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 ed ...

, engine nacelles and wings. The

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

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 Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

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

AL61A-048 Douglas Dolphin NC14204 Wilmington-Catalina Airline

The first two were purchased by

Wilmington-Catalina Airline Wilmington-Catalina Airline, Ltd. (WCA) was a US scheduled airline founded in 1931 by the Wrigley family of Wrigley Company, chewing gum fame to provide air transportation with amphibious aircraft on the 30-mile flight from Wilmington, Californ ...

to fly passengers between

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

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 naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

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. He founded the Pacific Airplane Company in 1916, which was renamed to Boeing a year later. The company is now the largest exporter in the United ...

, the founder of the

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

, and

Philip K. Wrigley Philip Knight Wrigley (December 5, 1894 – April 12, 1977) was an American chewing gum manufacturer and a Major League Baseball executive, inheriting both of those roles as the son of William Wrigley Jr. Biography Wrigley was born in Chicago in ...

, the son of the founder of the

Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, also known as Wrigley Company or simply Wrigley's, is an American multinational candy and chewing gum company, based in the Global Innovation Center (GIC) in Goose Island, Chicago, Illinois. Wrigley's is a subsidiary ...

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

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), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

. 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

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, Crosley's ...

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

RAAF The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the governor-general of Aus ...

as ''A35-3''. ;Dolphin 113 :One aircraft named Jade Blanc V for French clothing manufacturer Armand Esders (who also owned a

Bugatti Royale The Bugatti Type 41, better known as the Royale, is a large luxury car, ultra-luxury car built by Bugatti 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 ...

) 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 (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. He founded the Pacific Airplane Company in 1916, which was renamed to Boeing a year later. The company is now the largest exporter in the United ...

, which ended up in CAA (forerunner of the current

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...

) 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 secon ...

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

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

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

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 engines, ordered by

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company was a Trust (business), corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil of Ohio, Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founde ...

and later impressed by the RAAF as ''A35-1''. ;FP-1 :Several C-21 aircraft loaned to the U.S. Treasury Department 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 alcoholic b ...

. ;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 Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

. ;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 (), are a group of islands and sea stacks in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. The islands are also sometimes referred to by mariners as the Devil's ...

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 The Argentine Naval Aviation (', COAN) is the naval aviation branch of the Argentine Navy and one of its four operational commands. Argentina, along with Brazilian Navy, Brazil is one of two South American countries to have operated two aircraft c ...

; *

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

; *

* U.S. Army Air Force *

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

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

*
Historical Snapshot: Dolphin Amphibian
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Dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

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