Douglas
Douglas mailplane
Emerging after World War I, the Douglas Aircraft Company built its first civil aircraft, the Douglas Mailplane (also known as the M‑1), a single‑engine biplane designed to carry U.S. Post Office mail on the new aeronautical network. First flown in late 1920, it entered service in early 1921 and quickly connected western cities such as San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. The aircraft featured a 192‑horsepower Liberty V12 engine, a three‑seat cockpit with pilot and mail compartments, fixed tailskid landing gear, wooden frame, fabric covering, and semi‑monocoque fuselage construction that was innovative for the time. It could carry up to 500 pounds of mail, cruise at 115 mph, and range about 500 miles. Key features included interchangeable upper and lower wings, a balanced control system, and easy‑maintenance access panels. The Mailplane's reliability proved crucial in building public confidence in regular airmail, and its operational experience directly informed later Douglas designs such as the O‑2 observation plane and the commercial DC‑1/DC‑2 series. Thus, the Douglas Mailplane marks a significant milestone in aviation history, signifying the company’s transition from wartime production to civil aircraft manufacturing and laying the foundation for its future dominance in the industry.
Classification
Dimensions
- Length
- 29 foot
Production & History
- First Flight
- 1925