Douglas Aircraft Company

Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer based in southern California, founded by Donald Douglas in July 1921.

Famous for the "DC" (Douglas Commercial), including one of the most important transport aircraft of World War II, the DC-3. Douglas also made many aircraft for the USAAC and the US Navy. Initially the company built torpedo boats for the US Navy, but developed variants of those planes including reconnaissance and mail carrier planes. In five years the company went on to manufacture 100 aircraft a year. Early Douglas employees included Edward Heinemann, James Kindelberger, and John Northrop. The company expanded into manufacturing amphibious aircraft in the late 1920s. The Santa Monica, California, industrial complex was so large that the girls who carried the internal mail rode it on roller skates.

In 1933 Douglas launched its Douglas DC-1 twin-engine commercial airplane in 1934 the DC-2 and later the famous DC-3 / C-47 already in 1936

In 1967 the company merged with the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation to form McDonnell Douglas, which in 1997 became part of the Boeing Company.

Airplanes

• DT-1 (1921)
• DWC (1923), modification of the previous one that performed the first aerial circumnavigation of the planet, for 175 days, traveling more than 42,000 kilometers.
• O-2 (1924)
• M-1 (1925)
• T2D (1927)
• BT-1/BT-2 (1930)
• Dolphin (1930)
• O-31 (1930)
• B-7/O-35 (1931?)
• XT3D (1931)
• DC-1 (1933)
• DC-2 (1934)
• B-17 Fortress, licensed by Boeing
• B-18 Bolo (1935)
• DC-3 (1935)
• TBD Devastator (1935)
• A-20 Havoc (1938)
• SBD Dauntless (1938)
• B-23 Dragon (1939)
• DC-4 (1939)
• DC-5 (1939)
• A-26 Invader (1941?)
• BTD Destroyer (1943)
• XA-42/XB-42 (1944)
• A-1 Skyraider (1945)
• C-74 Globemaster (1945)
• XB-43 (1946)
• DC-6 (1946)
• D-558-1 Skystreak (1947)
• D-558-2 Skyrocket (1948)
• F3D Skyknight (1948)
• A2D Skyshark (1950)
• F4D Skyray (1951)
• A-3 Skywarrior (1952)
• X-3 Stiletto (1952)
• A-4 Skyhawk (1954)
• B-66 Destroyer (1954)
• DC-7 (1953)
• F5D Skylancer (1956)
• C-133 Cargomaster (1956)
• DC-8 (1958)
• DC-9 (1965)
• DC-10 (1970)
• AC-47 Spooky (1965)

Missiles

• Roc I
• Nike Ajax (1959)
• Zeus
• Nike Hercules
• Honest John
• Thor
• Thor Delta
• Saturn S-IVB stage