were selected to fly in the aggressor role at the famous Navy Fighter Weapons School and Top Gun (Link) air combat program.  A-4Fs were adopted by the Navy’s show team, the Blue Angels (Link), at their aircraft replacing the F-4 Phantoms in 1974.

(February 2010)

The McDonnell Douglas MD-95/ Boeing 717

     As we have seen in the last two issues of Roundup, the DC-9/ MD-80/ MD-90 progression of twinjet transports followed the logical pattern of growth in size and performance enabled by engine developments: The DC-9-10 had a capacity of 90 seats; the MD-90 could carry 172 passengers. Over time, each later model took advantage of improvements in systems and flight management technology. 

     By the early 1990s, it became time to apply those advancements in the state of the art to the original target market for the airplane - short to medium range routes with modest size requirements.  It was decided to return to the DC-9-30 capacity and wing configuration and reap the benefits of two decades of technical progress.

      McDonnell Douglas first announced the MD-95 at the Paris Airshow in June 1991. But it was not until October 1995 when ValuJet (now AirTran Airlines) ordered 50 and optioned 50, that the company gave the program the green light.

     For a suitable engine, MDC had chosen the new BMW Rolls-Royce (now just Rolls-Royce) BR715 for the proposed MD-95.  Honeywell was selected to supply the integrated flight management system, featuring six LCD screens in the thoroughly modern cockpit.  The 100-seat cabin interior was updated using designs similar to the MD-90.

     After the 1997 Boeing/McDonnell Douglas merger, the company decided to continue to market the new twin and changed the aircraft name to Boeing 717-200.  (Boeing had previously used the “717” model number to identify its C-135 and KC-135 family.)

     First flight took place on September 2 1998, and certification was awarded on September 1 1999 while the first delivery, to AirTran, was on September 23 that year.

     Two  types were offered: The standard 717-200BGW (Basic Gross Weight) and extended range 717-200HGW (High Gross Weight) versions.

     Companies participating in 717 production include Alenia (fuselage), Korean Air (nose), AIDC of Taiwan (empennage), Shin Meiwa of Japan (engine pylons and horizontal stabilizers), Israel Aircraft Industries (undercarriage), and Fischer of Austria (interior). Final assembly was at Boeing's Long Beach plant, in the same building that the DC-9 and MD-80 were built in.

     Among 717 customers were, AeBal, AirTran, Bangkok Air, Bavaria International Leasing, Hawaiian Airlines, Impulse Airlines, Midwest Express Airlines, Olympic Aviation, Pembroke Leasing, Qantas Link, Siam Reap Air, Trans World Airlines, and Turkmenistan Airlines

     The 717 had suffered from slow sales throughout its history, with 156 planes ordered. In January 2005, Boeing announced that it would cancel the 717 program after completing all outstanding orders.

     On May 23rd, 2006 an estimated 3,000 active and retired Douglas, McDonnell Douglas, and Boeing employees gathered at the West ramp and witnessed the delivery of the 155th and 156th B-717s which were the 15,598th and 15,599th airplanes built at the Long Beach plant. The CEOs of  AirTran  and Midwest Airlines were on the dais to accept these last airliners to be built in California.

     From 1963, when the Douglas Company launched the DC-9, to 2006, with the  deliveries of the final two 717s bearing the Boeing brand name, the 43-year production of twin jets amounted to 2,449 twinjets.  Most of them carried the McDonnell Douglas nameplate.  They were all rugged, reliable, and profitable airplanes.  A comparison of the original DC-9-10 with the B 717 is a demonstration of the technical leaps forward over four decades: Three generations of engine efficiency improvements from the JT8D-5, through the re-fanned JT8D-200 series, to modern high bypass IAE and BMW/RR powerplants; cockpit technology growth - from electromechanical, to digital, to an advanced six LCD screen Honeywell EFIS flight deck; and continued attention to the detail required for ease of maintenance and reliability.

     And so the curtain fell on the production of commercial aircraft at Long Beach.  It is fitting that the final airplanes off the line were among the very finest products ever built. To all of you who participated in the traditions and excellence of the storied DC, MD and Boeing aircraft built there, a fond “Well Done!”

