3/7/2023 0 Comments Douglas mailplaneRelatively minor changes in cockpit layout, engine accessories, and airframe construction led to the M-3 mailplane, which differed little in physical appearance from the M-2 version. Government and airline experiences with the Douglas mailplanes and the 0-2 led to modifications of the basic design. Its load-carrying capability, remarkable stability, and rugged construction contributed to a perfect safety record and profitable operation. The M-2 performed remarkably well during the early years on the CAM-4 route. southern Nevada, and western Utah traveled many years before by the Mormons. Although transporting the mail remained the airlines’ chief concern, Western Air Express invited passenger traffic, and invaluable experience was gained flying passengers in the M-2 over the same rugged territory of eastern California. The schedule was maintained by four regular pilots, two reserve pilots, eight mechanics, and three radio operators at the fields. The record time for the route was 4 hours, 12 minutes. Flights were scheduled daily in both directions on the Los Angeles-to-Salt Lake City run, with one-way flight time averaging slightly in excess of six hours. Access was provided by the use of aluminum covers over the top, arranged and constructed so that, with passengers aboard, the roof door could be folded down. The passengers were seated well down in the compartment and protected by suitable windshields. A unique feature was the provision of two removable seats that permitted carrying passengers or reserve pilots from one field to another. It was six feet long, had a capacity of 58 cubic feet, and could carry up to 1,000 pounds of mail. It was situated in front of the pilots cockpit, sealed from the engine by a fireproof bulkhead, and lined with reinforced Duralumin. A design detail of particular interest was the location and construction of the M-2 mail compartment. A small 10-gallon gravity tank was located in the upper wing. Two main fuel tanks, each of sixty gallons capacity and made of sheet aluminum, were so mounted in the lower wing that they could be jettisoned by the pilot. The power plant was a 400-hp, Liberty water-cooled engine, with nose radiator. The wings, vertical fin, and horizontal stabilizer were of standard wood beam and built-up rib construction, with the elevators and rudder made of Duralumin tubing. The fuselage aft of the firewall was covered with fabric. The engine section was detachable at the station at the front wing beam and the engine cowling was hinged to facilitate inspection. The fuselage, a truss of steel tubes and tie rods, was made in two detachable sections. The M-2 was a single-bay biplane with the conventional form of axleless undercarriage. The Douglas M-2 was selected because it was far superior in strength, construction, performance, and flying characteristics to other aircraft entered in the Post Office Department’s competition for airmail airplanes. For service over this route, a distance of about 660 miles, Western selected the Douglas M-2 aircraft, a mailplane version of the 0-2 observation plane produced by the Douglas Company to replace the U.S. Long Description On April 17, 1926, Western Air Service, Inc., commenced operation on Contract Air Mail Route 4 (CAM-4) between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. It was then resold several times and was reacquired by Western Airlines in 1940 for display. Western Air Express acquired the airplane in June 1927 and flew it for almost 914 hours, before the airplane crashed in January 1930. It was delivered to the Post Office Department in 1926 as an M-4, which had a longer wing than the M-2 and cost $15,000. This M-2 was flown by Western Air Express, predecessor of Western Airlines, which inaugurated air mail service between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City via Las Vegas in April 1926. Summary Designed to replace de Havilland DH-4s for delivering the air mail in the mid 1920s, Douglas M-2s were sturdy, dependable aircraft that were popular with the newly formed airlines. Object Details Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company Physical Description Single engine, single seat, bi-plane, liberty V-12 engine used by post office and Western Airlines. Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art.To remove a keyword just delete it from the search field, please remove it entirely or the search results will not be so good. Each plan will contain the keywords you choose and the plans descriptions will not be searched. When you pick keywords from the panel above you are asking the system to return you the plans that contain those keywords. Pick only one from each group and keep in mind that we are in the process of editing all the plans so only the plans already edited will show up.Īs plans are edited the keywords above are attributed to them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |