Classic British Flight Sim

JUST one question : I went through my DC-2 books , magazine etc. (also a recent Aeroplane monthly featured a DATABASE issue on the Douglas ship No. 2 ) but I have not found mention of the different tail fin and rudder of the actual flying examples of the DC-2.
They have a definitive different shape from tha DC-2 original one (also well represented in the UIVER model) . It is a strange fin , similar to the DC-3 one but not the same.
Who knows why ?

THANK you

Kikko

Just a guess, but the original DC-2 was a bit a handful to fly, I wonder if the new fin an attempt (with DC-3 knowlege) to modify things for the better. I may be way of the mark here BTW

Kikko

Take a look at the fin of the DC1 (proof of concept aircraft as they would say these days) thats why the fin change -
apparently it was laterally unstable and a pig with an engine out (as in both pilots having to stand on opposite
rudder) I think we tend to forget that in this day and age of CADCAM that back then it was truly hit or miss.


Does your book say anything about the infamous CAAC DC2-1/2????
says alot for Donald Douglass design team


Leif

Some pics of the tail developed through the years, until the DC2 had a complete DC3-like horizontal and vertical tail. This is indeed due to the notorious lateral instability of the planes. I would say that the DC2 tail was a continuous prototype for the DC3.

Here you have tail 1

Original DC1 and DC2

This is tail 2 and 3

Tail 2 had only a bigger vertical stabalizer,
Tail 3 also has adapted balance areas.

This is tail 4

The rudder is already like the DC3, with a further development of balance areas and hinges, but no dorsal fin.
DC2-145 / C-33

This is the final construction

Dorsal fin present
DC2-243 / C-39 Also called DC-2 1/2, but I think the CNAC example is the true DC-2 1/2 ;-)

Cheers, Rob

THANK YOU guys! All is now very clear ! I was not able to find answers on the WEB ! :yipeee: :yipeee:

Cheers Rob

I knew there was a continous development of the horizontal surfaces

Also it says a bunch that CNAC (Sorry memory going there) could cobble a Dc3 outer wing onto a Dc2 ;-)

Glad my memory didnt fail me entirely


Leif

Hi Leif..if that's the one I'm thinking off that's the wrong way round :think:

The Chinese DC2 1/2 was a DC3 with a single DC2 outer wing.

Garry

Garry

You are of course perfectly correct - silly me for trusting memory rather than googling it

Heres a photo of the beastie



and if anyone is interested in reading its rather odd story

http://www.cnac.org/aircraft02.htm

See thats what I get for being a product of books rather than computers


Leif

That's the one

Neve seen another pic of that so perhaps that was the only one taken. That pic was in a feature on the C-47 in a mag my Dad had dating from about 1960ish.

It flew OK after being trimmed up.......but I guess they kept it as light as possible

Garry

There are some other shots of it at that article including the damage that brought about this very odd combination

leif