FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1709.PDF
FLIGHT, 23 November 1961 u TJlS Pc"4 has been to long-haul air transport what its stable-mate the DC-3 was to the growth of the short-haul sector of the business It is a four-engmed unpressurized aeroplane capable of carrying 40-86passengers on stage lengths of up to about 2,500 miles at a cruising speed of about 200 m.p.h. The origins of the DC-4 go back to a requirement for a largermedium-haul transport issued by the four largest American carriers (American, United, TWA and Pan American) in mid-1935 Douglasproduced a prototype—the DC-4E—to meet this requirement; this first new on June 7, 1938, but did not prove satisfactory and was rejected bythe airlines. Douglas thereupon started an entirely new and rather smaller project which became the DC-4. This flew for the first time onFebruary 14, 1942. Orders for 61 were placed by American, Eastern and United early in 1940 but deliveries were diverted to military purposesand the type went into large-scale production aud use as a military trans- port until the end of the war. Some 1.163 military DC-4s were deliveredas C-54s before production was switched to a civil model at the end of the war, and 79 of this version were built before manufacture of the?£n J£as si°PPed in favour of the DC-6. The DC-4 cost between «n°n™° a*1d £160-000 in U46-47. A typical used price today is about180,000. About 350 are in service with 110 airlines Powerplam: Four Pratt & Whitney R-2000-2SD-13Gs of 1.450 b.h p driving three-bladed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic 13ft 1 in propellers. Dl™e.nsion.s: SPan- H7ft 6in; length, 93ft 11 in; height empty,27ft 6jin; wing area, 1,463 sq ft. ^f^'s: Max take-off, 73,0001b; landing, 63,5001b; zero fuel 4S9 h'capaclty Payload' 12.7001b; weight less usable fuel and payload, Payload accommodation: Cabin volume, 3,775 cu ft; baggage andfreight volume, 525 cu ft; cabin length, 63ft 8in; max width, 9ft lOAin; max height, 7ft fin; max usable floor area, 470 sq ft; dimensions oflargest door, 5ft 7in >; 7ft 6in; max seats, 86. Fuel capacity: 2,990 Imp gal. .//rformance: Cont cruising speed, 177kt (204 m.p.h.) at 10.000ft and64 6001b; corres consumption, l,3701b/hr; balanced field length, max take-off weight, SL, ISA, 5,250ft; landing distance from 50ft, 2,760ft •range A (max payload), 1.860 n.m. (2,140 st.m.); range B (max fuel), J.680 n.m. (4,230 st.m.); corres payload, 11,4001b; corres cruise speed175kt (201 m.p.h.). DC-6 The DC-4 design achieved its full potential as a civil transportonly after the end of the Second World War when it appeared in a more powerful stretched and pressurized form known as the DC-6. The DC-6carries 70-90 passengers on stage lengths of more than 2,500 miles at cruising speeds of up to 280 m.p.h. It is thus considerably faster than itspredecessor because of the higher installed power (9,600 h.p. for take-off instead of 5,800 h.p.) and because it can operate at greater heights withits pressurized passenger accommodation. Apart from the more power- ful engines and the strengthened structure which they require and whichpermits higher operating weights, the DC-6 differs from the DC-4 in having double-slotted flaps of increased efficiency which hold down theapproach speed of the original domestic model to little more than that of the DC-4, in spite of the much increased landing-weight. The DC-6 resulted from discussions with United Air Lines about anaeroplane for the US transcontinental routes. This was in 1944 while the war was still in progress; three prototypes were ordered by theUSAAF as the XC-112A. The first flight took place on February 15. 1946. After the war, manufacture for the airlines got under way and 63. 74- +.5, ('48* 2A-«~) deliveries to United started in 1947. Some 175 DC-6s were built and, H n,n'Ln •Ser,vic^^Lth 23, airlines. The DC-6 cost between £210,000 and £230.000 in 1946-47 and its price rose to about £310.000 in 1951Resale price today is about £175,000. Pnwerphnt: Four Pratt & Whitney R-28O0-CB-16 of 2 400 bhp driving three-bladcd Hamilton Standard Hydromatic 13ft lin propellers Dimensions: Span. 117ft 6in; length, 100ft 7in; height empty, 28ft Sin-wing area, 1.463 sq ft. 7,nrf,(fu'-v; Max take-°ff- 97,2001b; landing, 80.0001b: zero fuel bad 57 :->001baC"Y pUylOad' 14-800lb; we'gh» ^ss usable fuel and pay- Payload accommodation: Cabin volume, 4.107 cu ft; basRaee andfreight volume, 374-518 cu ft; cabin length, 63ft 9in: max width ytt lOain; max height, 7tt fin; max usable floor area, 553 sq ft- dimen-sions of largest door. 3ft 6ft; max seats. 86. Fuel capacity: 3,550 Imp gal (4,260 US); water-methanol. 33 Imp galr/^tCmame: Cont cruisin8 speed 271kt (312 m.p.h.) at 19,600ft and 73,0001b; corres consumption, 350 Imp.gal/hr; balanced field length ^aL«?ukc',off,-wcight- SL< ISA- 5-4<Mft; at 4.000ft ISA, 7.270ft at840001b; landing distance from 50ft, 2.970ft; range A (max payload), 2,900 n.m. (3,330 st.m.); range B (max fuel), 3.400 n.m. (3 910 "st m )•corres payload 17,7001b; corres cruise speed. 244kt (280 m.p.h.). DC-6A The success of the DC-6 suggested that further improvementsin specific operating costs could be achieved with this same basic design by simply expanding its payload capacity. This was done with greatsuccess with the DC-6A. which appeared in 1949. Some were sub- sequently converted to passenger use and a mixed passenger/lreighterversion, the DC-6C was produced. Some 75 DC-6As and 6Cs were built for commercial operators of which 70 are still in service with 23 airlinesIn addition, 167 military models of the DC-6A have been supplied to the US Services. The DC-6A cost between £460,000 and £480,000 in1957-58. Used price today is holding up at more than £200,000 Powerplant: Four Pratt & Whitney R-28OO-CB-17 of 2 500 b h pdriving three-bladed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic 13ft 6in propellers' Dimensions: Span. 117ft 6in; length, lOjft 7in; height empty 28ft 8iivwing area. 1,463 sq ft. H'eithts: Max take-off 107.0001b; landing. 88,2001b; zero fuel •™»; capacity payload, 28,1881b; weight less fuel and payload.^ / .00011). Payload accommodation: Cabin volume. 4.360 cu ff baggige andfreight volume. 539 cu ft; cabin length, 68ft; max width, 9ft lO.'.in- max height, 7ft pin; max usable floor area, 596 sq ft; dimensions of largestdoor, 6ft 6Jin 10ft 4in; max seats, 100. Fuel capacity: 4,600 Imp gal (5,520 US gal); water-meth, 33 Imp galjroor^','^e: TyP'cal cruising speed. 274kt (315 m.p.h.) at 22,500ft and 88,2001b; corres consumption, 350 Imp gal/hr; balanced fieldlength, max take-off weight, SL. ISA, 6,150ft; at 5 000ft ISA 5 4">0ft at 90,0001b; landing distance from 50ft, 3,100ft; range A (max payload)2.540 n.m. (2.920 st.m.); range B (max fuel). 4,100 n.m. (4 720 st m )• corres payload, 17,5801b; corres cruise speed, 230kt (265 m.p.h.)
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
