Oldest Continuous Airline?
Tail Wheel
I believe that the right hand door was chosen to simplify terminal parking arrangements. Earlier aircraft in the KLM fleet must have had RHDs. American Airlines also specified the RHD on the DC-3 for similar reasons.
Rgds
I believe that the right hand door was chosen to simplify terminal parking arrangements. Earlier aircraft in the KLM fleet must have had RHDs. American Airlines also specified the RHD on the DC-3 for similar reasons.
Rgds
Join Date: Aug 2003
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Cyrus Rowlett Smith, (C.R.) President of American Airlines (American Airlines were responsible for the genesis and design of the DC-3) came up with an innovation for passenger comfort. He insisted on a right side door to the airplane. There were two reasons for this. It would standardize American's operations where they had ramp facilities to accommodate their right side door Ford Tri-Motors, but more importantly, Smith's philosophy behind the right side door was that pilots started the left engine first preparatory to departure. Boarding passengers would not be buffeted by the prop wash as they boarded the aircraft if the left engine were running. In the past, most airlines had ramp facilities to accommodate left-sided door airplanes.
From http://www.dc3history.org/aa_master.htm
It would seem the other airlines won out in the end with the left hand door.
DC-5 had the door on the left, unless these guys took along can openers.
From http://www.dc3history.org/aa_master.htm
It would seem the other airlines won out in the end with the left hand door.
DC-5 had the door on the left, unless these guys took along can openers.
