The Douglas Dolphin is an American

amphibious Amphibious means able to use either land or water. In particular it may refer to: Animals * Amphibian, a vertebrate animal of the class Amphibia (many of which live on land and breed in water) * Amphibious caterpillar * Amphibious fish, a fish ...

flying boat. While only 58 were built, they served a wide variety of roles including private air yacht, airliner, military transport, and search and rescue.

Design and development

The Dolphin originated in 1930 as the "Sinbad," a pure flying boat without wheels. The Sinbad was intended as a luxurious flying yacht. Undaunted by the lack of demand, Douglas improved the Sinbad in 1931 so that it was amphibious, and could land on water or land. The improved aircraft was named "Dolphin", however this did not represent the end of development, as many detail improvements were made, including an increase in the length of over a foot and changes made to the

empennage The empennage ( or ), also known as the tail or tail assembly, is a structure at the rear of an aircraft that provides stability during flight, in a way similar to the feathers on an arrow.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third e ...

, engine nacelles and wings. The

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

had curtailed demand for such extravagance as a "flying yacht", but Douglas managed to interest the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, m ...

who not only bought the Sinbad, but 12 Dolphins.Rumerman, Judy
"Douglas Aircraft Builds the DC-1 and DC-2."
''Centennial of Flight,'' 2003. Retrieved: March 5, 2012.

Operational history

The first two were purchased by Wilmington-Catalina Airlines to fly passengers between

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

and Santa Catalina Island, becoming the first successful Douglas airliners. Subsequent examples were ordered by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and U.S. Coast Guard for use as transports and search and rescue craft. The

U.S. Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

ordered several under the designations C-21, C-26, and C-29. Many were eventually ordered for their original purpose as luxury transports. Owners included

William Boeing William Edward Boeing (; October 1, 1881 – September 28, 1956) was an American aviation pioneer who founded the Pacific Airplane Company in 1916, which a year later was renamed to The Boeing Company, now the largest exporter in the United S ...

, the founder of the

Boeing Company The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...

, and

Philip K. Wrigley Philip Knight Wrigley (December 5, 1894 – April 12, 1977), often called P. K. Wrigley, was an American chewing gum manufacturer and a Major League Baseball executive, inheriting both of those roles as the quiet son of his much more flamboyant fa ...

, the son of the founder of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company.

William K. Vanderbilt William Kissam "Willie" Vanderbilt I (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920) was an American heir, businessman, philanthropist and horsebreeder. Born into the Vanderbilt family, he managed his family's railroad investments. Early life William Kiss ...

bought two with custom interiors for use from the Vanderbilt yacht Alva as flying tenders. One was procured by the U.S. Navy as a transport for President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

. Although never used by Roosevelt, this was the first aircraft procured to provide transportation for the President of the United States."Mayflower of the Air ready for President."
''Popular Science'', May 1933, p. 713. Retrieved: March 5, 2012. In 1933, landing in heavy seas, the USCG RD-4 undertook some rescues of merchant sailors at sea, feats that made spectacular news reports, enthralling the American public.

Variants

''Data from:McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920 Vol.1''Francillon 1988, pp. 102–103. ;Douglas Sinbad :The original prototype built as a flying boat, intended to be a luxurious flying yacht, first flown in July 1930. No orders were received for the Sinbad which was eventually bought by the U.S. Coast Guard. ;Dolphin Model 1 : The initial two Dolphins built for the Wilmington-Catalina Airline Ltd. as six-seat airliners. ;Dolphin Model 1 Special :The Model 1s redesignated after modification to seat eight passengers. ;Dolphin Model 3 :The third commercial Dolphin built as a luxury transport named Lesgo with seats for two crew and four passengers for

Powel Crosley Jr. Powel Crosley Jr. (September 18, 1886 – March 28, 1961) was an American inventor, industrialist, and entrepreneur. He was also a pioneer in radio broadcasting, and owner of the Cincinnati Reds major league baseball team. In addition, Crosl ...

, powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior A engines. Later impressed into the

RAAF "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

as ''A35-3''. ;Dolphin 113 :One aircraft named Jade Blanc V for French clothing manufacturer

Armand Esders Armand refer to: People * Armand (name), list of people with this name *Armand (photographer) (1901–1963), Armenian photographer *Armand (singer) (1946–2015), Dutch protest singer *Sean Armand (born 1991), American basketball player *Armand, ...

(who also owned a

Bugatti Royale The Bugatti Type 41, better known as the Royale, is a large luxury car built from 1927 to 1933 with a 4.3 m (169.3 in) wheelbase and 6.4 m (21 ft) overall length. It weighs approximately 3,175 kg (7,000 lb) and uses a ...

) similar to the RD-4, powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney R-1340-S1H1 Wasp engines. ;Dolphin 114 :A single Dolphin built to order for

, powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney Wasp SC1 engines. ;Dolphin 116 :One aircraft for the

Armada Argentina The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...

(Argentine Navy), powered by 2x P&W R-1340-96. ;Dolphin 117 :One aircraft initially named Rover, bought by

William E. Boeing William Edward Boeing (; October 1, 1881 – September 28, 1956) was an American aviation pioneer who founded the Pacific Airplane Company in 1916, which a year later was renamed to The Boeing Company, now the largest exporter in the United St ...