The McDonnell Douglas MD-80
( December 2009 )

    The DC-9 program (see: Sept. 2009 Roundup) was a successful execution of the Douglas product strategy of growth in model size and performance capability as engine developments allowed. When the series 50 was produced, the growth in passenger capacity reached 139 - a 54% increase over the 90-seat Series 10.  The JT8D engine thrust had grown from 14,000 lbs to 16,000 lbs.  In all, 976 DC-9s, of all models were delivered.  Further growth of the twinjet would require more power from quieter engines and a larger wing.

   Development of the new Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 series higher bypass engines triggered early studies including designs known as DC-9-55 and DC-9-60.  The new type would into service in 1980, therefore, the project was branded the "DC-9 Series 80".

   The new model featured a fuselage 14 feet 3 in. longer than the DC-9-50, allowing an all-coach seating capacity of 172 passengers. The DC-9 wings were modified by adding sections at the wing root and tip for a 28% larger area.  Up front, the cockpit was modernized to include upgraded avionics and flight management systems. The series was certificated to meet Stage 3 noise requirements. 

   Swissair became the launch customer for the  the Series 80 in October 1977 with an order for 15 plus an option for five. The Series 80 first flew on October 19, 1979.  in July 1983,  MDC dropped  the DC-9 designation  and changed the model name to to MD-80. 

   Four MD-80 models -- the MD-81, MD-82, MD-83, and MD-88 -- are 147 feet, 10 inches  long and accommodate a maximum of 172 passengers. The MD-87 is 130.4 feet in length, with a maximum passenger capacity of 139. Wingspan for all models is 107 feet, 10 inches. The MD-80's nonstop range is from 1,500 to 2,700 statute miles, depending on the model.  MD-81 maximum takeoff weight is 140,000 pounds; MD-82 and the MD-88 are certified at 149,500 pounds. The longer range MD-83 has a takeoff weight of 160,000 pounds.  MD-87 MTOGW is 140,000 pounds, with an option to 149,500 pounds.

   MD-80s were in production for more than 19 years.  The delivery of the final plane, number 1,191, was in December 1999. (35 MD-80 airplanes were assembled and operated in the People's Republic of China.)  Prime customers for the MD-80 series were Swissair and Austrian Airlines, the original launch orders, and large fleets were acquired by TWA, American, Delta, Alitalia. and SAS.

   The MD-90 has an overall length of 152 ft. 7 in. and a wing span of 107 ft. 10 in. Payload capacity is 172 passengers and 1,300 cu. ft. cargo volume.

   The MD-90-30, with a maximum takeoff gross weight of 156,000 lb. carries 155 passengers approximately 2,400 st. mi.. The MD-90-30ER with increased maximum weight of 166,000 pounds and an additional 565-gallon auxiliary fuel tank, has a range of 2,750 mi.

   With a takeoff thrust of 25,000 pounds, the MD-90-30 can use runways as short as 5,000 ft. on a typical 550-mi. flight with a full passenger load. At maximum takeoff gross weight, the MD-90-30 requires only 7,100 feet of runway. A 28,000-pound optional takeoff thrust rating is available for enhanced takeoff performance.

The Boeing Realty Company (search) and its contractors are making slow progress in redeveloping the land in Long Beach once occupied by the Douglas Company. The approximately 265-acre site is still mostly dirt, but a small enclave of buildings has gone up, located at what will be the corner of (Jim) Worsham Ave. and (Carl) Cover St. The building interiors remain to be finished once occupants are lined up. A recreation of the Douglas “First-Round-the-World” globe is complete and in place. Douglas Park (search), as the overall site is called, will eventually be home to industrial, office and retail operations and an upscale hotel. For more information, visit the computer website at http://www.douglasparklongbeach.com.
       - Bill Wasserzieher   (July 2009)

Final UPS DC-8 Flight

 The final DC-8  flight operated by UPS Airlines touched down on the morning of May 12 at Louisville International Airport. The plane received a water cannon tribute as it rolled down the runway.  The first UPS Airlines DC-8 flight, from Louisville to Milwaukee, occurred on Feb. 1, 1988.

 UPS Airlines, the Louisville-based division of Atlanta-based shipping giant United Parcel Service Inc., made the decision in April to retire its fleet of 44 DC-8s as part of a cost-cutting initiative. UPS once owned 49 DC-8 aircraft, but sold five over the years.

 Of the 556 DC-8s originally produced, 97 remain in service following the retirement of the fleet.  The company now operates about 220 planes and charters an additional 309 planes, according to a UPS fact sheet.

