Made in the 1940s, FLAGSHIPS OF THE AIR presents a brief history of
transportation, ending with the invention of the airplane, and the
compression of time and space that came along with it. The film features
the Douglas DC-3, American Airlines flagships. Stewardess service is
seen at the 6 minute mark, and a transcontinental journey. The film
emphasizes the safety of air travel, and explains how pilots navigate,
and the safety checks made with meteorologists prior to flight. A travel
agency is seen at the 18:30
mark. Views of New York City from the air are seen at the 23 minute
mark.
The Douglas DC-3 is a fixed-wing propeller-driven airliner. Its cruise
speed (207 mph or 333 km/h) and range (1,500 mi or 2,400 km)
revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting effect
on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most
significant transport aircraft ever made.
The DC-3 was a twin engine metal monoplane, developed as a larger,
improved 14 bed sleeper version of the Douglas DC-2. It had many
exceptional qualities compared to previous aircraft. It was fast, had a
good range and could operate from short runways. It was also reliable,
easy to maintain and carried passengers in greater comfort. Before the
war it pioneered many air travel routes. It was able to cross the
continental United States, making transcontinental flights and worldwide
flights possible, and is considered to be the first airliner that could
make money by carrying passengers alone.
Civil DC-3 production ended in 1942 with only 607 aircraft being
produced. However, together with its military derivative, the C-47
Skytrain (designated the Dakota in RAF Service), and with Russian and
Japanese built versions, over 16,000 were built. Following the Second
World War, the airliner market was flooded with surplus C-47s and other
transport aircraft and attempts to produce an upgraded super DC-3 were a
failure.
While the DC-3 was soon made redundant on main routes by more advanced
types such as the Douglas DC-6 and Lockheed Constellation, the design
continued to prove exceptionally adaptable and useful. Large numbers
continued to see service in a wide variety of niche roles well into the
21st century. Approximately 400 DC-3s and converted C-47s are still
flying to this day as a testament to the durability of the design, many
examples being over 70 years old. There is speculation that the DC-3 may
become the first airliner to see over a century of operation.
We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide
additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See
something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by
writing something for example: '01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is
seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.'
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest
historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage
collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available
for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com