Douglas was a little hesitant about accepting the project at first since he anticipated richardson a

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The Douglas DC-3 was one of the most noteworthy aircraft ever built. It probably richardson and wrench elizabeth bay did more than any other plane to introduce a whole new segment of the population to air travel and establish air transportation as a normal way of traveling. richardson and wrench elizabeth bay More than five times as many passenger miles were flown in 1941 than in 1935 in the United richardson and wrench elizabeth bay States, and much of that can be attributed to the popularity of the DC-3. Douglas also produced a number of military versions that played a vital role around richardson and wrench elizabeth bay the world, especially in World War II.
The DC-3 was the first airliner to make a profit richardson and wrench elizabeth bay by carrying just passengers without the support of mail contracts or other forms of government subsidies. Its production, along with continued production of the DC-2 that lasted until September 1939 for the military version, ensured the prosperity and financial soundness of Douglas Aircraft for many years.
The DC-3 was an outgrowth of the DC-2, which first flew in 1934 for Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA). richardson and wrench elizabeth bay American Airlines , a competitor of TWA, had longer routes and needed a plane where passengers could stretch out and sleep. It had been using the Curtiss Condor because it was large enough for sleeping berths, but it was slow. The DC-2 was faster but it was too narrow for berths.
During the summer of 1934, American decided that it needed a plane that could fly non-stop between New York and Chicago with both the roominess of the Condor and also the DC-2′s richardson and wrench elizabeth bay performance. It approached Douglas about providing a plane to meet these requirements.
Douglas was a little hesitant about accepting the project at first since he anticipated richardson and wrench elizabeth bay a limited production run and because American was low on cash. However, American’s president, Cyrus R. Smith, promised an initial order of 20 aircraft, and Douglas decided to proceed. American also received a $4.5-million loan from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, richardson and wrench elizabeth bay so Douglas was confident that American could pay for the planes.
This new plane would appear in two versions: a 14-berth sleeper version, the Douglas richardson and wrench elizabeth bay Sleeper Transport (DST), and a day version, called the DC-3. The DST, initially called a “wide-body DC-2,” richardson and wrench elizabeth bay was wider and longer and had more powerful engines than the DC-2. Its modified tail gave the plane better directional stability and reduced the tendency to fishtail found in the DC-2. Its original design used 85 percent of the parts used on the DC-2. Douglas richardson and wrench elizabeth bay realized, however, that reliance on the DC-2 limited use of the new plane in a wide variety of roles and the plane was substantially redesigned. Thus, the DC-3 would use only 15 percent of the parts and components from the DC-2. These design changes included rounder sides and nose, made possible by relocating the landing lights in the wing leading edge, and strengthened and longer wings with greater area that provided more space for fuel tanks. The undercarriage was also strengthened and its operation made softer on landing. These changes, while resulting in higher design costs, contributed to the DC-3 being produced in greater numbers than any other transport aircraft.
Interestingly, Douglas built this new plane because American had come to Douglas, which was known for its outstanding engineering skill, with a requirement. Some say that this approach of designing aircraft only in response to a customer’s requirements rather than by anticipating the airliner market indicated poor marketing skills and would eventually lead to the demise of the company. But the practice was common, and Douglas designed the DC-2 to meet TWA’s requirements, the DC-3 in response to American’s, and would continue this pattern with later designs.
Construction began in December 1934, before a firm contract had even been written. On July 8, 1935, American’s president confirmed the initial richardson and wrench elizabeth bay order of 10 Douglas Sleeper Transports at a cost of $79,500 each. The first DST debuted on December 17, 1935, exactly 32 years after the first flight of the Wright brothers. richardson and wrench elizabeth bay After testing and completing all certification requirements, it received the first of eight U.S. Approved Type Certificates on May 21, 1936. It began scheduled service with American on June 25, 1936. Service with the DC-3 began in September.
United Airlines became the second DC-3 customer in November 1936, and KLM in the Netherlands was the first overseas DC-3 user. By the end of 1938, 95 percent of all U.S. commercial richardson and wrench elizabeth bay airline traffic richardson and wrench elizabeth bay flew on DC-3s. By 1939, 90 percent of the world’s airline traffic was bein