Monday, January 11, 2016

Donald Douglas: Founder of McDonnell Douglas Corporation


...Rolex Super-Coolness....

Donald Douglas
Founder of McDonnell Douglas Corporation
1892-1981

"When you design it, think how you would feel if you had to fly it! Safety first!"

Donald Douglass is one of the greatest aviation pioneers in history, and he is featured below in the 1952 Rolex Datejust ad. Donald Douglas was a highly talented aeronautical engineer who played a key role in the building out the American aviation industry.


Early in Douglas' career he built an airplane known as the Douglas Cloudster, which was the first airplane that could cary a payload heavier than its own weight. In 1921 he founded the Douglas Aircraft Company which would later merge into The McDonnell Douglas Corporation.

Donald Douglas is pictured below with American President FDR, on the eve of World War II. At the beginning of World War II, Doulas' Airplanes made up 80% of all commercial aircraft in the U.S. Fleet, which was dominated with his Douglas DC-3. Also, his Douglas C-47 Military Transport version of the DC-3 was the dominant airplane in the U.S. Military Fleet.


In the video below we learn how Donald Douglas was deeply inspired by the Wright Brothers, and how he witnessed the dawn of Military aviation.




The following video is fascinating as it features the pioneer aviation founders of Lockheed, Northrop and Douglas himself.