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1936 Douglas C-33 Army Air Corps
DC-2 Cargo Plane Photo, 1 of 18 Built
Before the C-47 Skytrain, the Army Flew the C-33DESCRIPTIONOriginal period photograph of a Douglas C-33, the U.S. Army Air Corps cargo version of the DC-2 airliner, dated August 26, 1936. White lettering in the lower right corner reads 9912, C-33 and 8-26-36, giving the negative number, aircraft type and date. The view is a high, rear three-quarter angle of the aircraft parked on an unpaved airfield with a golf course and hills beyond. The metal skin with its panel seams and rivet lines, the twin radio masts above the cabin, the striped rudder and the star insignia on the wing are all easy to study. In the lower left corner a boy kneels beside a rope line with what appears to be a dog resting nearby, a candid human moment in an otherwise all-business aircraft portrait.The C-33 was the Army\'s cargo-hauling take on the Douglas DC-2. Douglas fitted it with a reinforced cabin floor, a large cargo door in the aft fuselage and two 750 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines, so the airframe that carried up to 14 airline passengers could instead haul about 2,400 pounds of freight or 12 passengers for the Air Corps. Only 18 were built, and they carried 1936 serial numbers, which places this August 1936 photograph in the early days of the type\'s service.The C-33 also sits at a turning point in the DC-2 to DC-3 family tree. The first C-33 was rebuilt as the one-off C-38, fitted with the larger tail surfaces developed for the DC-3 and 975 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines in an effort to improve the stability of the DC-2 and C-33 series. That test aircraft was followed by an order for 35 C-39s, which combined the DC-2 fuselage with the DC-3 center wing section and larger tail, part of the Douglas transport lineage that led to the C-47 Skytrain of World War II.Photograph measures approximately 8 x 10 inches. Scanned at 600dpi so you can review every detail before you buy.Every effort is made for fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you\'re unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I\'ll make it right. Orders placed before Noon CDT will ship same day Ground Advantage with tracking so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. Rigid, professional packaging on all shipments, sealed and protected in acid free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONFront: Sharp, detailed period print with a full range of tones and strong contrast in the aircraft, the airfield surface and the golf course beyond. The white border is intact, with light toning along the left edge and a few faint smudges in the margin. A scattering of tiny flecks and dust marks is visible in the sky area, along with the light handling wear expected of a print from 1936. No tears, creases or emulsion loss are visible in the scans.Verso: Residue and small paper remnants from a former album mount are present on the back. They are limited to the reverse and do not affect the image side.
