dc3b202

The Air-Britain book says ten DC-3Bs were built-- eight, or maybe all, for TWA. Berths and seats, so two upper-berth windows each side instead of four. All? had R-1820 engines.

Strangely enough, the caption typed on to this photo is incorrect. This is the wreckage of TWA Douglas DC-3 (DC-3B-202), NC17315 (c/n 1930), which crashed in St. Louis, Missouri on January 23, 1941. See: aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19410123-0 The two TWA Douglas DC-2 airliners crashed in Pennsylvania in 1937, one registered NC13730 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_15A) and the other registered NC13721 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_1). Neither is captured in the photo above.

This Boeing Aircraft and Transport 1930 built Control Tower is still intact however, covered in a 1950's remodel facade. The 1950's updated Tower ( abandoned in the late 1990's .. ) sits above the BA & T 1930 Control Tower on Steel Beam "stilts". Most of the originall 1930's / 1940's interior wood work and lighting was destroyed in a fire in May, 1966. When the time comes for the Tower to be torn down, we are hoping to conduct a "forensic" tear down ( aka peel the layers away until we get to the original 1930 built BA&T Control Tower ). This way we can record any interesting features or construction of the old "United Airport" control tower ( "United Airport" was the Airport's offical name from 1930- 1934 ) .

A throwback to the glory years...

The first airplane that I ever flew in was a TWA Super Connie. Dad was in the Air Force in England. The summer of 1955 he was sent stateside and we flew in a chartered TWA Super Connie!

I'd like to offer a correction if I may, Glendale's airport was Grand Central Air Terminal, this is Burbank's Union Air Terminal, (known today as Bob Hope international) Glendale isn't far from there, and it's still standing. Disney owns it and are planning to turn it into offices or maybe a museum I believe. However, I believe the plans are to refurbish the exterior of the building on Airway to it's original grandeur. Maybe some of the main lobby and other public rooms will be refurbished to it's original glory as well. We can only hope. Nice to see this shot from Burbank, the 30s was really a special time in commercial aviation. Not as safe as to day but, oh so stylish. :)

Thanks TexasJohn ! Just to note: All of the Lockheed "Super Connie's" were built just about a 1/4 mile from where this photo was shot!