Triumph & Tragedy ~ the DC-2’s landing characteristics
“TWA Douglas Airliner — Fastest in the air — Slowest to land”. This detail from a Transcontinental & Western Airlines postcard shows how the innovative “speed brakes” — primitive flaps — on the trailing edge of the wing and even under the fuselage of the DC-2 aircraft, improve its landing characteristics.
With the flaps, and starting to land from an altitude of 100 feet at end of the runway, the DC-2 could land at 55 mph (89 km/h) and touch down within 500 feet (152 metres) of the end of the runway. Without the flaps, it would have to land at no less than 70 mph (113 km/h), and would touch down within 1,500 feet (457 metres) of the end of the runway. (In practice, a pilot would plan to touch down as near the end of the runway as possible.)
With the flaps, and starting to land from an altitude of 100 feet at end of the runway, the DC-2 could land at 55 mph (89 km/h) and touch down within 500 feet (152 metres) of the end of the runway. Without the flaps, it would have to land at no less than 70 mph (113 km/h), and would touch down within 1,500 feet (457 metres) of the end of the runway. (In practice, a pilot would plan to touch down as near the end of the runway as possible.)