1933 Douglas Dolphin RD-2 Navy Amphibian Photo
Early Presidential Fleet Type
Negative 4454, Dated 3-30-33, Lettered U.S. NAVY RD-2DESCRIPTIONThis original period photograph shows a Douglas Dolphin amphibian in U.S. Navy markings, photographed from a low three-quarter angle off the nose on the field apron. Two radial engines sit on pylons above the wing, the polished, riveted aluminum hull fills the foreground, and the main wheels are down for land operation. U.S. NAVY is lettered on the hull and RD-2 on the tail. The negative number 4454, the type RD-2 and the date 3-30-33 are lettered in white in the lower corner of the image, which dates the photograph to March 30, 1933.The Dolphin grew out of the Douglas Sinbad, a twin-engine flying boat that first flew in July 1930, and was reworked as an amphibian that could operate from water or from land. Fewer than 60 were built for civilian owners, the Army, the Navy and the Coast Guard. Civilian buyers included William E. Boeing, who named his Dolphin Rover. The Navy and Coast Guard used the RD designation for their Dolphins, and RD-2 covered only a handful of aircraft, among them Navy staff transports.One RD-2 holds a place in presidential history.The Navy acquired a Dolphin in 1933 that is often counted as the first aircraft of the presidential fleet, based at Naval Air Station Anacostia in Washington, D.C. Navy records are unclear on how closely it was tied to the White House. A Navy letter describes it as set aside to carry mail and guests to President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he was aboard the yacht Potomac, and it was also used by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for official transportation. Roosevelt did not fly in it. His first flight as a sitting president did not come until January 1943, when he boarded Pan American's Boeing 314 Dixie Clipper on his way to the Casablanca Conference.The lettering on this print identifies the type, RD-2, and not an individual airplane, so it is offered as a period view of the Navy's RD-2 Dolphin. The detail is strong enough to read the hull rivets, the engine cylinders and the lettering.This print comes from a Douglas and Northrop factory photograph album of the 1930s. Images were scanned at 600dpi, and the scans show the print as it is.Every effort is made for fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you're unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I'll make it right. Orders placed before Noon CDT ship same day via Ground Advantage with tracking so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. All shipments receive rigid, professional packaging, sealed and protected in acid free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONOriginal period black and white print with a warm, aged tone. The image is sharp, with clear detail in the hull rivets, engines and lettering, and the white lettering and date in the lower corner read clearly. There are no tears, folds or emulsion loss in the image area, and a few faint hairline marks and tiny specks show in the pavement area on close inspection. The white border has a diagonal crease at the lower right corner and light edge wear. The print was released from a period album page with humidity, and the reverse retains tan album paper fiber and adhesive residue, which is stable and does not show from the front.
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