BUILT TO LAST DOUGLAS JETLINERS SOLDIER ON

摘要

Between May 14, 1934, when it delivered its first DC-2 to Transcontinental and Western Air, and December 12, 1958, when its last four-engine propliner was handed over to Olympic Airways, the Douglas Aircraft Company out-produced and out-smarted its competitors in the United States and abroad. Having led the world in the piston-engine transport era, Douglas was slow to commit to producing jetliners and never recovered from that initial reluctance. It made matters even worse for itself by numerous marketing mistakes and managerial hesitancies. These led to its merger with McDonnell in April 1967 and to its final disappearance within the bowels of the Boeing Company in August 1997. The number of jetliners it produced pales in comparison to the number delivered by Boeing and Airbus. Outnumbered - but better built - these jetliners have almost consistently outlasted their competitors.