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What is this large protruding rod in the frontal dorsal section of this drawing of a Swissair DC-3:

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The small rod extending from the nose I am assuming holds the pitot tube and serves as a mount for underbelly antennas. The other, larger rod I did not find present in cutaway drawings of the DC-3.

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    $\begingroup$ I'm not sure that's a DC-3, it's front section is flat sided, the DC-3 is very round. $\endgroup$
    – GdD
    Sep 21, 2021 at 14:11
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    $\begingroup$ I think it's a DC-2, it's still an interesting question though $\endgroup$
    – GdD
    Sep 21, 2021 at 14:18
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    $\begingroup$ It is definitely a Douglas DC-2 and the large “rod” looks like a radio antenna mast. $\endgroup$
    – Mike Sowsun
    Sep 21, 2021 at 15:19
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    $\begingroup$ It's a defensive machinegun - the Swiss take their armed neutrality very seriously. ;-P $\endgroup$
    – Vikki
    Sep 22, 2021 at 23:18

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This is a DC-2 poster from Swissair, circa 1935, a variant can be found here too. The front rod is the pitot support, the rear rod is the sense antenna of the ADF (a long wire running at the bottom of the fuselage, coupled with the loop on the top of the cockpit). wires are not visible though and it leaves an impression of the rod spraying something (this poster is a collector item for conspiracists), maybe addictive cocoa powder:

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Source, annotated

They are sometimes closer or grouped:

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Source

On Douglas aircraft, later the ADF loop would come on the nose. The HF (radio) antenna was generally found on top of the fuselage, near the tail. All that to say this varied a lot and it's actually difficult to tell what was the antenna purpose if the details are not visible:

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Source

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    $\begingroup$ Do you mean coca powder? $\endgroup$
    – phoog
    Sep 22, 2021 at 20:15
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    $\begingroup$ @phoog: Hey! This is Switzerland, not Colombia! We are strictly above-board here! ( ;-P ) $\endgroup$
    – Vikki
    Sep 23, 2021 at 0:02
  • $\begingroup$ @Vikki hm, I thought the addictive ingredient in chocolate was the sugar rather than the cocoa. $\endgroup$
    – phoog
    Sep 23, 2021 at 0:21

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