Douglas DC 5
The Douglas DC-5, the least well-known of the famous DC airliner series,
was a 16-seat, twin-propeller airplane intended for shorter routes than
the DC-3 or DC-4. By the time it entered commercial service in 1940, many
airlines were cancelling orders due to World War II, and the Douglas
corporation was already converting to war production.
Consequently, only five civilian DC-5's were ever built: one prototype and
four production aircraft. Ironically, the prototype (configured with just
8 seats) became the personal airplane of William E. Boeing; his own
company was already in full military production mode. It was later
converted for military use. The other four planes were sold to KLM and
used by their colonial subsidiaries; two of them later operated in
Australia, and in 1948 the last surviving DC-5 was apparently smuggled to
Israel for possible military use. The planes in US Army service are
designated C-110.
There was also a military version of the plane for the Navy, called the
R3D. Only seven were made.
Span: 78 ft. 62 in.
Length: 62 ft. 2 in. Height: 19 ft. 10 in. Empty Weight: 13,674 lbs.
baggage: 560 lbs. Fuel: 550 gal oil: 34 gal
Engine: Twin powered with either 900 hp Wright Cyclones or 1050 hp Pratt&
Whitney Wasps Maximum speed:245 mph Cruising speed: 211 mph.
Range: 1500 miles Rate of Climb: 1580 ft/min.
Service ceiling:23,700 ft.
The Douglas DC-5 was built at Mines Field, now los Angeles International
Airport.Mines field was located in El Sugundo, CA., California. |