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Douglas Aircraft Company

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Douglas Aircraft Company



 
 
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer
Aerospace manufacturer

An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft....
, based in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a large city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific Ocean coast. It is situated in Los Angeles County, about south of downtown Los Angeles....
. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.
Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.

Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. was a United States aircraft industrialist and founder of the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1921 ....
 and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft
McDonnell Aircraft

The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded in 1939 by James Smith McDonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including the F-4 Phantom II, and manned spacecraft including the Project Mercury and Project Gemini....
 in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas

McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft....
. It is currently a part of Boeing's Commercial Airplanes division
Boeing Commercial Airplanes

Boeing Commercial Airplanes is a unit of Boeing, based in Renton, Washington, Washington consisting of the Seattle-based former Boeing Airplane Company , as well as the Long Beach, California-based Douglas Aircraft Company division of the former McDonnell Douglas....
.

History
The Douglas Aircraft Company was founded by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.
Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.

Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. was a United States aircraft industrialist and founder of the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1921 ....
 in July 1921
1921 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1921:...
 in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica is a city in western Los Angeles County, California, California, United States. Situated on Santa Monica Bay of the Pacific Ocean, it is completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles ? Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood, Los Angeles, California on the north, West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California on the northeast...
, following dissolution of the Davis-Douglas Company. An early claim to fame was the first circumnavigation of the world by air
First aerial circumnavigation

The first circumnavigation of the world by air was conducted in 1924 by a team of aviators of the United States Army Air Service, the precursor of the United States Air Force....
 in Douglas planes in 1924
1924 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1924:...
.

It is most famous for the "DC" (Douglas Commercial) series of commercial aircraft, including what is often regarded as the most significant transport aircraft ever made: the DC-3
Douglas DC-3

The Douglas DC-3 is an United States fixed-wing aircraft, propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s....
, which was also produced as a military transport known as the C-47 Skytrain or Dakota.






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Encyclopedia


The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer
Aerospace manufacturer

An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft....
, based in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a large city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific Ocean coast. It is situated in Los Angeles County, about south of downtown Los Angeles....
. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.
Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.

Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. was a United States aircraft industrialist and founder of the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1921 ....
 and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft
McDonnell Aircraft

The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded in 1939 by James Smith McDonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including the F-4 Phantom II, and manned spacecraft including the Project Mercury and Project Gemini....
 in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas

McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft....
. It is currently a part of Boeing's Commercial Airplanes division
Boeing Commercial Airplanes

Boeing Commercial Airplanes is a unit of Boeing, based in Renton, Washington, Washington consisting of the Seattle-based former Boeing Airplane Company , as well as the Long Beach, California-based Douglas Aircraft Company division of the former McDonnell Douglas....
.

History


The Douglas Aircraft Company was founded by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.
Donald Wills Douglas, Sr.

Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. was a United States aircraft industrialist and founder of the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1921 ....
 in July 1921
1921 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1921:...
 in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica is a city in western Los Angeles County, California, California, United States. Situated on Santa Monica Bay of the Pacific Ocean, it is completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles ? Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood, Los Angeles, California on the north, West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California on the northeast...
, following dissolution of the Davis-Douglas Company. An early claim to fame was the first circumnavigation of the world by air
First aerial circumnavigation

The first circumnavigation of the world by air was conducted in 1924 by a team of aviators of the United States Army Air Service, the precursor of the United States Air Force....
 in Douglas planes in 1924
1924 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1924:...
.

It is most famous for the "DC" (Douglas Commercial) series of commercial aircraft, including what is often regarded as the most significant transport aircraft ever made: the DC-3
Douglas DC-3

The Douglas DC-3 is an United States fixed-wing aircraft, propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s....
, which was also produced as a military transport known as the C-47 Skytrain or Dakota. Many Douglas aircraft had unusually long service lives, and many remain in service today. Douglas created a wide variety of aircraft for the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 armed forces, the Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
 in particular.