         -Business Journal - Louisville

  “What other aircraft could lose all hydraulic and all electric capabilities and still take you across the pond happily. Remember:  The DC-8 is never broken, just misunderstood.  A real tribute to the pocket protector engineers whose slide rule was their computer.”

       Daniel Cole, A-300 Captain

  “The Electric Jet pilots made fun of the DC-8, but it was like a Timex watch, it took a licking and kept on ticking.”

       Don Guillot,  DC-8 Captain Retired

Douglas DC-3 Monument Park Opens

 More than 1,000 active and retired Douglas heritage employees and their families convened at the Santa Monica Airport (search) on Saturday, March 21, to participate in the unveiling of a new monument park honoring Donald W. Douglas, the company he founded, and his famed DC-3 airplane.

The public site, located at Airport Ave. and Donald Douglas Loop Road, offers a restored DC-3 elevated on pedestals, a life-sized statue of Donald W. Douglas and his favorite dog “Bar,” a Founders’ Wall listing more than 1,000 contributors to the project, and kiosks with information on the history of the Douglas Aircraft Company. A new Museum of Flying is slated to open adjacent to the monument in 2010.

At the opening day celebration, Victoria Douglas Thoreson unveiled the statue of her grandfather, along with the aid of its creator, famed sculptor Yossi Govrin. Also in attendance were such former Douglas and McDonnell Douglas senior executives as Bob Johnson, Jim Worsham, Jim Dorrenbacher, Jim McMillan, Jack Crosthwait, Gene Dubil, Roger Schaufele, and Jim Phillips.

Donald W. Douglas (search) founded his aircraft manufacturing empire in Santa Monica just 17 years after the Wright brothers’ (search) initial flight in 1903. In 1924, his Douglas World Cruisers (search) became the first aircraft to circumnavigate the globe. In 1933, he introduced the famed DC (Douglas Commercial) series of passenger airplanes that revolutionized air travel. During the World War II, Douglas manufacturing plants in Santa Monica, El Segundo, Long Beach, Chicago, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City produced more than 30,000 military planes and employed more than 160,000 workers. By the time of its merger with McDonnell Aircraft Corp. in 1967, the Douglas Company had delivered more than 43,000 commercial and military aircraft.

The Douglas DC-3 Monument Park is open and free to the public during daylight hours. Funding for the project came from the Douglas White Oaks Ranch Trust, which is administered by the Employees Community Fund of Boeing California; the City of Santa Monica; David Price, chairman of the Santa Monica Museum of Flying (search) and donor of the restored DC-3; and active and retired employees of the Douglas Aircraft Company, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing.

              - Bill Wasserziehier

CFM International is a 50-50 joint company...

 . . .  of Snecma, France and GE Aviation, U.S.A. It was formed 35 years ago in 1974 to develop  a “ten tonne” turbofan engine that didn’t have a specific application at the time, but seemed to be an attractive follow-on for JT3D and JT9D powerplants in the 20,000 lb thrust class. General Electric's F101 engine, which was developed for the B-1B Lancer strategic bomber was used as a basis for the high pressure compressor, combustor and high pressure turbine, Snecma was responsible for the fan, low pressure turbine, the gearbox and the exhaust systems.

After some eight years of development spent on the project without a single order for it, the CFMI enterprise was just weeks way from being dropped when the DC-8 Super Seventies came along.

The CFM56-2, at between 22,000 lbs and 24,000 lbs static thrust was the first of the series and used on the DC-8 retrofit program.  Eventually, more powerful versions were developed with the CFM56-5C rated at as much as 34,000 lbs (used on the Airbus A340-200).

A clipped fan version of the engine was adopted for Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 airframes.  USAF re-engined KC-135s using the CFM engine.

In February 19, 2008 CFMI announced that it had would deliver the 19,000th CFM56 engine that year, making the “ten tonne” engine market exceed the most optimistic projections 35 years ago.

         .  .  .  And the DC-8 started it all.

The DC-8 Super Seventy Series
The end of the line.

On May 12, 1972, the final DC-8, a model -63 for SAS, was delivered from the Long Beach factory.  As was the case with all early jetliners, it was  noisy by modern standards.  With expanding jet fleets going into service at the time, aircraft noise was increasingly becoming a serious problem. Because of their increased takeoff weights and higher thrust, the new 60-series DC-8s, in particular, prompted legislation for aircraft noise standards in many countries. The New York Port Authority (search) had already adopted takeoff weight restrictions aimed at the stretched DC-8s.

