Douglas DC-5

DC-5/C-110/R3D
US Navy Douglas R3D-2
Role	Transport
Manufacturer	Douglas Aircraft Company
Designer	Donald Douglas
First flight	20 February 1939
Introduction	1940
Retired	1949
Status	Retired
Primary users	KNILM KLM United States Navy United States Marine Corps
Number built	12
Developed from	Douglas DB-7

TheDouglas DC-5(Douglas Commercial Model 5) was a 16-to-22-seat, twin-engine propeller aircraft intended for shorter routes than theDouglas DC-3orDouglas DC-4.By the time it entered commercial service in 1940, many airlines were canceling orders for aircraft. Consequently, only five civilian DC-5s were built. With theDouglas Aircraft Companyalready converting toWorld War IImilitary production, the DC-5 was soon overtaken by world events, although a limited number of military variants were produced.

Design and development

A Douglas DC-5, circa 1939

The DC-5 was developed in 1938 as a 16-22 seatcivilian airliner, designed to use eitherPratt & Whitney R-1690 HornetorWright R-1820Cycloneradial engines.It was the firstairlinerto combineshoulder wingsandtricycle landing gear,a configuration that is still common inturbopropairliners andmilitary transport aircraft,although the modern versions are actually high wing, as the structure sits atop the fuselage shell rather than intersecting a significant segment. The tricycle landing gear was innovative for transport airplanes. It provided better ground handling and better ground visibility for the pilots.

The fuselage was about two feet above the ground, so loading of passengers and cargo was easier than aircraft with the then-standardconventional landing gear. A very early design change was the addition of a 15-degreedihedralto the horizontal tail group to negate a hint of an aeroelasticity problem. Thedorsalstrake,introduced in minimal form and expanded to full growth on the Boeing 307, is also well developed on the DC-5. Another significant modification was adding exhaust stacks to the enginenacelles,which was retroactively incorporated after the series entered production.An unusual optical trick was applied to the prototype. The top of the vertical stabilizer and the outline of the engine nacelles were painted a darker color following the aircraft's contour, making the tail and engines appear somewhat smaller and the aircraft sleeker.

Prior to US entry into World War II, one prototype and four production aircraft were built.

Operational history

US DC-5 transport aircraft carrying supplies from the Australian mainland to Allied troops in Port Moresby, New Guinea, August 1942

The prototype DC-5, Douglas serial 411, was built atEl Segundo, California,with 1,000 hp Wright R-1820-44 Cyclone engines. The aircraft made its first flight on February 20, 1939, withCarl Coverat the controls. This sole prototype (configured with just eight seats) became the personal aircraft ofWilliam Boeing,who named itRover.It was later impressed into the US Navy and converted for military use as an R3D-3 variant in February 1942.

The first customer for the type wasKLM,who ordered four planes. Pennsylvania Central (later renamedCapital Airlines) ordered six andSCADTA(Sociedad Colombo-Alemana de Transportes Aéreos), ancestor ofAvianca,ordered two. When Douglas factories went into war production, DC-5 production was curtailed to build additionalSBD Dauntlessdive bombers for theUnited States Navy(USN) andUnited States Marine Corps(USMC) and so only KLM received the high-winged airliner.

A dozen DC-5s were completed, of which four went into commercial service with KLM. The first two initially were put to use by theKLM West-Indisch Bedrijfand flew betweenParamariboinSurinam(now Suriname) andCuraçaoin theDutch colonial territory of the same name.The other two were sold to the Netherlands-Indies Government for use byKNILM(with no affiliations with KLM, despite having their head offices in Amsterdam) from Batavia (nowJakarta,Indonesia) from 1940 onwards. The first pair were later also transferred to KNILM. Of these four aircraft, three were used for the 1942 evacuation of civilians from Java to Australia; the fourth was damaged in an air strike by theImperial Japanese Army Air Forceat Batavia Kemajoran Airport on February 9, 1942, and abandoned. Japanese forces captured and subsequently repaired it for testing in Japan during 1943. This DC-5, painted in camouflage with Japanese Imperial Army Air Force markings, was later used as a transport in theJapanese Home Islands.

The captured ex-KNILM DC-5 in service with the Japanese Imperial Army Air Force

The three remaining aircraft made their way safely to Australia where they were sold to theUnited States Army Air Forces(USAAF) and operated for theAllied Directorate of Air Transport(ADAT). Two were destroyed by the end of 1942, the other was transferred toAustralian National Airways(ANA), which operated it throughout the war on behalf of ADAT. In 1944 the USAAF retroactively designated the three aircraftC-110for administrative purposes.

In 1939, the USN ordered seven aircraft. Three were delivered as R3D-1s, the first of which crashed before delivery. The remaining four were R3D-2s for the USMC and were equipped with 1,015 hp R-1820-44 engines, a large cargo hold, and 22 seats forparatroopers.