The company initially built torpedo bombers for the U.S. Navy, but developed a number of variants on these aircraft including observation aircraft and a commercial airmail variant. Within five years the company was turning out over 100 aircraft annually. Among the early employees at Douglas were Edward Heinemann
Ed Heinemann

Edward Henry Heinemann, was a noted military aircraft designer for Douglas Aircraft....
, "Dutch" Kindelberger
James H. Kindelberger

James H. "Dutch" Kindelberger was an United States pioneer of aviation. He was also a leader of North American Aviation for a number of years....
, and Jack Northrop
John Knudsen Northrop

John Knudsen "Jack" Northrop was an United States of America aircraft industrialist. He co-founded the Lockheed Corporation in 1927. He was the founder and eponym of the Northrop Corporation in 1939....
 (who went on to found Northrop
Northrop Corporation

The Northrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994....
).

The company retained its military market and expanded into amphibians in the late 1920s, also moving its facilities to Clover Field at Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica is a city in western Los Angeles County, California, California, United States. Situated on Santa Monica Bay of the Pacific Ocean, it is completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles ? Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood, Los Angeles, California on the north, West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California on the northeast...
. The complex in Santa Monica was so large that the mail girls used roller skates
Roller Skates

Roller Skates is a book by Ruth Sawyer that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in United States of America children's literature in 1937. It deals with the author's New York childhood....
 to deliver the intra-company mail. By the end of World War II, Douglas had facilities at Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica is a city in western Los Angeles County, California, California, United States. Situated on Santa Monica Bay of the Pacific Ocean, it is completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles ? Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood, Los Angeles, California on the north, West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California on the northeast...
, El Segundo
El Segundo, California

El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, California on the Santa Monica Bay, incorporated on January 18, 1917. The population was 16,033 at the 2000 census....
, Long Beach
Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a large city located in southern California, USA, on the Pacific Ocean coast. It is situated in Los Angeles County, about south of downtown Los Angeles....
, and Torrance
Torrance, California

Torrance is a city located in the South Bay, Los Angeles region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city's population was 138,000 compared to 142,000 in 2005....
, California; Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population in the United States. With an estimated population of 384,037 in 2007, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 905,755 residents projected to reach one million between 2010 and 2012....
 and Midwest City
Midwest City, Oklahoma

Midwest City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 54,088 at the United States Census, 2000, making it the seventh largest city in the state....
, Oklahoma; and Chicago, IL
Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States, as well as the List of United States cities by population city in the United States with more than 2.8 million residents....
.

In 1934
1934 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1934:...
 Douglas produced a commercial two-engined transport, the DC-2
Douglas DC-2

The Douglas DC-2 was a 14 seat, propeller airlinerproduced by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934.It competed with the Boeing 247....
, following it with the famous DC-3
Douglas DC-3

The Douglas DC-3 is an United States fixed-wing aircraft, propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s....
 in 1936
1936 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1936:...
. The wide range of aircraft produced by Douglas included airliners, light and medium bombers, fighters, transports, observation aircraft, and experimental aircraft. During World War II, Douglas joined the BVD (Boeing
Boeing

The Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, originally founded by William Edward Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997....
-Vega
Vega Aircraft Corporation

The Vega Aircraft Corporation was a subsidiary of the Lockheed Aircraft Company responsible for much of its parent company's production in World War II....
-Douglas) consortium to produce the B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17 Flying Fortress

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps . Competing against Douglas Aircraft Company and Glenn L....
. After the war, Douglas built another Boeing design under license, the B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet

The Boeing B-47 Stratojet jet bomber was a medium-range and medium-size bomber capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the airspace of the Soviet Union....
.