Douglas, now a division of McDonnell Douglas, had committed to build the new DC-10 in 1968.  With high bypass ratio engines, the new wide-body transports could easily meet existing and proposed noise limits. The company  was unable to  commit further investment to modify existing DC-8s even as several airlines had enquired about noise reduction alternatives.

Aftermarket hushkits were offered by third parties, but while they represented a lower investment for the operators, they were only marginally effective at noise abatement and caused some performance degradation.  A better solution was to re-engine late model Series 60 airframes.  United, Flying Tigers, and Delta joined to begin a joint study of re-engine options.  A newer engine would mean a increase in efficiency and performance at the same time it would deliver an acceptable noise output. There were three suitable engine choices - the Pratt and Whitney JT8D-200, the IAE V-2500, and the General Electric - Snecma CFM56.  In 1977, several retired McDonnell Douglas executives led by Jack McGowen, formed Cammacorp as a contractor for DC-8 conversions and retrofitting projects. With the concurrent approval of the airlines and the considerable participation of GE, Cammacorp selected the CFM-56 engine to power the modified DC-8s. As well as being 70% quieter and more powerful, the CFM56 was roughly 20% more fuel efficient than the JT3D, thereby reducing operating costs and extending the range of the aircraft.

The program to re-engine the DC-8 was launched in 1979 after United Airlines ordered conversion of its DC-8-61s. Delta and Flying Tiger followed soon thereafter. The conversion program was extended to other Series 60  aircraft, which were renamed the -71, -72, and -73. 

MDC acted as a vendor to Cammacorp, providing engineering data and design consulting on a contracted basis.  Airframe modifications were done at the McDonnell Douglas plant in Tulsa. Grumman Aerospace was contracted to supply engine nacelles and the redesigned pylons that were required for the new engine.

First flight took place  on August 15, 1981. Flight test proved that the re-engined DC-8 met or exceeded performance and noise level estimates. First delivery took place in March, 1982.

The Douglas DC-8 Super Sixties

 In the first years of flying the DC-8 (search) , it became evident that the 707 (search) had a range advantage  which, together  with its earlier availability, made the Boeing product the airline market leader. By the early 1960s the DC-8 program was in danger of closing with fewer than 300 aircraft sold. Clearly, something had to be done to increase market share.

At the time, DC-8 performance improvements had been under consideration: A six foot span increase, re-designed engine pylons that attached to the wing’s lower surface only, and modified engine nacelles to duct the fan outflow to the tailpipe, held the promise of substantially lower drag and therefore, better miles per pound of fuel.  

Another benefit of the Douglas design that could be exploited was that the DC-8 had been planned to allow the fuselage to be stretched without modifying the landing gear.  The 707 fuselage could not have been lengthened as much as the Douglas plane because of limits due to tail strikes (search) during takeoff rotation.

In April, 1965 a decision was made  to offer combinations of both the performance improvements and the stretched fuselage with a family of three models tailored for domestic and international routes.  Thus was born the DC-8 Super 60 Series.

DC-8-61 - The first model of the series featured the same wing, fuel capacity and JT3D-3B (search) power plant installation as the DC-8-55.  The maximum  gross takeoff weight remained at 325.000 lbs. The fuselage, however, was stretched 36 ft. 8 in. (240 inches forward of the wing, 200 inches aft).  The added cabin length permitted a maximum high-density seating of 259, up from 189 in the earlier standard body models.  Cargo holds grew from 1,390 cu ft to 2,500 cu ft allowing for substantial revenue freight beyond the baggage space requirements.

Range of the -61 was adequate for the domestic needs of United, Delta, Eastern, Air Canada, National, and JAL.  The plane could carry maximum payloads from New York to Los Angeles and between the West Coast and Hawaii. Seventy eight of this model were delivered.

First flight was accomplished on March 14, 1966.

A convertible passenger - cargo version, the DC-8-61CF, was also offered.  With its large main deck cargo door and reinforced floor, ten of the CF planes were built and delivered to Saturn, Trans Caribbean, TIA, and Universal.  The longer fuselage allowed for 17% more cubic cargo capacity than Series 50 freighters.

