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World Cruisers by Stan Stokes.
On April 6, 1924 the US Army Air Service began the first successful aerial circumnavigation of the World by heavier-than-air aircraft. Planning for this mission began in early 1923. Aware that a failure would bring negative publicity to the fledgling air service, the Army mustered a lot of resources to make this event succeed. The most suitable aircraft available for the mission was a Douglas DT-2, a Navy torpedo bomber. After modifying the aircraft for the epic journey the aircraft were designated Douglas World Cruisers. With only one engine, this two seat airplane, might at first appear to be an unusual selection, but the DT-2s were rugged, had an excellent reliability record, and could be quickly reconfigured from landing gear to floats. With the lack of suitable airfields for the trip, the use of floats would be mandatory for a good portion of the journey. The World Cruisers were fitted with huge fuel tanks (773 gallons vs the normal 96.) In addition, a modification to the radiator allowed for the size to be changed depending on the climate encountered during the circumnavigation. Two different types of propellers were also used, one with the landing gear configuration and another with the float configuration. Four aircraft set out on the journey, and were named Chicago, Boston, New Orleans, and Seattle. The four aircraft departed from Prince Rupert, Washington in April. They headed north making several stops in Alaska. The Seattle was lost during a crash in Alaska, but the crew survived. The three remaining aircraft followed the Aleutian Island chain, and had to make a refueling stop at sea off the coast of Siberia. The aircraft then proceeded southerly to Japan. Heading west to mainland Asia, they then headed on a southwest course to Hong Kong, Saigon, and Rangoon. Arriving in Calcutta, India the aircraft were then refitted with their normal landing gear. Stops at Karachi, Pakistan, Baghdad took place. Once in Europe the World Cruisers made stops in Paris and London. Refitted with their floats in Yorkshire, the three planes headed northwest, with Iceland being the next main landing area. The Boston was lost during this portion of the journey, but the crew was rescued by the USS Richmond. The two surviving aircraft, Chicago and New Orleans, which were piloted by Leslie Arnold and John Harding, now headed to Greenland then on to Canada. Arriving on September 8 in Boston, the two planes were once again refitted with their normal landing gear. Flying across the continent in short stages designed to maximize the publicity opportunities, the two remaining World Cruisers returned to Seattle on September 28, 1924. Their epic journey lasted 175 days, and covered almost 27,000 miles. A total of 73 separate flight legs, covering an average distance of 363 miles were flown. In Stan Stokes tribute to this epic journey, the World Cruisers land in Alaska in April, 1924 during the early stages of their journey.
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