World War II was a major earner for Douglas. The company produced almost 30,000 aircraft from 1942 to 1945 and the workforce swelled to 160,000. The company produced a number of aircraft including the C-47
C-47 Skytrain

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day....
 (based on the DC-3), the DB-7 (known as the A-20, Havoc or Boston), the Dauntless
SBD Dauntless

The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was supplanted, although not entirely replaced, by the SB2C Helldiver....
 and the A-26 Invader
A-26 Invader

The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack aircraft bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts....
. The company suffered at the end of hostilities, facing an end of government orders and a surplus of aircraft. It heavily cut its workforce, sacking almost 100,000 people. As part of their wartime work Douglas had established a United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. The direct precursor to the United States Air Force, its peak size was over 2.4 million men and women in service and nearly 80,000 aircraft in 1944, and 783 domestic bases in December 1943....
 think-tank, a group that would later become the RAND Corporation.

Douglas continued to develop new aircraft, including the successful four-engined DC-6 (1946) and their last prop-driven commercial aircraft, the DC-7 (1953). The company had moved into jet propulsion, producing their first for the military - the conventional F3D Skyknight
F3D Skyknight

The Douglas F3D Skyknight, was a United States twin-engine, midwing jet fighter aircraft manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company in El Segundo, California....
 in 1948 and then the more 'jet age' F4D Skyray
F4D Skyray

The United states Douglas F4D Skyray was a aircraft carrier-based Fighter aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Although it was in service for a relatively short time and never entered combat, it was notable for being the first carrier-launched aircraft to hold the world's absolute speed record and was the first United States Navy...
 in 1951. Douglas also made commercial jets, producing the DC-8 in 1958 to compete with the new Boeing 707
Boeing 707

The Boeing 707 is a four-engine commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly spoken as "Seven Oh Seven"....
.

Douglas was a pioneer in related fields, such as ejection seats, air-to-air, surface-to-air, and air-to-surface missiles, launch vehicles, bombs and bomb racks. Douglas was eager to enter the new missile
Missile

A guided missile is a self-propelled projectile used as a weapon. Missiles are typically propelled by rockets or jet engines. Missiles generally have one or more explosive warheads, although other weapon types may also be used....
 business in the 1950s. Douglas moved from producing air-to-air rockets and missiles to entire missile systems under the 1956 Nike program and becoming the main contractor of the Skybolt ALBM program and the Thor ballistic missile
Ballistic missile

A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistics flightpath with the objective of delivering a warhead to a predetermined target....
 program. Douglas also earned contracts from NASA, notably for designing the S-IVB Stage
S-IVB

The S-IVB was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company and served as the third stage on the Saturn V and second stage on the Saturn IB. It had one J-2 engine....
 of the enormous Saturn V
Saturn V

The Saturn V was a multistage rocket liquid-fuel expendable launch system rocket used by NASA's Apollo program and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973....
 rocket.

In 1967
1967 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1967:...
, the company was struggling to expand production to meet demand for DC-8
Douglas DC-8

The Douglas Aircraft Company DC-8 is a four-engined jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972. Launched later than the competing Boeing 707, the DC-8 nevertheless established Douglas in a strong position in the airliner market, and remained in production until 1972 when much larger designs, including the DC-10, made the DC-8 obsolete....
 and DC-9
McDonnell Douglas DC-9

The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year....
 airliners and the A-4 Skyhawk
A-4 Skyhawk

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a aircraft carrier ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The delta winged "Skyhawk", powered by a single turbojet was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company ....
 attack plane. Quality and cash flow problems, combined with shortages due to the Vietnam War
Vietnam War

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina Wars, the Vietnam Conflict, or often in Vietnam the American War occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975....
, led Douglas to agree to a merger with McDonnell Aircraft Corporation to form McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas

McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft....
. Douglas Aircraft Company continued as a wholly owned subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas, but its space and missiles division became part of a new subsidiary called McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company.

McDonnell Douglas later merged with Boeing
Boeing

The Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, originally founded by William Edward Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997....
 in 1997
1997 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1997:...
. Boeing combined the Douglas Aircraft Company with the Boeing Commercial Airplanes division, ending more than seventy-five years of Douglas Aircraft Company history. The last Long Beach-built commercial aircraft, the Boeing 717
Boeing 717

The Boeing 717 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner, developed for the 100-seat market. The airliner was designed and marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, a third-generation derivative of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9....
 (a third generation version of the Douglas DC-9), ceased production in May 2006. The C-17 Globemaster III
C-17 Globemaster III

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large, military Cargo aircraft manufactured by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. The C-17 is operated by the United States Air Force, the United Kingdom Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the Canadian Forces Air Command, while NATO and Qatar have placed orders for the airlifter....
 is the last remaining aircraft being assembled at the Long Beach facility, as of 2008.

Aircraft

Douglas Dc3   Catalina
Dc 6
Douglas Dc 6 , Sas , Se Bdc , Kodachrome By Chalmers Butterfield
  • DT-1
    Douglas DT

    The Douglas DT bomber was the Douglas Aircraft Company's first military contract, forging a link between the company and the United States Navy....
     (1921)
  • DWC
    Douglas World Cruiser

    The Douglas World Cruiser was developed to meet a requirement from the U.S. Army Air Service for an aircraft suitable for an attempt at the First aerial circumnavigation....
     (1923)
  • O-2
    Douglas O-2

    The Douglas O-2 is a 1920s United States observation aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company....
     (1924)
  • C-1
    Douglas C-1

    The Douglas C-1 was a cargo/transport airplane produced by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation for the United States Army Air Service starting in 1925....
     (1925)
  • M-1
    Douglas M-1

    The Douglas mailplanes were a family of 1920s United States single-seat mail planes designed and built by the Douglas Aircraft. The aircraft were used to run the main routes of the United States Air Mail service until the introduction of three-engined aircraft in 1930....
     (1925)
  • T2D
    Douglas T2D

    The Douglas T2D was an United States twin engine bomber aircraft contracted by the military, and required to be usable on wheels or floats, and operating from aircraft-carriers....
     (1927)
  • BT-1/BT-2 (1930)
  • Dolphin
    Douglas Dolphin

    The Douglas Aircraft Company Dolphin was an amphibious flying boat. While only fifty-eight were built, they served a wide variety of roles: private "yacht," airliner, military transport, and search and rescue....
     (1930)
  • O-31
    Douglas O-31

    The O-31 was Douglas Aircraft Company's first monoplane observation straight-wing aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps....
     (1930)
  • B-7/O-35
    Douglas Y1B-7

    The Douglas Aircraft Company Y1B-7 was a 1930s United States bomber aircraft. It was the first US monoplane given the B- 'bomber' designation....
     (1931)
  • XT3D (1931)
  • DC-1
    Douglas DC-1

    The Douglas DC-1 was the first model of the famous United States DC commercial transport aircraft series. Although only one example of the DC-1 was produced, the design was the basis for the Douglas DC-2 and Douglas DC-3, the starting point of one of the most successful aircraft designs in history....
     (1933)
  • DC-2
    Douglas DC-2

    The Douglas DC-2 was a 14 seat, propeller airlinerproduced by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934.It competed with the Boeing 247....
     (1934)
  • O-43
    Douglas O-43

    The Douglas Aircraft Company O-43 was a monoplane observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps....
     (1934)
  • B-18 Bolo
    B-18 Bolo

    The Douglas B-18 Bolo was a United States Army Air Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force bomber of the late 1930s and early 1940s. The Bolo was built by Douglas Aircraft Company and based on its Douglas DC-2....
     (1935)
  • DC-3
    Douglas DC-3

    The Douglas DC-3 is an United States fixed-wing aircraft, propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s....
     (1935)
  • TBD Devastator
    TBD Devastator

    The Douglas Aircraft Company TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, first flying in 1935 and entering service in 1937....
     (1935)
  • O-46
    Douglas O-46

    The United States Douglas Aircraft Company O-46 was an observation fixed-wing aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps and the Philippine Army Air Corps....
     (1936)
  • Douglas DB-7 Boston / A-20 Havoc
    Douglas DB-7

    The Douglas Aircraft Company A-20/DB-7 Havoc was a family of United States attack, light bomber and night fighter aircraft of World War II, serving with several Allies of WWII air forces, principally those of the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and United States....
     (1938)
  • SBD Dauntless
    SBD Dauntless

    The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was supplanted, although not entirely replaced, by the SB2C Helldiver....
     (1938)
  • DC-4E
    Douglas DC-4E

    The Douglas Aircraft Company DC-4E was an United States experimental airliner that was developed before World War II....
      (1938)
  • B-23 Dragon
    B-23 Dragon

    The Douglas B-23 Dragon was a twin-engined bomber developed by Douglas Aircraft Company as a successor to the B-18 Bolo....
     (1939)
  • DC-4
    Douglas DC-4

    The DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the United States company Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during the Second World War in a military role, and after the war for civilian airlines....
     (1939)
  • DC-5
    Douglas DC-5

    The Douglas Aircraft Corporation DC-5, the least known of the famous DC airliner series, was a 16-22 seat, propeller aircraft intended for shorter routes than the Douglas DC-3 or Douglas DC-4....
     (1939)
  • Douglas XB-19
    Douglas XB-19

    The Douglas XB-19 was the largest bomber aircraft built for the United States Army Air Corps until 1946 in aviation. It was originally given the designation XBLR-2 ....
      (1941)
  • A-26 Invader
    A-26 Invader

    The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack aircraft bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts....
     (1941?)
  • BTD Destroyer
    BTD Destroyer

    Douglas Aircraft Corporation BTD Destroyer was an United States torpedo bomber developed for the United States Navy during World War II. It was the first Navy aircraft to have tricycle gear....
     (1943)
  • XA-42/XB-42
    XB-42 Mixmaster

    The Douglas Aircraft Company XB-42 Mixmaster was an experimental bomber aircraft, designed for a high top speed. The unconventional approach was to mount the two engines within the fuselage driving a pair of contra-rotating propellers mounted at the tail, leaving the wing and fuselage clean and free of aerodynamics-reducing protrusions....
     (1944)
  • A-1 Skyraider
    A-1 Skyraider

    The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was a United States single-seat ground attack aircraft bomber of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. A propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, the Skyraider had a remarkably long and successful career well into the space age, and inspired a straight-winged, slow-flying, jet-powered successor which is still...
     (1945)
  • C-74 Globemaster
    C-74 Globemaster

    The Douglas C-74 Globemaster was a United States heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California....
     (1945)
  • XB-43 (1946)
  • DC-6
    Douglas DC-6

    The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range transport market....
     (1946)
  • D-558-1 Skystreak
    Douglas Skystreak

    The United States Douglas Skystreak was a single-engine jet research aircraft of the 1940s. It was designed in 1945 in aviation by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the U.S....
     (1947)
  • D-558-2 Skyrocket
    Douglas Skyrocket

    The Douglas Skyrocket was a rocket and jet-powered supersonic research aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the United States Navy....
     (1948)
  • F3D Skyknight
    F3D Skyknight

    The Douglas F3D Skyknight, was a United States twin-engine, midwing jet fighter aircraft manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company in El Segundo, California....
     (1948)
  • C-124 Globemaster II
    C-124 Globemaster II

    The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shakey", was a heavy-lift cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California....
     (1949)
  • A2D Skyshark
    A2D Skyshark

    The Douglas A2D Skyshark was a turboprop-powered attack aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the United States Navy....
     (1950)
  • F4D Skyray
    F4D Skyray

