Douglas DC-1 NR223Y

Douglas DC-1 NR223Y of Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) Flown by TWA as a flying laboratory and for occasional scheduled passenger flights, NR233Y was flown by Jack Frye and Eddie Rickenbacker from Los Angeles to Newark in 13 hours 4 minutes, for a record transcontinental flight on 19 February 1934. Information: After the record breaking flight in 1934, NR233Y was modified with long-range tanks in the cabin increasing fuel capacity to 2100 US gallons, removal of cabin windows, re-engined with 785 hp Wright SGR-1820-F25 engines and increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW) to 28500 lb. To ensure that the aircraft could land at the maximum landing weight (MLW) in an emergency, dump valves allowed all fuel to be dumped overboard in three minutes. Once modified the aircraft was leant to the National Aeronautical Association for attempts at various distance and weight-carrying records for the US and the World. On its delivery flight to the East Coast for the intended flights NR233Y broke its own speed record set the year before. On 30 April 1935, NR233Y crewed by D.W. Tomlinson, HH.B. Snead and J.S. Bartles flew from Burbank to New York in 11 hours 5 minutes. Between 16 and 19 May 1935 NR233Y set or broke 22 records, including 8 world records. After these record-breaking flights the aircraft was sold by TWA to Western Aero and Radio Co. of Burbank, for Howard Hughes, who planned to make further national and international record attempts. This photograph is of the aircraft at one of many press events after the record-setting flights in 1935

Picture No

13128251

Media ID

47761736

Size

6024px x 2429px (4.0MB)

Credit

Source

unattributed photographer - original negative acquired from the WILL BLUNT collection

Date

1935