Douglas DC-5

what is it?

The Douglas DC-5 (Douglas Commercial Model 5) was a 16-to-22-seat, twin-engine propeller aircraft intended for shorter routes than the Douglas DC-3 or Douglas DC-4. By the time it entered commercial service in 1940, many airlines were canceling orders for aircraft. Consequently, only five civilian DC-5s were built.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · shoulder wing · retractable tricycle gear · 23.8 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 370 km/htop speed
• seats 24passengers
• size 9,072 kgmax take-off weight
• built 12made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 87 years ago, in 1939.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.8× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 23.8 m: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1939-02-20

introduced

1940

retired

1949

status

retired

number built

12

role

transport

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Douglas

engines

2× Wright GR-1820-G102A Cyclone

crew

3

passengers

24

length

19 m

wingspan

23.8 m

height

6.1 m

max take-off weight

9,072 kg

top speed

370 km/h

cruise speed

314 km/h

range

—

ceiling

7,224 m

wings

shoulder wing

landing gear

retractable tricycle gear

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.