The sixth DC-2, parked in front of the terminal at Floyd Bennett Field. NC13716 to Braniff Airways in 1937 and Rudy Arnold photographed probably the same airframe in military service wearing only 1242 in 1942. It was allocated s/n 42-61095. Photo by: Rudy Arnold / Smithsonian Institution

EAL DC-2 in formation with the transatlantic Vultee V-1 NR13770 Lady Peace, flown by EAL pilot Dick Merrill. Another shot shows a second DC-2 too. Supposedly the photos were taken when Merrill set out for the big flight, but it is unlikely that he would have wasted fuel to formate with the DC-2s and the photographer's aircraft. Thus they were probably taken either before or after Merrill's transatlanic return flight, or during his return to New York, as NC13731 was the very DC-2 that flew in a new propeller for the Vultee to Harbour Grace, Newfoundland; see photos 415955 & 415972. Photo by: Rudy Arnold / Smithsonian Institution

The former Western Air Express company was severed from TWA and operated as General Air Lines from May till December 1934. This was the second airline to fly the DC-2, having only one example in service for much of this brief period, NC13733 (c/n 1259), working route AM-13 between Salt Lake City and San Diego. Despite having fleet number 1, NC13731 was not delivered until September. At the end of the year, GAL's services were taken over by United Air Lines and its four DC-2s were sold to Eastern Air Lines. One of the men here is EAL's Eddie Rickenbacker - tall, standing to the right of the GAL logo. Photo from: Western Airlines

One of the 10 former Eastern Air Lines DC-2s bought by the Australian government at the start of World War II to bolster the RAAF's transport capability. After the outbreak of the Pacific War, A30-12 was camouflaged and the red centre of the roundel was painted out to avoid confusion with the Japanese roundel. Postwar A30-12 was sold to Marshall Airways and is believed to have been stripped of useful parts at Essendon airport. The rest was scrapped. Photo from: Townsville City Library

The large American flags painted on, and the number plate of the car suggest that the photo was taken during WWII in Lima. The car plate says '42' too, presumably indicating the year of issue. NC13729 to XA-BJL (2) in 1945, broken up in 1947. Photo from: Smithsonian Institution

Another picture of the first DC-2, this time in Kansas City with the Intercity Viaduct in the background. TWA abandoned its slogan 'The Lindbergh Line' in late 1938, and replaced it with 'The Transcontinental Line' titles. The two red tail stripes were introduced earlier. Photo from: Jackson County Historical Society

The first DC-2, registered in 1934. Foster Lane established the Port Columbus Flying School in 1935 and based himself in the TWA hangar. The front of the hangar originally carried the logo of TWA predecessor TAT, which was restored circa 2016, but what does it say here? NC13711 sold to Royal Air Force in 1941 as DG477 but by then it wore TWA scheme with two red tail stripes. Photo from: SFO Museum

Why the interest in the DC-3 is not explained but Boulder City was the last stop before Burbank (Hollywood) for TWA's transcontinental flights from New York. It would have been popular service for Hollywood's stars. NC13718 was bought by the British Purchasing Commission during World War II and used by the RAF as DG471. Crashed in October 1941. Photo from: University of Nevada Las Vegas

NC13711 was the first DC-2. It is not the DC-2 presently registered N13711 which is c/n 1368. The DC-2 in the photo was acquired by the British Purchasing Commission in 1941 and delivered to the RAF as DG477 for service in Iraq and later India. Scrapped in 1947. Photo from: University of Nevada Las Vegas

Crashed Pittsburgh on April 3, 1940. The old Boulder City airport was busy during the construction of the nearby Hoover Dam. Photo from: University of Nevada Las Vegas

Built in July 1934 as part of an order for launch customer TWA, it was soon disposed of as the DC-3 became available to them and was purchased by Braniff. Photo taken at what is probably the site of the current Oklahoma City airport. It then passed to the US War Department as 42-61096 but was deregistered on 4 May 1943. It was operated by Aerovias Brazil until a landing accident at Lagoa Santa on 5 February 1947 damaged the aircraft beyond repair. (Unknown Photographer)

Previously NC13782 and VH-CRK. A slow restoration at Moorabbin for display purposes.

A30-14 being dismantled after a landing accident. It was trucked to Cairns then shipped to Melbourne for repairs. In 1947 it was sold to Marshall Airways for use as spares for its DC-2 VH-CDZ. A30-14 remained stored in Sid Marshall's yard until after his death in the 1970s. Sold to the Dutch Dakota Association in 1987 and shipped to the Netherlands. Now displayed as PH-AFK at the Nederlands Transport Museum. Photo from: National Library of Australia

NC13731 flew in spares - probably a propeller - for the transatlantic Vultee V-1 NR13770 Lady Peace which, flown by EAL chief pilot Dick Merrill, had landed in a bog at Musgrave Harbour, Newfoundland. EAL boss and WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker was on board the DC-2, but it was piloted by George Branson and Joe Kelly. Several planes carrying journalists also arrived. Photo from: Conception Bay Museum

Tucked away in a corner of the airfield

DC-2s 'U.S. 9', formerly NC13723, and NC14966 (c/n 1406) on the Pan Am ferry route to Africa, on delivery to the RAF. The Americas were not yet at war with Germany and this was a sensitive issue - the 'US' markings were apparently sometimes applied to please Brazil. NC14966 became AX768 and NC14966 became HK821, both with 117 Sqn in Khartoum. 'U.S. 9' is a DC-2-112 while NC14966 parked behind is a DC-2-120 with enlarged tailfin, right hand door and landing lights moved from nose to wings. Photo by: Hart Preston / Life

For most the past 75 years A30-9 has been in the open with its wings removed. It was part of Sid Marshall's collection of DC-2 spares at Sydney - Bankstown and then held in the Camden Aviation Museum yard. In Victoria it was parked at Tyabb airport and is now in the storage yard of the Australian National Aviation Museum (formerly the Moorabbin Air Museum) at Melbourne - Moorabbin. But briefly it was hangared and its wings attached at Melbourne - Essendon as part of a project to return the aircraft to the skies. Project terminated after severe corrosion found.

Delivered to Eastern Air Lines as NC13738 in 1934. Joined the RAAF in 1941 as A30-14, and withdrawn from use in Jan 1947 and stored. Forty years later, in Feb 1987, it was bought by the Dutch Dakota Association. Still carrying faded RAAF markings the DC-2 was transported to the Netherlands, for intended restoration as the famous PH-AJU "Uiver". This project never got off the ground and it remained in storage at various locations in the Netherlands until delivered to the Nederlands Transport Museum on 31 May 2018. They restored it into these KNILM colours with fake registration PK-AFK. The real PK-AFK was DC-2-115G c/n 1375.

One of only eight DC-2's remaining in the world - under restoration at the Aviation Museum in Moorabbin