DC-8-62 - To compete more effectively in the long range market, Douglas applied aerodynamic improvements - the 6 ft span increase, the long duct engine pod, and cut back pylons - with a modest fuselage stretch of 6 ft, 8 in (40 inch plugs fore and aft of the wing). Static engine thrust went up to 19,000 lbs with the JT3D-7 engine. Gross weight was raised to 350,000 lbs ( -62H) and fuel capacity was increased to 24,275 gallons. First flight of the -62 was on August 29, 1966.

The increased performance of the -62 permitted scheduled service on the polar route between the U.S. West Coast to Europe, Rome -  Buenos Aires, and transpacific flights.  Fifty one passenger planes were delivered.  In addition, six all freighters and eight convertible freighters were sold.

DC-8-63 - The last model of the family combined the stretched fuselage of the -61 with the performance improvements of the -62.  The resulting aircraft was tailored for the major transatlantic routes.  After its maiden flight on April 10, 1967, 40 passenger planes were delivered to KLM, SAS, Iberia, Air Canada, Canadian Pacific, and VIASA.

Freighter versions of the -63 included the -AF with a maximum payload of 114,700 lb.  Seven -AFs were built for Flying Tiger. The -CF, of which 53 were delivered, was the best selling version of all the 60 Series. Twelve customers, many of which were supplemental carriers, bought this type.   Eastern Airlines took six specialized -63PF airplanes, combining the heavy cabin floors and strengthened wing and landing gear of the freighters, but without a main deck cargo door.  These planes were acquired for passenger duty, with an eye toward eventual conversion to freighter work.

The Super Sixty program produced sales of 262 airplanes, and might have sold in even higher numbers except for Douglas’ problems in getting the production line cranked up to meet the new greater demand. Lengthened  lead times for purchased items such as forgings, and Vietnam war priorities for engines and other components caused delays receiving materiel at Long Beach.,  This interrupted the efficient sequence of work and caused it to be done out of planned production line positions.  Another costly problem was the company’s difficulty in recruiting competent production workers.  At the time, Lockheed, Northrop, North American, General Dynamics, and many suppliers were competing for skilled hands. As a result, the big investment in the Super Sixty program produced nine versions of the long range jet transport and a much improved market presence.  And, unfortunately,  a hemorrhage of cash. 

In 1967, Douglas merged with McDonnell Aircraft. The new MDC strategy for commercial airplanes led to moving on to wide-body markets and the DC-10 (search) .  Further improvement of the DC-8 would consist of supporting the General Electric - Cammacorp DC-8 Series 70, a re-engining program using the CFM56 (search) high bypass ratio turbofan.

C-133 Cargomaster Final Flight

Photo: http://www.strategic-air-command.com/aircraft/cargo/c133_cargomaster.htm  - Editor

Final Flight
(search)

 The C-133 (search) flight originated from Anchorage and terminated at Travis AFB Museum (search) near Sacramento (search) on August 30, 2008. It was used to haul outsize freight, dump trucks, graders and, one year, 90 school busses to remote Alaskan sites. Much of the work was on contract to the State of Alaska (search) .

Originally, its USAF serial number was 61-999; in civilian use, it was registered as N199AB, operated by Morris Carlson & Cargomaster Inc. Previously, it had been based at Travis between February and November 1960. It was retired from military service in April, 1961.

Funds are being sought to keep it flying. Two other airframes, N136AR (ex-40-136) and N201AB (ex- 62-000) have also been donated for use as spares sources. These are non-airworthy and are stored in Mojave.

- Terry Waddington

The Douglas Super DC-3/R4D-8

Following the end of WWII, the Douglas Company had to find new opportunities for business while greatly downsizing its operations.  The natural market for the company was the airlines.  First priority became the development of large, pressurized four-engine transports for the blue ribbon transcontinental and transatlantic routes.  Lockheed and Boeing had seen this segment and were developing the Constellation and Stratocruiser.  Douglas opted for the DC-6.

Most shorter airline routes were served by DC-3s. The huge supply of military surplus C-47s at bargain prices made competing in this market sector risky. In the late 1940s, questions arose with the CAA (search) about the airworthiness of the DC-3/C-47 performance and it appeared that the airlines might embrace a more capable, modified Gooney Bird. 

