Douglas DC-3s

In the summer of 1941, Inter-Island Airways, later known as Hawaiian Airlines, undertook its first major fleet expansion. After operating amphibious aircraft for 12 years, founder Stan Kennedy led the effort to acquire three Douglas DC-3s, considered the most advanced aircraft of their time.

The airline collaborated with Douglas Aircraft Company to modify the planes with fuel tanks suited for transpacific travel. Before embarking on what was Douglas’ longest delivery distance at the time, the aircraft were ferried from Santa Monica to Oakland Municipal Airport.

On the morning of August 26, the DC-3s departed Oakland, flying carefully over the Pacific while conserving fuel for the lengthy journey. As they approached Hawaii, the aircraft rounded the eastern edge of Diamond Head before making their final approach to John Rodgers Airport, now Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, in Honolulu.

After approximately 14 hours of flight, all three aircraft arrived as planned, greeted by over 1,000 excited spectators eager to see the groundbreaking fleet. Their arrival symbolized a turning point for the airline, marking the official transition to Hawaiian Airlines, proudly displayed in bold red lettering on the aircraft fuselage.

ModelDC-3s
Seats21 passengers
Wingspan29 m (95 ft)
Length19.7 m (64 ft 6 in)
Height5 m (16 ft 11 in)
Weight, gross11,430 kg (25,200 lb)
Weight, empty7,650 kg (16,865)
Top speed370 km/h (230 mph)
Engine2 Wright SGR 1820-71, 1,200 hp

 

Reference

  1. Rogers, Rick. (Aug 30, 2019). Flyback Friday: A New Fleet for a New Era. Hawaiian Airlines. https://newsroom.hawaiianairlines.com/blog/flyback-friday-a-new-fleet-for-a-new-era#:~:text=After%20following%20a%20specific%20flight%20plan%20over,(now%20the%20Daniel%20K.%20Inouye%20International%20Airport).
  2. National Air and Space Museum (n.d) Douglas DC-3. Smithsonian. https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/douglas-dc-3/nasm_A19530075000