Civil Douglas A-20

[Maveric]

Can someone tell me more about this civil development of the Douglas A.20 Havoc?

 

[Sundog]

I've never seen that one before, thanks for sharing. Hopefully, someone here will know something about it.

 

[yasotay]

Maybe the Lear Jet of the day? Able to take a small number relatively fast to places where big airliners would not. Even when jets came in it would be another decade or two before corporate aircraft were available. Latin America?

 

[perttime]

Googling civilian a-20 finds some pages with civilian developments. Some were used for spraying, and there were executive transports. Apparently, Howard Hughes had a couple.

 

[Sherman Tank]

Can someone tell me more about this civil development of the Douglas A.20 Havoc?

Almost certainly someone's custom rebuild of a surplus A-20.

 

[Arjen]

A-20G s/n 42-22217, built by Douglas-Santa Monica, delivered 10 June 1944, sent immediately into storage at McClellan Field near Sacramento.

Sold 25 March 1946 to Hughes Aircraft, received registration number NX63148.
Used for airworthiness tests with a fin and rudder similar to the one on the Hughes XF-11, until as late as November 1946.
Returned to its original configuration at the end of 1947, in December of that year Hughes applied for an AL-9 type certificate, registration number NL63148.

Sold to Paul B Young of Oceanside, Califonia on 15 August 1949.
Modified by Long Beach Aeromotive. Seat installed aft of pilot's position, cockpit hatch and windows modified. Upgraded radio equipment, gun turret completely removed, turret opening faired over. In the aft fuselage, three windows were added to starboard, two windows to portboard, each approximately 18 x 36 cm. Three seats in heated, furnished passenger cabin. Bomb-bay modified for carrying up to 160 kg of cargo. Oxygen provided for passengers. In service as private passenger transport.

Modified again in July 1951 by Long Beach Aeromotive. R-2600-23 engines replaced by R-2600-29s. Nose rebuilt to accomodate two more passengers, windows and escape hatches added to nose. Aft fuselage windows enlarged.

Modified for the third time in January 1953 by Long Beach Aeromotive. New fairing over original turret opening, to provide more headroom. 886ltr fuel tank fitted in bomb-bay, additional baggage compartment in aft fuselage. Desert air filters removed from cowlings, new air scoops. Total aircraft time 1200 hours.

Still owned by Paul B Young, occasionally flown by Dianna Cyrus Bixby. Bixby was killed when the aircraft crashed into the Gulf of California on 2 January 1955, low on fuel, in poor weather.

Source: Douglas Havoc and Boston - The DB-7/A-20 Series by Scott Thompson, Crowood 2004.
November 1952, Sacramento image by Bill Larkins: www.flickr.com/photos/34076827@N00/5012357442/

 

[Maveric]

THX Arjen!