This is the history of the design, development, and operational use of the Douglas Big Props, including technical specifications and details of military variants.

With his hugely successful commercial aircraft, including the legendary DC-3, founder Donald W. Douglas led his company to the forefront of aircraft manufacturers starting in the 1930s.

“Depend on Douglas” was the company motto, and the company founder stood behind it with his name. Between 1945 and 1960, the DC-4, DC-6, and DC-7 four-engine “Big Prop” models were flown by many of the world’s most famous commercial airlines of the era, including Pan Am, United, American, Eastern, Delta, KLM, BOAC, Swissair, SAS, Air France, Alitalia, and Japan Air Lines.

Period photographs bring to life the fascinating history of these early, and influential, commercial airliners, some of which still fly today. [AuthorName]By Wolfgang Borgmann[/AuthorName][AuthorBio]Wolfgang Borgmann’s enthusiasm for aviation was passed on to him by his parents, who were active in the aviation field. In his early years, he began building up an aviation historical collection that provides numerous rare photos and documents, as well as exciting background information, for his books. Since April 2000, Borgmann has been active as an author and freelance aviation journalist. Since February 2022, he works as editor for the leading German civil aviation magazine Aero International. He lives in Oerlinghausen, Germany. His website is www.aerojournalist.de.[/AuthorBio][NumIllustration]160 color and b/w photos[/NumIllustration][CoAuthor][/CoAuthor][SubTitle]A Legends of Flight Illustrated History[/SubTitle][ColorPattern]160 color and b/w photos[/ColorPattern]