Of the 18 DC-2s delivered to KLM, no less five were written off in crashes within three years. Maraboe crashed on the bumpy runway of Bushire, Iran in July 1935, only a few months old. Thanks largely to the Amsterdam municipal archives, we have photos in our database of all these aircraft as of late 2024, except PH-ALF. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

A rare photo of this KLM DC-2, which flew for five years nevertheless until destroyed by bombing here on 10 May 1940. The captain is waving, obviously knowing about the photographer's presence. The DC-2 initally served on the intercontinental Holland - Java route and this one is named Perkoetoet (zebra dove), a singing dove species which is popular as a pet in Indonesia. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

PH-AKJ and PH-AKO on the apron that is now Schiphol East. PH-AKO was destroyed here on 10 May 1940. PH-AKJ was damaged, repaired and used by Lufthansa as D-AJAW. Photo from: KLM Safety Herald

Instead of the big Fokker F.XXXVI (F.36), KLM selected the Douglas DC-2. On the right is not the sole F.XXVI but a smaller F.XXII, PH-AJP Papegaai. The DC-2 Gaai was KLM's second example, after PH-AJU Uiver. It arrived in the port of Rotterdam in April 1935. Delivered through Fokker with 'line number' 13, it was already lost on 20 July in a crash in Switzerland which killed everyone on board. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

KLM DC-2s PH-AKH Haan (rooster) and PH-AKJ Jan van Gent (gannet), both reassembled by Fokker in April 1934 with 'line numbers' 14 and 16. Photo from: Life

The airport in Gaza was at times a stop on KLM's East Indies route. Geologist Heim was travelling to the Himalayas. Photo by: Arnold Heim / ETH-Bibliothek Zürich

Used as a café in Hämeenlinna.

Carl Gustaf von Rosen, who worked as a KLM DC-2 pilot - see photo 509828 - bought this DC-2, PH-AKH, to help the Finns against the Soviet invaders. He flew it from Sweden to Tampere on 14 January 1940. Bomb racks were fitted and machine guns installed in the nose and in an open dorsal position, as seen here. The aircraft flew one bombing mission on 1 March 1940. Later it served as Marshal Mannerheim's personal transport. In March 1942 it was camouflaged and given a new serial, DO-1. It was retired in 1957 and is now beautifully preserved in the Tuulonen shopping mall. Photo from: Finnish Air Force

Original colour picture. Both the DC-2 and the Groningen airport terminal were built in 1935. PH-AKQ was named Kwak (night heron) through a lack of birds beginning with Q. Bagged by the Germans in 1940, becoming D-AEAN with Lufthansa and SG-KV in the Luftwaffe. Captured by the RAF at Flensburg in May 1945 and allocated serial VP102. Last noted at Lüneburg in December 1945. Photo by: Hans Schade / Groninger Archieven

'The captain C.G. von Rosen waves his wife goodbye, though the chocks are still in place.' Adventurous Swedish Count Carl Gustaf von Rosen was hired by KLM after flying in Ethiopia. He married stewardess Hanny Krijgsman in 1938. He took a leave of absence to fly a bomber DC-2 for Finland during the Winter War, and was back in Holland just in time to evacuate a KLM DC-3 to Britain in May 1940. Apparently the RAF did not accept him because he had just visited his uncle - Hermann Göring! He worked for ABA Aerotransport until 1945 and then went back to Africa. Hanny joined the Dutch resistance and survived Dachau concentration camp. She died in 1949. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

The interior of this unique DC-2 exhibit has been superbly restored, as seen here in the cockpit

This beautifully presented DC-2 has a rich history, going back to 1935 when delivered to KLM as PH-AKH. It was acquired by the Finnish AF in 1940 via Sweden under registration SE-AKE and served in the Winter War, initially performing bombing and later VIP transport duties. When retired by the Air Force in 1955 it was converted as a café in Hämeenlinna, until saved by the Finnish Air Force Museum in 1981. After restoration between 2009 and 2011 in the colours worn during the later war period, it was placed on display in its own building at Tuulos Shopping Centre in 2015.

Destroyed by German bombing here on 10 May 1940. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

Crashed after take-off from Croydon, London, on December 9, 1936. Among those killed were Juan de la Cierva, the inventor of the autogyro. Photo from: Norman Melrose

On display at Tuulonen shopping mall. [Nikon D750 + Tamron SP 24-70mm/2,8G VC]

Norway gets land airports. PH-AKI arrived at Fornebu on 31 May 1939 to open the Oslo - Kristiansand - Amsterdam service on 1 June, the official opening day of both Fornebu and Kristiansand - Kjevik. Both airports also had seaplane facilities. Photo by: Asbjørn Barlaup / Nasjonalbiblioteket (Norway)

Coming in from Baghdad, the DC-2 encountered a severe thunderstorm and it was impossible to locate Dekelia - Tatoi airport in Athens. The experienced captain, Jan Moll, decided that an emergency landing in a field near the beach in Voula was the safest option, and although the aircraft sustained serious damage, no one was hurt. Note that the location is very close to Ellinikon (LGAT), but that airport did not exist in 1937. The DC-2 was shipped to Holland and repairs were completed in December 1937. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Crashed on a training flight after the idle starboard engine would not pick up. Hit the ready room of an AAA platoon on the NE side of the airport near the bridge. One soldier killed, five wounded. Forward fuselage reads Vrachtdienst (cargo service). Aircraft repaired by December 1939 but destroyed in the bombing of Schiphol on 10 May 1940. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Now that's a nice welcome commitee. Built by NV Ned. Vliegtuigenfabriek (as c/n 25) and registered to KLM Nederlands and Colonies on May 7, 1935. In the early morning of October 28, 1938, the aircraft was operating a postal flight from Cologne and landed hard in fog. Afterwards, the fuselage was put on display at Schiphol for months. Although a different source mention that the aircraft was repaired after all. On December 3, 1938 the registration was cancelled. On May 16, 1940 it was requisitioned for Lufthansa and it became NA+LF and D-ABOW. Written off in Berlin on February 11, 1944.

On the road - a KLM DC-2 on the East Indies route. Karachi's airport, across the road from RAF Drigh Road, developed from a never used station for British airships in the 1930s. Photo by: Arnold Heim / ETH-Bibliothek Zürich