Almost forgotten in aviation history is the story of the Douglas triplets, Darrel, Dewey & Darrel. Because of their skill at tiddlywinks, they were known as the "triple threat". Dewey would introduce himself and his two brothers by saying "I'm Dewey and here's my brother Darrel and my other brother Darrel."
Donald Douglas, like many business owners during the Great Depression, had to hire on relatives. His half-brothers Darrel, Dewey & Darrel began work at Douglas Aircraft in the Purchasing Dept. which seemed a perfect fit as Purchasing loved three carbons and forms in triplicate.
Unfortunately, not long after the launch of the wildly successful DC-3, a major error was made when instead of ordering engines in pairs for the new DC-3, they were ordered in threes:
The manufacturer wouldn't allow Douglas Aircraft to return the extra engines and since there wasn't enough space to store them, a solution had to be found and fast.
The Douglas Triplets sprang into action and re-designed the DC-3 as a tri-motor which they called the DC-3-3. Donald Douglas was impressed because he could charge 1/3 more for the new plane due to the extra engine. It was hoped sales would be brisk.
Allegheny Airlines was the first to place an order for the DC-3-3 thinking it would be ideal for flying routes to some of their high-altitude destinations such as Mountain Top, Pennsylvania. Douglas wasted no time in getting the DC-3-3 in Allegheny Airlines livery.
Continued...
Brian da Basher