After World War II, production of the DC-5 was not resumed because of the abundance of surplus C-47 aircraft, converted for civil service as DC-3s. In 1948, the last surviving DC-5 was sold by Australian National Airways to another Australian airline, which smuggled it to Israel for military use. The aircraft arrived atHaifain May 1948, and from there it went toSde Dov,where its markings were removed and the name "Yankee Pasha – The Bagel Lancer"was crudely painted on the nose by hand. The aircraft joined103 SquadronatRamat David Airbase.Because Israel was in the midst of the1948 Arab–Israeli War,it was occasionally used as abomberas well as flying transport missions. On bomber missions the aft loading door was removed and bombs were rolled out of the opening "by a judicious shove from a crewman's foot."The operational record of the aircraft is in dispute as authoritative sources do not verify its combat service.

When the war ended and 103 Squadron moved, the DC-5 was left behind at Ramat David.It eventually found its way to a technical school where it was used extensively as a ground instruction airframe atHaifa Airport.When it was no longer serviceable due to a lack of spares, the airframe was stripped of its engines and instruments and the last DC-5 was reduced to scrap in Israel sometime after 1955.

Variants

Prototype DC-5

The prototype was sold toWilliam E. Boeingas a personal aircraft, modified to fit 16 passenger seats.

DC-5

The basic passenger version: five aircraft were built, one prototype and four production aircraft.

C-110

Retroactive designation for three former Indonesian-registeredKNILMaircraft that had been bought by theUnited States Army Air Forcesfor service in Australia on behalf of theAllied Directorate of Air Transportin March 1942.

R3D-1

Military version of the DC-5 built for theUnited States Navyas 16-seat personnel carriers. Three were produced. One crashed atMines Field,June 1, 1940. Another was retired in January 1946. The third is believed to have been used briefly by GeneralDouglas MacArthur;retired January 1945.

R3D-2

Military version of the DC-5 built for theUnited States Marine Corpsas 22-seat paratrooper version, four were produced.

R3D-3

The prototype, registered NC21701, sold to the military in 1942.Withdrawn from use June 30, 1946, in the U.S. Navy Aeronautical Laboratory, Banana River, Florida.

Operators

Military operators

Australia

• Royal Australian Air Force
  • No. 21 Squadron RAAF

Israel

• Israeli Air Forceoperated one DC-5.

Japan

• Imperial Japanese Army Air Forceoperated one captured Dutch DC-5.

United States

• United States Army Air Forcesthree impressed in Australia in 1942 and designated C-110
• United States Navyoperated two R3D-1s, a further aircraft crashed before delivery.In 1942 the prototype was bought.
• United States Marine Corpsoperated four R3D-2s.

Civil operators

Australia

• Australian National Airways
• New Holland Airways

Dutch West Indies

• KLM West Indiestwo aircraft delivered new in April and May 1940, from 1941 operated by KNILM, still owned by KLM.

Dutch East Indies

• KNILMtwo aircraft delivered to KLM in June/July 1940, sold to the Netherlands East Indies Government and leased to KNILM,two further aircraft transferred from KLM West Indies in 1941. Three escaped to Australia in February 1942 and one damaged in a Japanese air raid in February 1942 was repaired and used by the Japanese Army.

United States

• William E. Boeing operated one DC-5 delivered in 1940, sold to United States Navy in 1942.

