North Central Officials Signing Over the 1939 Douglas DC-3 Flight Log to Donald Shelley, May 28, 1975
THF124063 / North Central Officials Signing Over the 1939 Douglas DC-3 Flight Log to Donald Shelley, May 28, 1975
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Artifact Overview
North Central Airlines donated a DC-3 airplane to The Henry Ford in 1975. Built in 1939, the plane flew passengers for Eastern Airlines in its first 13 years. North Central then purchased it and used the plane in passenger service until 1965, when North Central converted it into a VIP aircraft. All told, the airplane logged nearly 85,000 flight hours.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Photographic print
Subject Date
28 May 1975
Collection Title
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
EI.235.12
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Gelatin silver process
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 8.125 in
Width: 10 in
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Related Artifacts
Artifact1939 Douglas DC-3 Airplane
The Douglas DC-3, introduced in 1936, carried 21 passengers -- enough to fly profitably without relying on subsidies from air mail contracts. While the DC-3's economy appealed to airlines, its rugged construction and comfortable cabin attracted passengers. More than any other aircraft, the DC-3 ushered in the era of dependable, long-distance air travel in the United States.
ArtifactNorth Central Airlines Douglas DC-3 Airplane Flight Log Binder, Presented to The Henry Ford on May 28, 1975
Airplanes require careful maintenance, and each flight must be thoroughly documented in a logbook. This book, for the final flights of the Douglas DC-3 in The Henry Ford's collection, records everything from crew members' names, to flight times, to the operating temperatures of the engines' cylinder heads. Equipment malfunctions and subsequent repairs are noted as well.
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SetRetiring “The Worlds High-Time Aircraft”
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The Henry Ford's DC-3 flew to Dearborn under its own power, landing at Ford Motor Company's proving ground -- first developed as an airport in 1924 -- on May 28, 1975. Over its 36-year career for Eastern Airlines and North Central Airlines, the plane traveled 12 million miles and logged 84,875 flying hours, a record for a commercial aircraft at the time.