Douglas DC-4E
Douglas · United States · first flew 1938 · airliner
The Douglas DC-4E was an American experimental airliner developed before the Second World War. It never entered production, being superseded by an entirely new design, the Douglas DC-4 or C-54.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 29.74 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Novel tail with three low vertical stabilisers
- Four radial engines mounted with noticeable toe-out, particularly the outer pair
- Wing planform similar to the DC-3, with a swept leading edge and almost straight trailing edge
A four-engined low-wing airliner with three low vertical stabilisers on its tail and a nosewheel undercarriage. Its four Pratt & Whitney Twin Hornet radials are toed out.
Specifications
- The Douglas DC-4E has a length of 29.74 m (98 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 42.14 m (138 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 394 km/h (245 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The design originated in 1935 from a requirement by United Air Lines for a much larger replacement for the DC-3, with American Airlines, Eastern Air Lines, Pan American and TWA also contributing funds. It was the first large aircraft with a nosewheel. The prototype first flew on 7 June 1938 from Clover Field, Santa Monica, piloted by Carl Cover.
Variants
Only one prototype was built. The later, smaller four-engined design, with a single fin and a wingspan 21 ft shorter, took the DC-4 designation and the earlier aircraft became the DC-4E.
Where you'll see it
United Air Lines used it for in-service evaluation during 1939. The complex systems proved expensive to maintain and performance was below expectations, and in late 1939 it was sold to Imperial Japanese Airways. It was then transferred to Nakajima and reverse-engineered as the basis for the G5N bomber.
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