There may be a Douglas World Cruiser airborne again, if a group in Seattle is successful.
They're building a fullsize replica of one of the planes flown around the world by the U.S. Army Air Service in 1924.
Volunteer members of the aptly named Seattle World Cruiser Association are working in a hangar sub-leased from Aero-Dyne Aviation at Renton Municipal Airport in Renton, Wash. They hope to have the replica completed in 2004, in time for the 80th anniversary of the DWC round-the-world flight.
The replica will be named "Seattle" after the plane that crashed at the start of the 1924 world flight. Although the group is keeping a low profile, a spokesman said it plans to reenact the Army's world flight with the massive (49-foot wingspan) two-place biplane.
Once There Were Five
Douglas Aircraft Co. of Santa Monica, Calif. built five World Cruisers for the Army's planned round-the-world flight. The prototype was used for flight testing and crew training; the other four — the "Seattle," "Boston," "Chicago" and "New Orleans" — were used on the flight.
Maj. Frederick Martin commanded the mission and flew "Seattle." Lt. Lowell Smith in the "Chicago," Lt. Leigh Wade in the "Boston," and Lt. Erik Nelson in the "New Orleans" made up the rest of the flight.
The pilots chose their own mechanic/copilot for the flight, then trained with the prototype at Langley Field, Va. while the other planes were being built.
The crews ferried the four mission planes from Santa Monica to Seattle, the trip's starting point. Shortly after leaving Seattle on Apr. 6, 1924, engine problems forced Maj. Martin and the "Seattle" to fall behind.
The "Seattle" was destroyed when it struck a mountain in heavy fog at Dutch Harbor, Alas. Although Martin and his mechanic survived, command of the flight was turned over to Lt. Smith in the "Chicago."
The three remaining planes flew on to Japan, then across China, Burma, India, Persia, the Balkans, France and England. During the trans-Atlantic portion of the flight, the "Boston" made a forced landing in mid-ocean and was damaged beyond repair during an attempt to hoist it aboard a Navy ship.
The two remaining planes continued on to Nova Scotia, where they were met by the prototype Douglas World Cruiser. Named "Boston II," it replaced the damaged first "Boston" and completed the flight across the U.S. with the first plane's crew.
The three planes made it back to Seattle on Sept. 28th. Kept aloft with 15 extra engines, 14 sets of floats and spare parts prepositioned all over the world, the "Chicago," "New Orleans" and "Boston II" completed the 27,553-mile flight in 175 days, logging 371 hours of flight time at an average speed of 70 mph.
In addition to being a major achievement for the Army and an important step toward the goal of worldwide air travel, the flight resulted in the creation of Douglas Aircraft's motto: "First Around the World — First the World Around."
For Posterity
Of the five Douglas World Cruisers built, only two survive. At the urging of Paul E. Garber, then just an aide at the Smithsonian Institution, the Secretary of War approved the transfer of the "Chicago" to the museum.
It was placed on display in the Arts & Industries building in September 1925. In 1976, it was restored and moved to the new National Air & Space Museum building, where it remains today.
The only other survivor is the "New Orleans," which belongs to the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. However, it is currently on display at the Museum of Flying In Santa Monica.
Seattle World Cruiser Association, located at 300 Airport Way, Ste. 204, Renton, WA 98055,
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