With large financial exposure on the books, and the fact that Martin and Convair were building pressurized twins, the Douglas Company looked for a niche in the medium-range market involving low investment.  In 1947 the Super DC-3 project was initiated with Mal Oleson as project engineer.

It was decided to modify existing  airframes which could be acquired at low cost from the ample surplus market instead of building new planes from scratch.  The company bought two second hand aircraft - one C-47, the other an ex-DC-3 - and made them prototypes of the new Super DC-3.  Engines were upgraded to 1,475 hp Wright R-1820, or 1,450 hp P&W R-2000s from typical 1,200 hp power plants in the DC-3/C-47.  The fuselage was lengthened 39 inches forward of the wing and 40 inches aft, allowing thirty seats to be  installed compared to 21 before modification.  To accommodate the new power and balance characteristics, wing geometry was modified to use squared-off tips as span was reduced by 5 ft.  Tail surfaces were enlarged and laid out with square tips as well and a larger dorsal fin was fitted. The DC-3’s slow landing gear retraction time was reduced as a result of a hydraulic system redesign, and doors were added to the wheel wells.  An airstair and retractable tailwheel were adopted . Electrical system improvements were made and new heating unit was installed in the fuselage below the floor to solve a long time problem of passenger-cabin heating. 

With these mutations in place, Douglas claimed that the  DC-3S was a 75% new airplane. In performance,  cruise speed increased 21% from 207 mph to 251 mph, and improvements in engine-out situations let the airplane meet the 1952 CAR standards. (Which were eventually waived for DC-3s)

First flight was made on June 23, 1949 with John Martin as pilot. (This plane, N30000, served as the company transport for many years.) Flight tests demonstrated better-than-predicted performance.

Despite the Douglas Company’s efforts to keep the cost down, the conversion was not cheap. The price was between $250,000 and $300,000 (excluding the original price of the DC-3 airframe). As a comparison, a Convair CV340 would seat 44 passengers, flew faster and would cost about  $570,000 brand new. As a result, after a demonstration/sales tour, only three Super DC-3s were ordered for airline use - all of them went to Capital Airlines and they flew in scheduled service for only two years. 

The Air Force bought one of the  prototypes from the company, designated it the YC-129 (later changed to the YC-47F) for evaluation.  When the type was not selected by the USAF, it was transferred to the Navy and renamed R4D-8. In 1962 the military changed to designation again to C-117.

At last, a customer was found for the Super Three.  The Navy signed a contract to modify 100 R4D-5s, R4D-6s and R4D-7s to the new type, R4D-8.

The airplane served U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in various roles including staff transports and special missions including cold weather operations for more than 20 years.

The Douglas DC-4 / C-54 / R5D

 With the rapid evolution of civil aviation in the mid-1930s and building on the success of the DC-3, five airlines - American, Eastern, Pan American, TWA, and United - each committed $100,000 to the Douglas Company for the development of a prototype of a large, long range transport.  In 1936 the specifications for the airplane were completed for the DC-4. The project was an ambitious one: provisions for 42 passengers, a range of 2,200 miles, power-boosted controls, an auxiliary power system, and air conditioning with provisions for a pressurized cabin in the production models.  The prototype made its maiden flight on June 7, 1938 from Clover Field, and  the next year was used for suitability trials by United Air Lines. Although the airplane had good flying qualities and was a big step forward in passenger comfort, the DC-4 was ahead of its time: The complicated systems caused unacceptable reliability. This, and the airplane’s high operating costs, led TWA and Pan American to lose interest and move to Boeing’s smaller 307 Stratoliner.  Eastern, American and United asked Douglas to simplify the design, leading the company to abandon the existing configuration (which was renamed DC-4E - for experimental), remove the complexity to better satisfy a realistic  airline environment, and start a new, simpler, more reliable DC-4 development.

Santa Monica engineering led by Arthur Raymond and E.F. Burton, redesigned the DC-4 to become a  25% lighter, less complicated airplane.  The tricycle landing gear arrangement with a steerable nosewheel was retained, but the power controls and air conditioning were dropped (the type was offered with an optional pressurized cabin, but no DC-4 were ever built with this feature.) The fuselage had a constant cross section fore and aft of the wing which made the development of stretched variants more practical.  The post war DC-6 and DC-7s benefitted from this design principle.

Before the new airliner made its maiden flight on Valentines Day 1942, the United States had entered WWII and the production of the aircraft was shifted to the US Army Air Corps and given the model number, C-54 and the name “Skymaster.”   The designation R5D was used for aircraft assigned to the Navy.

