Douglas DC-4 fire tanker
The Douglas DC-4 was a huge leap forward from the twin engined tail-dragging airliners of the 1930’s such as the DC-3. The tricycle gear, wide fuselage, 4,000 mile range, and dependable Pratt & Whitney R-2000 engines made it the perfect long haul airliner for the 1940’s. But before it got the chance to do that, WW2 started and it was immediately pressed into service as a heavy lifting cargo plane. With a wider side door it could swallow up amazing loads, and the Santa Monica factory couldn’t build them fast enough. The military versions were designated C-54’s. After the war many were converted back into airliners. They did not have pressurized cabins however, which meant they had to fly in or around the weather. As soon as pressurized cabin high-altitude models like the Constellation and DC-6 came out, the DC-4’s and C-54’s went into more pedestrian service as air freighters. Some continue in that role today. Other aircraft were modified for special duty. Since they were plentiful and cheap, they could be adapted to service where they did not have to fly every day to earn their keep. Several were modified for use as fire bombers by adding a blister under the fuselage for the fire retardant. ARDCO (Aerial Retardant Delivery Company) 152 is an ex-military C-54D, registration number N9015Q, serial number 43-17228. ARDCO was based in Ryan, Arizona, and maintained a handful of similar C-54 fire bombers. They were always kept in excellent condition, with clean glossy paint and well maintained systems. Late fall forest fires plague the American southwest, and the rugged terrain prevented any other type of attack on them. Several other small firms such as Hawkins and Powers and Neptune Aviation maintained a fleet of ex-military craft for hire to states that needed outside help. The rest of the year they could afford to sit, especially on abandoned military airfields in rural areas. ARDCO 152 could often be seen operating out of the Lancaster CDF (California Department of Forestry) base just north of Los Angeles. She would wait until called, usually late in the afternoon, and would go out to fight flare-ups near LA where she would orbit until the fire boss directed the drop. Residents of the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys would watch these graceful antiques purring overhead, smoothly drop on to the hot spot, let loose the retardant, then gently climb out headed back for Lancaster. We see her in service here in Santa Clarita over Seco Canyon in 2003. It was always quite a sight. The US Forestry Service was alarmed when two firefighting aircraft broke apart in flight in one season. While both incidents can be traced to individual problems with those specific planes, the federal government decided that ‘old’ aircraft could no longer be used in this service. While jeopardizing lives and property since no replacements were available, businesses were also forced to close, prematurely ending the era of the WW2 fire bombers. The firefighting C-54’s had years of life left but no job to do. Douglas DC-4’s and C-54’s remain in yeoman service primarily in Alaska and Africa, where short but heavy hops do not favor pressurized cabins, which also weaken an aircraft’s structure over time. Ironically the characteristics that took them off the front lines are now the features most sought after.
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Douglas DC-4 Shirts:
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Douglas DC-4 mug
Douglas DC-4 Mugs:
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