Douglas C-21/26/29 Dolphin

1930

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Douglas C-21/26/29 Dolphin

Developed from the one-off Sinbad operated by the US Coast Guard, the Dolphin was a six-eight-seat amphibian which was originally produced for commercial use. Its outstanding success, both with airlines and private operators, attracted the attention of the US government, with the result that contracts were awarded for the Army, Navy and Coast Guard. The Army received 24 as transports, bearing the designations C-21 and C-26, later becoming OA observation amphibians; while the Navy and Coast Guard received 10 and 13 respectively as RD transports.

3-View 
Douglas C-21/26/29 DolphinA three-view drawing (740 x 968)

Specification 
 MODELC-21
 ENGINE2 x Wright R-975-3, 261kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight3893 kg8583 lb
  Loaded weight2659 kg5862 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan18.29 m60 ft 0 in
  Length13.36 m44 ft 10 in
  Height4.29 m14 ft 1 in
  Wing area52.21 m2561.98 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed225 km/h140 mph
  Cruise speed192 km/h119 mph
  Ceiling4330 m14200 ft
  Range885 km550 miles

Comments
John M, e-mail, 24.01.2022 03:44

Short footage of what seems a model of a Dolphin in one of the Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers musical movies as well

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John martin, e-mail, 01.02.2023 John M

Yes. I think it was a short clip in the movie “The Gay Divorcee”
Cheers
John

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George Haloulakos, e-mail, 09.06.2020 22:00

The murder mystery movie "Murder on a Honeymoon" (1935) starts out on a seaplane flying from Los Angeles / Long Beach to Catalina Island. Turns out according to the IMD web site, the seaplane is a Douglas Dolphin, and was part of the Wilmington-Catalina Airlines fleet.

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Ken, e-mail, 20.04.2014 08:11

I am also a Radio Control Scale airplane builder. I have a set of plans for this plane but can find very little technical information, ie. how did the landing gear function? I hope to build the plane with operating gear for use both off the water and on land. Any help in the right direction to finding this information would be greatly appreciated.

Ken

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Edward Power, e-mail, 07.01.2013 02:25

In 1963, I spent about 40 hrs riding in 1934 Dolphin N-26K over parta of 29 Palms Marine base, Flew out of Yucca Valley Airport. It has wooden wings, The A /c was first owned by Bill Boeing, was then owned by Command Sae Planes of Sausolito, CA. It was white with green trim, It now has Coast Guard paint in Naval Air Museum, Pensicola, FL

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will harrison, e-mail, 26.03.2011 02:17

The Dolphin was the last aircraft designed exclusively by Donald Douglas, Sr. After the first test flight, he noted that on landing, water was getting into the engine housings. He immediately sat down, sketched a redesign for the nose fairing, and solved the problem.

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Andy Andrus, e-mail, 01.11.2020 will harrison

Mr. Harrison, I hope this email finds you well & safe in these times.

Your description of Donald Douglas Sr.'s 1st flight in the Sinbad (later Dolphin) has me curious about your source, and whether or not that document identifies the date of that 1st flight.

Surprisingly, there is nothing written anywhere, even in older Douglas Aircraft "biographies", that identify the date of that 1st flight of the Sinbad /Dolphin series.

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dave king, e-mail, 23.03.2011 16:55

I'm evaluating.For building an R /C model for an up comming float fly. THANKS for posting such a pert-e gal!

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Sid Gally, e-mail, 08.10.2010 21:27

I once took a sightseeing flight over Santa Catalina Island in a Dolphin. The cost was a penny a pound and I paid $1.10. It left from the ramp at Hamilton Beach and took off and landed in the water.

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