72 African Pilot April 2015
Text by Steve Morrison • Photography by Athol Franz
Before the Second World War, the Douglas Aircraft Company was asked to produce a larger version
of the DC-3/C-47 airliner. It came up with DC-4 airliner that could carry twice the load of the DC-3.This larger aircraft was very different from the present DC-4s with which we
are familiar, in that it had a triple rudder and fi n empenage which was similar to
the Lockheed Constellation. A retractable tri-cycle landing gear, power boosted
fl ight controls and air-conditioning were included in the design. Pressurisation
was also to be included in the production airliners. The engines were four
Pratt & Whitney R-2180 14 cylinder Twin Wasp air-cooled radials developing
1081kW. An auxiliary power unit consisting of two small petrol engines supplied
ground power and the electrical system supplied AC power and the maximum
weight was 31,164 kg. The prototype was registered NX18100 and the fi rst
fl ight took place on 7 June 1938. The airliner was displayed in United Airlines’
livery and later fl ew several proving fl ights on its routes. In 1938 the airliner
proved to be too complex and too expensive for the airlines to operate and only
the prototype was constructed, which became known as the Douglas DC-4E
(experimental). The aircraft was later sold to Japan and was reported to have
crashed into Tokyo Bay. If the truth be known she was probably dismantled and
investigated for her technology.
The Douglas Company with American, Eastern and United airlines agreed on
a smaller, less complex airliner that would cost less, be cheaper to operate
and much easier to maintain. Orders were placed by the airlines for 61
airliners. The new DC-4 airliner was powered by four Pratt & Whitney Twin
Wasp R-2000 D5 14 cylinder, air-cooled engines that produced 1081kW.
The wingspan was 35.8 m, the length 28.6 m and the maximum weight was
33,113 kg. The maximum speed was 451 kph with a cruising speed of around
305 kph and the range was around 4,000 kms depending on the payload and
the number of fuel tanks fi tted. The number of passengers carried would
normally be from 40 to 86 depending on the plane’s confi guration and the
type of service offered, whilst on the rear left side a double cargo door was
included. World War ll in Europe hampered the production of the DC-4s as
the British, French and US governments placed substantial orders for the
DC-3/C-47 as well as Douglas built combat aircraft such as the Dauntless,
the SBD Dauntless and the Douglas DB-7 Havoc/Boston bombers which
had served the SAAF so well in the North African campaign.The military designation for the DC-4 was C-54- followed by the Douglas plant
factory code - C-54-DO for the Santa Monica plant in California and C-54
–DC for the Chicago plant. The fi rst C-54-DO tail number (41-20137 #3050)
took to the air from Clover Field, Santa Monica on 14 February 1942. This
aircraft also served as the prototype and the development and the trouble
free test programme was soon completed. After the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbour on 7 December 1941, the US armed forces took over the orders for
the 61 aircraft that had been placed earlier by the airlines. Production of
the C-54 was at the Santa Monica plant and later at the Douglas plant in
Chicago which produced 633 examples. The US Navy and the US Marines
used the designation R5D-1 to R5D-5. After the war, limited production of the
civil DC-4-1009 was continued until the last airliner came off the line in July- This airliner was delivered to South African Airways (SAA) with the
registration of ZS-BMH (#43157) and named Lebombo. One VC-54C-DO
(#7470) was modifi ed to serve as a presidential aircraft for US President
Theodore Roosevelt and attracted the name ‘Holy Cow!’ Not to be outdone,
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill used a C-54B-DO (#18326) with the
Royal Air Force (RAF) tail number EW999. During the Berlin airlift in 1949, a
total of 224 C-54s were used to transport critically needed supplies to the city.
The transport of coal, fuel and food required different cabin confi gurations.
The DC-4/C54 frontline service around the world did not last long as the
bigger and faster pressurised Douglas DC-6s and Lockheed Constellations
had a better range with an increased payload. Some 1,315 military C-54s
and civil DC-4s were produced at the two Douglas plants.