, which ended up in

CAA CAA may refer to: Law * Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 of India ** Protests regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act * Copyright assignment agreement, to transfer copyright to another party * Clean Air Act, United States law to reduce air ...

(forerunner of the current

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...

) service. Sole surviving example, painted in USCG markings. ;Dolphin 119 :Two aircraft built for Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. and

William Kissam Vanderbilt II William Kissam Vanderbilt II (October 26, 1878 – January 8, 1944) was an American motor racing enthusiast and yachtsman, and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family. Early life He was born on October 26, 1878, in New York City, the seco ...

and operated from the yacht ''Alva''. One of the two (which is unknown) joined the

RAAF "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

as ''A35-2''. ;Dolphin 129 :Two aircraft ordered by

Pan American Airways Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...

for its subsidiary (at that time)

China National Aviation Corporation The China National Aviation Corporation () was a Chinese airline which was nationalized after the Chinese Communist Party took control in 1949, and merged into the People's Aviation Company of China () in 1952. It was a major airline under the ...

, powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney Wasp S3D1 engines. One crashed in heavy seas and the other was destroyed during or shortly after the Japanese invasion of China. ;Dolphin 136 :A single Dolphin, powered by 2x

Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior SB The Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior is a series of nine-cylinder, air-cooled, radial aircraft engines built by the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company from the 1930s to the 1950s. These engines have a displacement of ; initial versions produced , ...

engines, ordered by

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co- ...

and later impressed by the RAAF as ''A35-1''. ;FP-1 :Several C-21 aircraft loaned to the

U.S. Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

for border patrols during

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholi ...

. ;FP-2 :The two Y1C-26 Dolphins during a brief attachment to the U.S. Treasury Department. ;FP-2A :The designation used by those Y1C-26A aircraft that were attached to the U.S. Treasury Department. ;FP-2B :The two C-29s when in use by the U.S. Treasury Department. ;RD-1 :One aircraft, powered by 2x Wright R-975E radial engines, operated by the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

. ;RD-2 :Four Dolphin aircraft of two distinct types. One Aircraft similar to the Y1C-21 and powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney R-1340-10 engines, for the U.S. Coast Guard. Two were U.S. Navy VIP staff transports similar to the Y1C-26 powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney R-1340-96 engines. The final aircraft was completed for the U.S. Navy as the first presidential aircraft, for

, powered initially by 2x Pratt & Whitney R-1340-1 engines and later by 2x Pratt & Whitney R-1340-10 engines, seating five though it was reportedly never used by the President. ;RD-3 :A utility transport version of the RD-2, six of which were built for the U.S. Navy, powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney R-1340-4 or by 2x Pratt & Whitney R-1340-96 engines. ;RD-4 :Ten aircraft for the U.S. Coast Guard, powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney Wasp C1 engines. One, V-126, was destroyed on the morning of August 5th, 1941, when it likely struck a rock pinnacle on the southeastmost of the

Farallon Islands The Farallon Islands, or Farallones (from the Spanish ''farallón'' meaning "pillar" or "sea cliff"), are a group of islands and sea stacks in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. The isl ...

near San Francisco, causing the aircraft to burst into flames. All 3 crewmen aboard were killed. ;OA-3 :C-21 aircraft redesignated. ;OA-4 :C-26 aircraft redesignated. ;OA-4A :Y1C-26A aircraft redesignated. ;OA-4B :C-26B aircraft redesignated, one of which was fitted with an experimental fixed tricycle undercarriage. ;OA-4C :Four OA-4A and one OA-4B aircraft modernized in 1936. ;Y1C-21 :Eight aircraft for the USAAS, similar to the Navy's RD-1, powered by 2x Wright R-975-3 engines. ;Y1C-26 :Two aircraft for the USAAS with increased dimensions, fin area and fuel capacity (from to ). Powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney R-985-1 engines. ;Y1C-26A :Eight aircraft for the USAAS differing from the Y1C-26 only in minor details. ;C-21 :Y1C-21 aircraft redesignated. ;C-26 :Y1C-26 aircraft redesignated. ;C-26A :Y1C-26A aircraft redesignated. ;C-26B :Four aircraft powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney R-985-9 engines. ;C-29 :Two Dolphins, powered by 2x Pratt & Whitney R-1340-29 engines, were essentially similar to the Y1C-26As.

Military operators

Douglas Dolphin at the US National Museum of Naval Aviation

; *

Argentine Naval Aviation ) Gulf War , anniversaries = , decorations = , battle_honours = , commander1 = President , commander1_label = Commander-in-Chief , commander2 ...

; *

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

; *

* U.S. Army Air Force *

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

Specifications (RD-3 Dolphin)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Bowers, Peter M. "Douglas Dolphin." ''Airpower'', Volume 12, Number 6, November 1982. * Francillon, René J. ''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920, Volume 1.'' London: Putnam & Company Ltd., Second revised edition, 1988, 1979. .

External links

{{Navboxes , title=Articles and topics related to the Douglas Dolphin , state=collapsed , list1= {{Douglas airliners {{Douglas aircraft {{USAF amphibious aircraft {{USAF transports {{USN transports {{Wright Field project numbers {{ADF aircraft designations

Dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the b ...

Flying boats 1930s United States civil utility aircraft 1930s United States military transport aircraft Amphibious aircraft High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1930 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft