This month marked the 80th anniversary of the Douglas DC-4’s first flight. The legendary four-engine piston aircraft would prove to be a valuable model in both civil and military operations following its introduction in 1942.

Another DC evolution

The propeller conducted its first flight on February 14th, 1942. However, its story began in the previous decade when the Douglas Aircraft Company developed what would become known as the DC-4E. In the mid-1930s, United Airlines asked Douglas to develop a larger and more robust alternative to the DC-3.

Douglas experimented with the project and came up with the large 42-passenger airline, which conducted its maiden flight on June 7th, 1938. Nonetheless, only one unit was produced as production was suspended due to Douglas deeming the design too large to be a valid option for the time.

As a result, the manufacturer developed the program into the DC-4A, which is now known as the DC-4.

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Alitalia, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Pan American, KLM, SAS, Iberia, Siwssasir, Air France, TWA, Buffalo Airways, National Airlines, and Western Airlines were all key operators of the aircraft. Photo: Ken Fielding via Wikimedia Commons

United Airlines entered the plane into service in the same year as it performed its first flight. Yet, the aircraft quickly became increasingly mobilized to help with the United States’ World War II efforts.

Serving the country

Production of the DC-4 came to a halt, and two military variants were developed. The C-54 Skymaster and the R5D provided crucial support during the war.

Boeing, which would acquire Douglas assets decades later following a series of mergers, stated the following about the DC-4’s production run:

“Douglas built 1,241 of the DC-4s and its military counterparts, including the R5D for the Navy. During the war, C-54s flew a million miles a month over the rugged North Atlantic — more than 20 roundtrips a day. A special VC-54C, nicknamed the ”Sacred Cow” by the White House press corps, became the first presidential aircraft, ordered for Franklin D. Roosevelt. After World War II, commercial airlines placed more than 300 civilian DC-4 transports into service, these DC-4s, along with C-54s converted for civil use, carried more passengers than any other four-engine transport. Some were still flying through 2014.”

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Covering ground

Commercial DC-4 production was restarted after the war. However, only two years after the conflict stopped, the program ended. The aircraft was developed into the DC-6, which was introduced with both American Airlines and United Airlines in March 1947.

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The levelness of the DC-4 and its military counterparts meant that it was easier for passengers and crew to board and leave the aircraft compared to previous types. Photo:  Bill Larkins via Wikimedia Commons

There were several variants of the DC-4. One of the most famous spinoffs was the Canadair North Star, which was made for Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA). This aircraft performed its first flight on July 15th, 1946, and 71 units were built in total.

The Aviation Traders Carvair was another notable derivative. It was an air ferry conversion developed by Freddie Laker's Aviation Traders. In total, 21 conversions were conducted, with the plane entering service with Channel Air Bridge on February 16th, 1962.

Numerous major carriers enjoyed the reliability of the DC-4. For instance, Delta Air Lines took on the plane because it had double the capacity and four times the range of the DC-3. With 44 seats and a range of 1,730 NM (3,200), the Atlanta-based carrier flew the plane to many hotspots across the US, including Chicago, Miami, Fort Worth, Charleston, and Savannah.

Overall, the DC-4 helped many airlines either get off the ground or take it to the next level in one of the most crucial periods of commercial aviation history. The aircraft has been spotted in action even in recent years, especially in South Africa with the South African Airways Museum Society, highlighting the longevity of the aircraft.

What do you think about the Douglas DC-4’s operations over the decades? What do you make of the aircraft’s history? Let us know what you think of the plane and its journey in the comment section.