Known airframes

Aircraft and histories

Construction number	Civilian registration	Initial service date	Military service registration	last noted	Remarks
424	PH-AXA				Reservation for KLM as PH-AXA "Alk" (reservation not taken up due to getting sent to Netherlands Antilles)
	as PJ-AIW	May 1940			Went to Curaçao for KLM West Indisch bedrijf as PJ-AIW "Wakago". Went to Netherlands Indies via USA briefly after war broke out.
	as PK-ADC	August 1941			Camouflage colour scheme. Was flown to Australia in February 1942 because of the Japanese threat.
	VH-CXB	April 1942	USAAF unk		Used for charter work by Allied Directorate of Air Transport (ADAT)
		June 1944	retro-serialled 44-83231	1946	registered and assigned type designator C-110. Used by USAAF 21 squadron in USAAF colours and markings. Scrapped in 1946 at Essendon
426	PH-AXB				Reservation for KLM as PH-AXB "Boschduif", but this airframe was used for static destructive testing for modifications demanded by the Netherlands airworthiness agency. Douglas replaced it with a new c/n 426
426	PH-AXG				Reservation for KLM as PH-AXG "Grutto" (reservation not taken up due to getting sent to Netherlands Antilles)
	PJ-AIZ	30 May 1940			Went to Curaçao for KLM West Indisch bedrijf as PJ-AIZ "Zonvogel". Went to Netherlands Indies via USA briefly after war broke out.
	PK-ADD	August 1941			Camouflage colour scheme. Was flown to Australia in February 1942 because of the Japanese threat.
	41-426/VH-CXC	April 1942			Used for charter work by Allied Directorate of Air Transport (ADAT)
		June 1944	retro-serialled 44-83232		registered and assigned type designator C-110. Used by USAAF 21 squadron in USAAF colours and markings
	VH-ARD	July 1946			Sold to Australian National Airways and later to Gregory Richmond Board in Sydney, yet later to New Holland Airways as 'Bali Clipper'.
	1501	1948		1962	Sold via Italy to Israeli Air Force; received IAF serial 1501, Went to Israëli AF Technical School in Haifa. Supposedly scrapped in mid-1960s.
428	PH-AXB				Reservation for KLM as PH-AXB "Boschduif"
	PK-ADB/D-904	May 1940			went to KNILM in Netherlands-Indies.
					Camouflage colour scheme. Was flown to Australia in February 1942 because of the Japanese threat.
	41-428/VH-CXA	April 1942			Used for charter work by Allied Directorate of Air Transport (ADAT). Supposedly damaged during Japanese attack on Port Moresby (PNG) August 1942 others say a Parafield (South Aus) end of 1942.
		June 1944	retro-serialled 44-83230		registered and assigned type designator C-110, even though it had been written off 18 months earlier.
430	PH-AXE				Reservation for KLM as PH-AXE "Eend"
	PK-ADA/D-905				went to KNILM in Netherlands-Indies.
		March 1942			Captured by Japanese troops, repaired and flown to Tokio for testing.
				1945	scrapped

Specifications (DC-5)

Data fromJane's all the World's Aircraft 1939,McDonnell Douglas aircraft since 1920: Volume I

General characteristics

• Crew:3
• Capacity:16-24 passengers
• Length:62 ft 2 in (18.95 m)
• Wingspan:78 ft (24 m)
• Height:19 ft 10 in (6.05 m)
• Wing area:824 sq ft (76.6 m²)
• Airfoil:root:NACA 23018;tip:NACA 23012
• Empty weight:13,674 lb (6,202 kg)
• Gross weight:20,000 lb (9,072 kg)
• Fuel capacity:~550 US gal (460 imp gal; 2,100 L); 34 US gal (28 imp gal; 130 L) oil in two nacelle tanks
• Powerplant:2 ×Wright GR-1820-G102A Cyclone9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 900 hp (670 kW) each at 2,300 rpm and 6,700 ft (2,000 m)
• Propellers:3-bladedHamilton-StandardHydromatic fully-feathering variable-pitch propellers

Performance

• Maximum speed:230 mph (370 km/h, 200 kn) at 7,700 ft (2,300 m)
• Cruise speed:195 mph (314 km/h, 169 kn) 65% power at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
• Range:1,600 mi (2,600 km, 1,400 nmi) maximum
• Service ceiling:23,700 ft (7,200 m)
  
• Absolute ceiling on one engine:11,400 ft (3,500 m)
• Rate of climb:1,585 ft/min (8.05 m/s)
• Wing loading:24.3 lb/sq ft (119 kg/m²)
• Power/mass:0.11 hp/lb (0.18 kW/kg)

See also

Related development

• Douglas A-20 Havoc

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• de Havilland Flamingo

Related lists

• List of aircraft of World War II
• List of civil aircraft
• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of United States Navy aircraft designations (pre-1962)

Bibliography

• Delta, Mike. "Forgotten Five: The history of the very limited production of the Douglas DC-5 Airliner."Air Classics,Volume 29, Number 7, July 1993. ISSN 0002-2241.
• Francillon, René J.McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920.London: Putnam, 1979.ISBN0-370-00050-1.
• Jupnter, Joseph P.U.S. Civil Aircraft Series, Vol 8..Blue Ridge Summit, PA: TAB Books, 1994.ISBN0-8306-4373-7.
• Ledet, Michel (April 2002). "Des avions alliés aux couleurs japonais" [Allied Aircraft in Japanese Colors].Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire(in French) (109): 17–21.ISSN1243-8650.
• Ledet, Michel (May 2002). "Des avions alliés aux couleurs japonais".Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire(in French) (110): 16–23.ISSN1243-8650.
• Norton, Bill.On The Edge: A History of the Israeli Air Force and its Aircraft since 1947.Hinckley, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 2004.ISBN1-85780-088-5.
• Pearcy, Arthur.Douglas Propliners: DC-1 – DC-7.London: Airlife, 1995.ISBN1-85310-261-X.

External links

• Boeing: Historical Snapshot: DC-5 Commercial Transport
• Douglas DC-5/R3D