    The United states Douglas F4D Skyray was a aircraft carrier-based Fighter aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Although it was in service for a relatively short time and never entered combat, it was notable for being the first carrier-launched aircraft to hold the world's absolute speed record and was the first United States Navy...
     (1951)
  • A-3 Skywarrior
    A-3 Skywarrior

    The Douglas Aircraft Company A-3 Skywarrior was a strategic bomber built for the United States Navy and among the longest serving carrier-based jet aircraft....
     (1952)
  • X-3 Stiletto
    X-3 Stiletto

    The Douglas Aircraft Company X-3 Stiletto was a 1950s United States experimental jet aircraft with a slender fuselage and a long tapered nose, manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company....
     (1952)
  • A-4 Skyhawk
    A-4 Skyhawk

    The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a aircraft carrier ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The delta winged "Skyhawk", powered by a single turbojet was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company ....
     (1954)
  • B-66 Destroyer
    B-66 Destroyer

    The Douglas B-66 Destroyer was a Tactical Air Command light bomber based on the United States Navy's A-3 Skywarrior, and was intended to replace the Douglas A-26 Invader....
     (1954)
  • DC-7
    Douglas DC-7

    The Douglas DC-7 was an United States transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8....
     (1953)
  • F5D Skylancer
    F5D Skylancer

    The United States Douglas Aircraft Company F5D Skylancer was a development of the F4D Skyray jet fighter for the United States Navy. Starting out as the F4D-2N, an all-weather version of the Skyray, the design was soon modified to take full advantage of the extra thrust of the Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney J57 eventually fitted to the...
     (1956)
  • C-133 Cargomaster
    C-133 Cargomaster

    The Douglas C-133 Cargomaster was a large cargo aircraft built between 1956 and 1961 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for use with the United States Air Force....
     (1956)
  • F6D Missileer
    F6D Missileer

    Douglas Aircraft Company's F6D Missileer was a proposed aircraft carrier US Navy fleet defense fighter aircraft, designed in response to a 1959 in aviation US Navy requirement....
     (1958)
  • DC-8
    Douglas DC-8

    The Douglas Aircraft Company DC-8 is a four-engined jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972. Launched later than the competing Boeing 707, the DC-8 nevertheless established Douglas in a strong position in the airliner market, and remained in production until 1972 when much larger designs, including the DC-10, made the DC-8 obsolete....
     (1958)
  • DC-9
    McDonnell Douglas DC-9

    The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year....
     (1965)
  • DC-10
    McDonnell Douglas DC-10

    The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a trijet medium- to long-range widebody airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer....
     (1971)
  • MD-11
    McDonnell Douglas MD-11

    The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is an American trijet medium to long-range wide-body aircraft airliner, with two engines mounted on underwing pylons and a third engine at the base of the vertical stabilizer....


Missiles and Space Launch

  • Roc I
  • AAM-N-2 Sparrow I
    AIM-7 Sparrow

    The AIM-7 Sparrow is a medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy, and United States Marine Corps as well as various allied air forces and navies....
     (1948)
  • AIR-2 Genie
    AIR-2 Genie

    The Douglas Genie was an unguided air-to-air rocket with a 1.5kt W25 nuclear warhead. It was deployed by the United States Air Force and the Canadian Forces Air Command during the Cold War....
     (1956)
  • Nike Ajax (1959)
  • Zeus
  • Nike Hercules
    Nike-Hercules Missile

    Nike-Hercules Missile, designation MIM-14 , was a solid fuel propelled surface-to-air missile, used by US and NATO armed forces for high- and medium-altitude anti-aircraft....
  • Honest John
  • Thor
  • Delta
    Delta rocket

    Delta is a family of expendable launch systems that have provided space launch capability in the United States since 1960. There have been over 300 Delta rockets launched, with a 95% success rate....
  • Saturn S-IVB stage
    S-IVB

    The S-IVB was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company and served as the third stage on the Saturn V and second stage on the Saturn IB. It had one J-2 engine....


External links