6
$\begingroup$

Between June 25, 1941 and October 29, 1941 a tri-tailed “Twin Motored Transport Plane” was featured on U.S. airmail stamps in 6-, 8-, 10-, 15-, 20- and 50-cent dominations.

enter image description here
Source

Was the aircraft featured on those stamps an actual aircraft, or was it a Postal Service graphic artist’s conceptualization of one?

|improve this question|||||
$\endgroup$
6
$\begingroup$

It appears to be only an artist's conception and is an amalgam of several different designs, but apparently largely based on the Douglas DC-3 aircraft, the Lockheed Electra, and the Beech 18.

enter image description here

The livery bears a striking resemblance to American Airline's DC-3 sleeper service, which operated during that era.

enter image description here

http://usstampgallery.com/view.php?id=1021c6191539bc1ca404bccf78595b7fdc0f06fd

|improve this answer|||||
$\endgroup$
  • $\begingroup$ The tail is also reminiscent of the DC-4E $\endgroup$ – mins Dec 13 '16 at 21:13
  • $\begingroup$ Excellent comment. The fuselage section above the engine has definitely been taken from the DC-4E -- in particular note the small rectangular windows just above each of the main cabin's windows. $\endgroup$ – К. Келлогг Смиф Dec 16 '16 at 14:26
  • $\begingroup$ YouTube has several very good taxiing, in-flight, and information videos of/on Douglas' experimental DC-4E and the subsequent sale of that prototype to Japan where it was used as a prototype for a Japanese WWII 4-engine bomber. $\endgroup$ – К. Келлогг Смиф Dec 16 '16 at 15:11

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.