Douglas DC-2

History

In March 1931 a Fokker F-10A of TWA crashed due to a wing fracture.
This accident meant that all aircraft with a wooden wing should be inspected thoroughly. The result was that many aircraft had to be withdrawn from use within a year, so the airline companies had to look for a replacement.

TWA ordered sixty Boeing 247 aircraft. Boeing, however, was very busy with an order for United Airlines, largely owned by Boeing itself.
TWA asked several other aircraft manufacturers for a design and quotation based on a specification for a, preferably all-metal,three-engined airliner.

Douglas, however, presented a twin-engine all-metal aircraft for twelve passengers. TWA ordered under certain conditions an example of this Douglas DC-1.
The DC-1 made the first flight in July 1933 and was delivered in December of the same year.
This aircraft really surpassed all expectations, so TWA ordered a series of twenty machines, designated as DC-2.

It was 60 cm longer than the DC-1 and could carry fourteen passengers.The first DC-2 made its first flight in May 1934 and was soon delivered to TWA.

In 1933 Fokker acquired the licensing and sales rights of the DC-2 for the whole of Europe and later also for the DC-3 and eventually sold 39 DC-2's and 65 DC-3'sin Europe. Fokker never built any of example of these types. 18 DC-2's and 25 DC-3's were sold to the KLM.

Eventually, 193 DC-2's were built, often adapted to customer's wishes and often equipped with different engines.