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Description
| Manufacturer: | Douglas | |
| Base model: | DC-4 | |
| Designation: | DC-4 | |
| Version: | E | |
| Basic role: | Commercial Transport | |
Specifications
| Length: | 97' 7" | 29.7 m | |
| Height: | 24' 6.5" | 7.4 m | |
| Wingspan: | 138' 3" | 42.1 m | |
| Wingarea: | 2,155.0 sq ft | 200.1 sq m | |
| Empty Weight: | 42,564 lb | 19,303 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 61,500 lb | 27,891 kg | |
| Max Weight: | 66,500 lb | 30,158 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 4 | ||
| Powerplant: | Pratt & Whitney R-2180-S1A1-G | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 1450 | ||
Performance
| Range: | 2,200 miles | 3,542 km | |
| Cruise Speed: | 200 mph | 322 km/h | 174 kt |
| Max Speed: | 245 mph | 394 km/h | 212 kt |
| Climb: | 1,175 ft/min | 358 m/min | |
| Ceiling: | 22,900 ft | 6,979 m | |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Dixon Cannon , AZ | I maintain a blog on this unique aircraft at
http://sky-sovereign-dc-4e.blogspot.com with many unique photos and articles. Please visit. If you have a unique photo, email me and I will post it on the blog. Thanks! -dixon cannon 01/26/2007 @ 17:58 [ref: 15310] |
| JV , CA | Although the Japanese stated that the DC-4E "crashed into the ocean" it is believed that this story is a cover-up. Conjecture has it that the aircraft was moved into a hanger where it was disassembled to extract modern aircraft design and assembly methods. I am glad that this methodology (of reverse engineering) did not carry over any further than 1940. 04/03/2006 @ 12:21 [ref: 13021] |
| Gary Wild Jefferson, OR | think it was in '95 or so that I stoped at my uncles place in Oragevale. He has pictures of the crew, himself included, who
built the first 3 dc-4e's (which went to Japan) 02/27/2006 @ 20:08 [ref: 12645] |
| Kevin Kearney , NJ | Sold to Japan.
Supposedly crashed in the ocean with some high ranking Admirals. Said to be Douglas' first major contribution to the war effort. Later revealed that it was reverse engineered and the Betty Bomber was based on it. Dont know what happened to the original. Story about it in the Douglas C-54 Pilot's training manual. Kevin Kearney Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation www.spiritoffreedom.org C-54E "Spirit of Freedom" 09/04/2005 @ 18:59 [ref: 11152] |
| Maggie , OR | I have a large, beautiful framed photo of what appears to be a DC-4E. It is signed by over 50 people and dated 02/07/39. Some of the signatures are beginning to fade a little and I would hate to have these names disappear since it was apparently something they were quite proud of. I am also not sure what to do with the photo (donate to aircraft museum?).
Any suggestions? 09/01/2005 @ 00:02 [ref: 11135] |
| Ed Cahill Atlanta, GA | I have a photo taken in 1939 or 1940 of the DC 4 #NC18100. The photo was taken by Margret Borke-White. It shows workmen re fueling the plane. It has a tri tale along with the berth windows high on the circular section fueselage. I was given the photo as a gift by my wifes aunt. Hers husband Bill Maxwell was associated with United Airlines at the time - I belive it was taken at Laguardia (sp) airport. It is inscribed and initialed. 02/15/2005 @ 23:42 [ref: 9452] |
| Greg Gullett , AZ | There is a toy version of this aircraft in United Airlines colors for sale at this time on E-Bay. Made by Wyandotte Toys in USA, this is a metal (steel) toy in pretty good condition. Auction ends Aug 31. 08/27/2002 @ 23:48 [ref: 5568] |
| Richard Palmer Sandy,, UT | I have discovered a short segment of 16mm film of the DC4-E aircraft taken at the Salt Lake City airport around 1938-'39. Because of film age the images are somewhat blurred but very recognizable. I could post some of them on this sight but would need an E-mail address to do so.
RWPalmer 02/14/2002 @ 13:33 [ref: 4310] |
| Tom Drennan , OR | When the DC-3 proved to be a great success the airlines began to dream big and asked what the limits were. Douglas listened, in time American, United, Eastern andTWA agreed to share expenses to develop a super airliner. Suppliers were bitten by the bug, Pratt and Whittney promised a new engine for it and the propeller companies were interested.
That all sounds great but with so many involved and everybody wanting to get his two cents in reason was the first casualty. The plane got too large, too fancy, too complicated and too expensive. Different accounts give different details and not all agree. Beds for thirty or seats for fifty two with all kinds of combinations. There were four to seven toilets with vanity areas so the ladies could make them selves up. Dining arrangements are described several ways but always grand. Probably different ideas from different airlines Douglas had to consider as size and layout were determined. All systems were more complicated, electrical, water, waste, communications, ventilation, heating and cooling. Pressurization was planned but not installed. The plane got to be too big, fancy, complicated and expensive. For about a year the DC-4 was passed around to the four airlines to try it on their routes but nobody was happy with it. It did not fit many airports of the day, required too much maintenance and the experimental Double Hornet engines gave problems. Pratt and Whittney realized they had to do better and went right to work on the R-2000 Twin Wasp but that was taking time. TWA jumped ship to order the new Boeing 307 Stratoliner and the rest canceled orders for that plane but agreed to give Douglas another chance. By this time the DC-5 was in the works and Douglas didn’t want a gap in the line up so they dubbed it the DC-4 Experimental or DC-4E and sold it to Japan. There was a new start with a clean sheet of paper and less people offering suggestions. Before the plane we know as DC-4 / C-54 / RD-5 was flying Pratt and Whittney had a new engine ready. The rest is history. 08/13/2001 @ 01:16 [ref: 2903] |
| Anthony Cash , FL | I read somewhere on the web that this plane was scrapped and that the nose section could be seen in a junkyard up until a certain year. Then I heard from an authority on classic airplanes that it was sold to someone in Japan. Does anyone know for sure, which story is true, and do you have a better photo than the one posted? Does a GOOD photo of it exist anywhere?
If you know of the website where the story (of the plane's being junked) appeared, please comment at this site. 08/09/2001 @ 00:58 [ref: 2876] |
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