Douglas C-1 Transport Aircraft

Douglas C-1 A.S. 25-433 in flight, 28 April 1926. (U.S. Air Force)

The Douglas C-1 was a cargo/transport aircraft produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the United States Army Air Corps starting in 1925.

On May 2nd, 1925 at Santa Monica, California, the Douglas Aircraft Company C-1, A.S. 25-425, made its first flight. The new aircraft was requested by the U.S. Army Air Service to fill the role of a cargo transport. The single-engine, two-bay biplane had a crew of two in an open cockpit and could carry 6–8 passengers in an enclosed compartment, or 2,500 pounds of cargo. 

Specifications:

• Length: 35 Feet, 4 inches;
• Wingpan: 56 feet, 7 inches;
• Empty weight: 3,836 pounds;
• Maximum weight: 6,443 pounds;
• Maximum speed: 116 mph;
• Cruise speed: 85 mph;
• Service Ceiling: 14,850 feet;
• Powerplant: Liberty L-12 single overhead cam 45° V-12 engine;
• Crew: 2 in an open cockpit;
• Enclosed Passengers: 6.

Douglas C-1 A.S. 25-425, the first C-1. (U.S. Air Force)

Douglas received an order for nine single-engined transport aircraft in 1925, the first aircraft flying from Douglas's Santa Monica, California factory on May 2nd 1925. The C-1 was the first aircraft assigned in the new C- category. The aircraft design was based on several earlier and similar designs developed by Douglas in the early 1920s (including the Douglas World Cruisers used in the first round-the-world flight in 1924).

The Douglas World Cruiser

The 'Boston' Douglas World Cruiser plane, taking part in the first flight around the world, on the Huangpu, Shanghai, June 1924

Specifications:

• Crew: 2;
• Length: 35 feet 6 inches;
• Height: 13 feet 7 inches;
• Wingspan: 50 feet;
• Powerplant: 1 Liberty V12 engine, 420 hp;
• Maximum speed: 103 miles per hour.

The Douglas World Cruisers were constructed of Sitka spruce from the coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest. They were sturdy aircraft that could accommodate interchangeable landing gear - wheels and pontoons - which was an absolute requirement. In 1924, there were still relatively few developed airfields around the world, and much of the proposed route would require water landings for refueling. 

There were two Douglas World Cruisers that completed the journey - the Chicago and the New Orleans. The distance flown in this around the world journey was 26,345 miles, departing from Seattle on April 6, 1924 and landing back in Seattle on September 29, 1924. The flight took 175 days, 363 hours 7 minutes flight time, averaging 72.5 mph.

The C-1 featured an enclosed passenger compartment capable of carrying six passengers or about 2,500 pounds of cargo. A trap door was placed in the lower fuselage to allow large and/or heavy cargo (particularly aircraft engines) to be lifted directly into the cargo compartment. An auxiliary door for passengers and light cargo was included on the right side of the center fuselage.

Operational History

The C-1 biplane was powered by the Liberty L-12 engine and carried a crew of two in an open cockpit. A C-1 was flown in the 1926 Ford National Reliability Air Tour. Seventeen additional aircraft were ordered in 1926 and 1927 for the United States Army Air Corps as C-1Cs and were slightly larger than the original C-1s.

Several C-1s were used in test programs—as an engine testbed, as a prototype air ambulance, and as refueling aircraft for early air-to-air refueling experiments. Two of these aircraft were used as "tankers" in the 1929 record endurance flight of the Atlantic-Fokker C-2 “Bird of Paradise”.

Approximately 43 Douglas C-1s were built and delivered to the U.S. Army and were used in various roles as a test bed for new engines, a prototype air ambulance, and as an airborne air-to-air refueling aircraft.

In 1932 Douglas introduced the Douglas DC-1, followed by the Douglas DC-2 in 1934 and the Douglas DC-3 in 1935. Douglas continued building aircraft like the DC-4 series, the DC-6, DC-7 and the Douglas DC-8. I had an opportunity to fly a Douglas DC-8 once, and our son was a "Roadie" flying on DC-8s around the world.

I hope you enjoyed this trip through some of the history of sunglasses. If you enjoyed this trip, and if you are new to this blog, sign up to receive your own weekly blog post here: Subscribe here!

Until next time, keep your eyes safe and focused on what's ahead of you, Hersch!