1,163 C-54/R5Ds were built for the United States military services between 1942 and January 1946.

Douglas continued to develop the type during the war in preparation for a return to airline services when peace returned, but after  VJ Day just 79 DC-4s were built before production ceased on August 9, 1947.  New planes had to compete in the market with some 500 C-54/R5Ds being offered as surplus by the US military.

C-54s and R5Ds gave the military the vital capability of long range cargo and passenger service to the far-flung theaters of operations in the global WWII. The aircraft had an outstanding record of safety and reliability: According to René Francillon, in his chapter on the  type, “during the war Skymasters completed 79,642 transocean flights with only three ditchings, of which one was a test.”

One aircraft, a VC-54 christened the "Sacred Cow", was the first airplane assigned to carry the president..  I was used to take President Roosevelt to the summit meeting in Yalta in April, 1945.

C-54s were operated by the Royal Air Force in the last year of the war, and the French were supplied with one aircraft as a gift from the USA for the use of General deGaulle after VE Day.  When the airplane became widely available through surplus sales, at least fifteen other nations acquired the type for their armed services.

Many airlines acquired surplus planes and converted them for scheduled flights.  DC-4s opened the North Atlantic route to regular services by both US and European carriers.  Transpacific, South Atlantic, and Asian trunk services soon followed.  (All these blue ribbon routes became the first to be served by the DC-6, Constellation, and Stratocruiser pressurized, higher performance transports in just a couple of years after the DC-4 pioneered them.)

In June, 1948, Soviet occupation forces closed surface roads and rail access to Berlin in an attempt to deny any control of the partitioned city to the US, UK, and France.  The Allies immediately began to supply the city by air.  During the more than 13 months of its existence, the Berlin Airlift saw 278,228 flights deliver 2,326,406 tons of cargo, including 1.5 million tons of coal to a city of high importance to both east and west.  Skymasters formed the backbone of the fleet. At the peak of the operation 204 C-54s and 22 R5Ds were employed along the air corridors leading to Templehof from France and Belgium.  The historic airlift was so successful that the Soviets lifted the blockade in May 1949.

The Douglas F3D SkyNight

At the end of WWII there was a convergence of new technologies - jet propulsion, air-to-air guided missiles, and capable airborne radars.  And at the same time, there was the emerging recognition of a new global threat to the United States - a confrontation between the east and west. 

Late in 1945, the Navy saw a need for a carrier-capable night fighter and asked Grumman, Fleetwings, and Douglas to propose designs to fill this concept.  The requirements were for a two-seat aircraft to be able to identify a target flying at 40,000 ft at 500 mph at a distance of 125 miles and then engage it with new guided missiles.   In April of 1946, the Navy ordered prototypes from Grumman (XF9F-1) and from Douglas (XF3D-1).  The Grumman offering eventually evolved into the single-seat Panther day fighter, while the XF3D Skyknight took on the role of the first jet night fighter able to operate from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Design and development of the XF3D was undertaken at the El Segundo Division, with Ed Heinemann in the lead role.

On March 23 1948, with Russ Thaw at the controls, the first XF3D-1 made its maiden flight from Mines Field.   That plane, along with two others, demonstrated the suitability of the type in a test program at Edwards Air Force Base during the fall of that year. 

Douglas received its first order for 28 F3D-1s for the Navy and Marine Corps. The first production ship (BuNo 123741) flew on February 13. 1950, and the type entered US Navy and Marine Corps service early in 1951. 

Follow-on orders of the Skyknight program were for the F3D-2.  Improvements for this version  included electronic system upgrades and an autopilot, a more rugged windshield, and wing spoilers.  The -2  was  scheduled to be fitted with Westinghouse J46 engines with 4,500 lbs  of thrust, but that engine had technical problems so severe that the 3,400-lb-thrust J34s, which powered the prototypes and the initial production batch of the fighter, was retained for the F3D-2 even through the planned performance upgrades were sacrificed. 

A swept wing version of the Skyknight, the F3D-3, was planned.  This version would have utilized the J46, but with the discontinuation of the engine program, there was insufficient performance improvement to justify the production and an order for 287 -3s was cancelled.

In September 1962, the F3D-2 was redesignated F-10B under the new Tri-Service unified designation system. The F3D-2M (Sparrow missile-armed) became MF-10B, the F3D-2Q (electronc countermeasure) became EF-10B, and the F3D-2T2 trainer became TF-10B.

The performance of the Skyknight was never very impressive, and, following the end of the Korean War, the F3Ds were rapidly replaced in Navy frontline service by more advanced single-seat types such as the F4D Skyray. The Navy Skyknights were then relegated to training and experimental roles.

A total of 268 of the Douglas night fighters  were built.  The final ship was delivered on March 23, 1952.

The Skyknight remained active with the Marine Corps for somewhat longer than it did with the Navy. By the time of Vietnam, EF-10Bs electronic countermeasures aircraft were still serving with VMCJ-1, -2, and -3. They flew tactical jamming and ferret missions out of Da Nang with VMCJ-1 in support of strike aircraft attacking targets in North Vietnam.  The last Marine Corps EF-10Bs were retired in May of 1970.

Note:  Want to see one locally? A neighborhood park has one mounted on a
raised platform next to Woodruff, between Carson and Del Amo.

The Douglas TBD-1 Devastator

The Douglas TBD-1 was the Navy's first widely-used monoplane shipboard plane. Designed to carry a heavy torpedo below the fuselage, it was necessarily a large aircraft and its 900-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-1830 "Twin Wasp" radial engine could drive it to a maximum speed of slightly over 200 miles per hour. The XTBD-1 first flew in April 1935 and 129 production TBD-1s were delivered in 1937-39, rapidly replacing biplanes in the Navy's carrier torpedo squadrons. The type gave U.S. Fleet aviators valuable experience with what was, for the time, a rather high-performance aircraft. Operational attrition whittled away at the TBD inventory, which peaked at about 120 in 1939 and had declined to barely more than a hundred at the start of the Pacific War.

Though the new Grumman TBF "Avenger" was entering production as its intended replacement, the TBD-1 was the Pacific Fleet's sole torpedo plane for the first part of the war against Japan. It seemingly did well in the raids of February-March 1942 and in the Battle of the Coral Sea in early May, serving in both the torpedo attack and high-level bombing roles. However, in about an hour's time on 4 June 1942, during the Battle of Midway, the TBD entered the annals of Naval history as a synonym for costly futility. Three squadrons of TBD-1s, VT-5 from Yorktown,  VT-6 from Enterprise, and VT-8 from Hornet, made heroic torpedo attacks on the Japanese carrier force.  All but four of forty-one aircraft in the raid were lost while achieving no hits. Old and slow, with a weak defensive armament and without self-sealing fuel tanks, the TBD had proven horribly vulnerable to enemy fighters, though this vulnerability was to a great extent typical of all torpedo attacks against well-defended ships.

At the end of the Midway battle, the Navy had just thirty-nine TBDs left. New Avengers quickly took their place on Pacific Fleet flight decks, but the older planes continued to serve (briefly) in the Atlantic Fleet and in training squadrons until late 1943. By this time, air torpedo attacks were seldom used because of the vulnerability of even the newest bombers. The twenty-one TBDs left in the Navy inventory at the start of 1944 were mainly employed as stationary hulks for maintenance training, and all were gone by the end of that year. There are no surviving TBDs today, though hope exists for recovery, restoration and exhibit of a plane lost at sea.

The TBD's short production life, and specialized intended employment, precluded much variety in the type. The first production unit was converted to a floatplane, designated TBD-1A, and used for tests well into World War II. With the 1941 adoption of popular names for Navy aircraft, the TBD began to be called the "Devastator", but for most of its operational life, it was just known as the TBD-1.

TBD-1 characteristics:

Dimensions: Wing Span, 50 feet; Length, 35 feet; Wing Area, 422 square feet.

Weights: Empty, 5712 pounds; Gross, 9444 pounds

Power plant: One 900 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-1830-64 double-row radial engine.

Crew: Three men -- Pilot, Torpedo Officer/Navigator (not always carried) and Radioman/Gunner.

Armament: One 1949-pound Mark XIII Torpedo or up to 1500 pounds of bombs; Two .30 caliber machine guns (one fixed, firing forward through the engine cowling; one flexibly mounted in the after cockpit).

Performance (with torpedo): Maximum Speed, 207 m.p.h. (@ 8,000 feet & weight of 9444 pounds).

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