Аннотация: A reliability and a mass character. A biographical note about Donald Douglas.
A reliability and a mass character. A biographical note about Donald Douglas.
Probably, classical Soviet literature most of all informed readers about Douglas.
In the novel by Vladimir Bogomolov "In August of the forty-fourth" ["In August of 1944'], two officials of highest rank are flying aboard of Douglas: the Head of the Main Directorate of Counterintelligence with a group of generals and senior officers ("Douglas", hull number 9; security escort fighters "LA-5 FN", hull numbers 26 and 34), and the People's Commissar of State Security (endowed with special powers by the Stavka) with a group of senior operational personnel ("Douglas", hull number 17, security escort fighters "LA-5 FN", hull numbers 29 and 31). There are other references to this aircraft model in this novel.
Donald Wills Douglas (1892 - 1981) gives the impression of a harmonious person.
He comes from the Scottish clan of the Douglases. He was born in the USA and received a good education. He was as a good designer, founder of aircraft manufacturing firms, so and a government official. During his lifetime, he collaborated with many of the leading figures in American aviation technology (for example, with Glenn L. Martin, Jack Northrop ...).
Donald Douglas and his firm had an excellent reputation. However, he did not design and produce especially outstanding aircraft models - until the beginning of the Second World War.
Before this war, he showed foresight - he foresaw the raising of role of aviation and the rapid growth of the aviation industry.
To a certain extent, his personal history merges with the world history in 1941, and this combination, merger is expressed in the Douglas C-47 model.
The merit of Donald Douglas was both the development of the Douglas C-47 model and its (this model) the mass production.
In total, about 10,000 (ten thousand) copies of the Douglas C-47 were produced during the Second World War.
(For comparison.
1. Till September 1, 1939, the Luftwaffe had 4093 vehicles. Of these, 3,646 vehicles were in readiness. This number included 1176 bombers, 1179 fighters, 552 military transport aircraft "Ju 52". There was a noticeable shortage of personnel due to losses during training flights.
2. According to the calculations of the Luftwaffe, 600 aircraft were required to supply by air the grouping surrounded in Stalingrad (November 1942). There were 298 aircraft available. The Luftwaffe lost 488 aircraft and 800 pilots while supplying the grouping surrounded in Stalingrad. The task of fully supplying the encircled group was not fulfilled. Every day it was required to deliver 600-500 tons of cargo. In fact, from 100 tons (or less) to 140 tons (in rare cases) were delivered daily. On January 31, 1943, Generalfeldmarschall Friedrich Paulus surrendered to Soviet troops with the part of his army. Experienced personnel of German aviation during the operation of the air bridge were largely destroyed. To replenish the crews of transport aircraft, it was necessary to send instructors of aviation schools and cadets who underwent accelerated training.).
This aircraft (Douglas C-47) provided immense mobility to the Allies during hostilities. If readers from Russia know the Douglases from Vladimir Bogomolov's novel "In August of the forty-fourth", then readers from Western countries are more aware of information that during the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, 4381 Allied paratroopers were dropped from C-47s. More than 50,000 paratroopers were dropped by C-47 aircraft during the first few days of the invasion of Normandy, France, in June 1944.
After World War II, the company, founded by Donald Douglas, was a pioneer in many areas of aviation (and space) technology, but the company faced increasing difficulties.
Douglas Sr. retired in 1957 and was replaced by his son Donald Douglas Jr. as president of the company.
Problems led to the merger of The Douglas Aircraft Company with the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. McDonnell Douglas was established on April 28, 1967.
Douglas Sr. was the honorary chairman of the board of directors of McDonnell Douglas until his death on February 1, 1981 at the age of 88.
McDonnell Douglas merged with The Boeing Company in 1997. Thus, a dare, an ability to dare, was increasingly combined with a reliability.
As for the operation to capture a group of highly qualified and especially dangerous Abwehr agents, which is described in the novel by Vladimir Bogomolov (it is in this novel that the Douglases are repeatedly mentioned), this operation was completed successfully.
The reliability of a Douglas C-47 is not specifically emphasized in this novel. The reliability of this model was taken for granted, as a something natural.
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July 19, 2021 21:40
Translation from Russian into English: July 20, 2021 14:23.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Надёжность и массовость. Биографическая заметка о Дональде Дугласе'.