After some "firsts' over the last few days, it is time for a speed record!
On this day in aviation history, a Douglas DC 1 took 11 hours and 5 minutes to fly from Burbank, Calif., to New York.
Only one DC 1 was built, it was the basis for the infamous DC 2 and DC 3. Powered by 2 × Wright SGR-1820F3 Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 690 hp (510 kW) each and had a cruise speed of 170 knots with a 1000 mile range. If you look at today's flight times for jet-powered aircraft from Los Angeles to New York the 11 hours and 5 minutes is pretty impressive. BUR to JFK has a scheduled flight time of over 5 1/2 hours to cover the ~2140 miles distance. The DC 1 did pretty well 86 years ago!
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